ABSTRACT
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked and mountainous country at the heart of Central Asia. Some of the highest mountains in the region, the Tien-Shan and the Pamir, span over Kyrgyzstan’s territory and make the countryside an adventure to travel through. Outside the capital city Bishkek, life continues the way it has done for centuries. Nomadic families move around with their livestock in a seasonal pattern and are often cut off for months from the rest of the world. That’s why they are particularly fond of travellers as they bring news from the outside world. Typical Kyrgyz cuisine is very rich and fatty in order to help the people survive through the long, harsh winter months. An interesting specialty, somewhat strange to the Western taste, is Kumys, a drink made from fermented mare’s milk. During the hot summer months, the greatest pleasure is to cool off at the beaches of the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan, the Issyk-Kul. Locals call it ‘hot lake’ because it does not freeze in winter, even though it is situated at more than 1500m above sea level.
