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| Kyrgyz villagers spend their day leading the sheep, cows, and horses to pasture, collecting grass for winter, and then bringing the livestock back home. For us it's fun herd a cow on horseback from the fields to the pen. Back in our village the local English teacher avoids talking to us - not wanting to test her English it seems. We drink vodka, make a few toasts, and learn that days weren't so bad under the Soviets. Follow the lead of the Communist official - if he drank vodka then so could you. | |||
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This region supports several different ecosystems: desert,
semi-desert, steppe, meadow, forest, sub-alpine, and glacial. Running in and out
of these areas are Marco Polo sheep, ibex, wild boar, snow leopards, and inexperienced
backpacker riders. | |||
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Our
horses balk and seem to ask, why ride into the mountains? | |||
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| Here a good horse will only set you back
a few hundred dollars, a good felt hat, called a kolpak, costs few dollars. | |||
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We visit visit a few families in their yurts, the summer home
for many Kyrgyz who bring their livestock into the mountains in search of green
pastures. | |||