admin, Author at Pedaling Pictures

The Karakol Animal Market

Talk to a few locals in Karakol and you’re bound to get asked: are you here to visit the animal market on Sunday? This is one of Kyrgyzstan’s largest and most typical livestock markets. It runs once a week, only on Sundays. If you're in Karakol it is not to be missed! The Kyrgyz name for this place is the "Mал Базар" (Mal Bazaar: мал = animal, livestock) and in Russian the "Скотный Рынок" (Skotniy Rynok). We got a ride from the guesthouse and the car pulled up as far as it could go before…continue reading →

Getting to Ala Archa National Park…And Back

Last week we left the smoggy streets of Bishkek behind for the crisp mountain peaks of Ala Archa National Park. Just 30 kilometers from central Bishkek, the park offers city dwellers and visitors open space and fresh air without much hassle. We weren't sure how to get there, so we consulted a number of sources: three Russian-language teachers, two Kyrgyz-language teachers, one Bishkek expat Facebook group, and one travel agent. We figured it out, eventually, and I'll summarize our findings at the end of the post, but the real story here is how we…continue reading →

To Naryn We’ll Go!

It looks like we'll be spending a good chunk of time in Naryn Oblast (province) over the next several months! What originally brought Joe and me to Kyrgyzstan is my involvement in a pilot project aimed at introducing low-cost environmental field courses in mountain schools in Kyrgyzstan. Click here for more details about the project. In April I'll be heading to Naryn Oblast with the Krygyz Public Foundation Camp Alatoo to visit 30 village schools. Hopefully Joe can come with to document the experience both for CAMP Alatoo and for Pedaling Pictures. If he can't go, he's going…continue reading →

Defender of the Fatherland Day Party

I’ve only been in Bishkek for three weeks, but I’m already feeding men hot dogs dangled from a suspended string. This Monday will be a working holiday for most Kyrgyz in honor of Defender of the Fatherland Day—and on Friday my office had a party. Defender of the Fatherland Day is a truly Soviet creation. It was first observed to mark the date of the creation of the Red (Soviet) Army in 1918. After changing names a few times between Red Army Day, Day of the Red Army and the Navy, and Soviet Army…continue reading →

Moving to Kyrgyzstan is Easy: Part One

Just a week into our adventure in Kyrgyzstan, it's already apparent that this transition is going to be far easier than expected. First, there's a near absence of the bureaucracy--all too common in the overdeveloped world--that puts hours of waiting rooms and stacks of paper between visiting a place and living in it. Then there's a fully integrated system devoted to making it easy to pay for pretty much anything, from cell phones to gambling debts, at any of hundreds of ATM-like machines around the city. Not least, there's an easy visa system that welcomes foreign visitors rather than…continue reading →

Bishkek, Day One

As the sun came up on our third flight and revealed the sparse, wintery landscape of Central Asia, the idea finally started to sink in: we're on our way to Kyrgyzstan not for a week or a month, but to live. A day later we're still getting used to the idea, but at least we're 24 hours closer to understanding our new home. First Impressions We were still thanking our lucky stars that all of our four giant suitcases had arrived undamaged when we exited the airport into a small crowd of smoking taxi drivers.…continue reading →

Oaxaca City Cuisine: Chocolate, Cheese and Grasshoppers

I was once a careful tourist, eating only what seemed safe and normal when I traveled abroad, but I learned a valuable lesson when a boring roast-beef sandwich in Paris left me bedridden for a week--if even "safe" food can be dangerous, why not just eat everything? From then on I've followed my instincts and indulged in anything that looks or smells enticing, interesting or downright weird. On a side note, I think my immunizations are up to date. Oaxaca City is a paradise for the gastronomical adventurer, especially during the festive holiday season from…continue reading →

Four Days in Oaxaca City

Snagged by the lure of a city apart, still dominated by tradition, where old women weave colorful tapestries on the street and vendors proffer a wide variety of insects for human consumption, where Mezcal flows like golden water and the spirit of the Zapotec still pervades modern life--we headed to Oaxaca City. We found all these things and more, albeit scattered throughout a buzzing metropolis where modern ideals mix aggressively with traditional appearances to create a dynamic--and yes, unique--cityscape. Oaxaca is not the mythical city of the cloud jungle we were hoping to find, but its reality as…continue reading →

From Sea to Shining Sea: Reflections on My American Road Trip

With Stephanie staying in Europe to walk the Camino Portuguese, I needed something equally epic to show for the remainder of my summer. I needed to do something gutsy, unique—and preferably really, really American. Somewhere between the Accursed Mountains and the sun-drenched fields of western Albania, I decided on The Road Trip. Part 1: The Car The "Go Cart" in Chappell, NB I've lived in the adult world of jobs, paychecks, rent and restaurants for close to seven years now, but none of it has ever necessitated a car. First, I've always lived…continue reading →

Back in Podgorica, the Circle Complete

It seems like each day on our bikes has brought new and unexpected challenges, and we've learned to never take the distance on a map as an indicator of navigability by bike. But today, for our last day on the road, we were given the gift of an easy trip to Podgorica. It almost seems like an anticlimax after putting so much sweat, blood and tears into the trip thus far, but mostly we're just glad to be back safe with all of our appendages and most of our gear. We started the…continue reading →

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