Some background information…
Since I returned from this extensive trip of autumn 2017, a number of people have asked me why I went. I've tried to explain that as a student in a school in a little farm town, our history books were perhaps not the broadest in terms of introducing us to the great sweep of history as it was affected by various parts of the world that were oh-so-far-away. And now, Communist to boot. (And of course, there is my curiosity about areas unseen... a big reason for why I go anywhere...)
But as a girl in Indiana, I did hear about Genghis Khan and the Mongol hordes, and somewhere along the line, the steppes.
So off I went on this Zegrahm tour, ably led by Gary Wintz, to the countries that now comprise much of Central Asia: Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Sadly, Tajikistan was not included in this trip, and I surmise that it was considered a bit too close to potential war-conflict areas near the Iranian and Afghani borders.
Since I returned from this extensive trip of autumn 2017, a number of people have asked me why I went. I've tried to explain that as a student in a school in a little farm town, our history books were perhaps not the broadest in terms of introducing us to the great sweep of history as it was affected by various parts of the world that were oh-so-far-away. And now, Communist to boot. (And of course, there is my curiosity about areas unseen... a big reason for why I go anywhere...)
But as a girl in Indiana, I did hear about Genghis Khan and the Mongol hordes, and somewhere along the line, the steppes.
So off I went on this Zegrahm tour, ably led by Gary Wintz, to the countries that now comprise much of Central Asia: Kyrgystan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Sadly, Tajikistan was not included in this trip, and I surmise that it was considered a bit too close to potential war-conflict areas near the Iranian and Afghani borders.
Anyway, travel here is not like taking a train to the next stop. Planning is required. Weather is different. Currencies -- well, you get to bring back a lot of samples for the grandkids!
FROM THE TOUR COMPANY: Visas and Letters of Invitation are required of US and Canadian citizens for entry into Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan if strictly traveling per the published itinerary. A visa for Kyrgyzstan will be issued upon arrival, while a visa for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan must be issued before departure. There is no visa required for Kazakhstan for stays shorter than 30 days
Currency: As of September 2017, the
exchange rates are as follows:
$1 US Dollar = 68.60 Kyrgyzstani Som (KGS)
$1 US Dollar= 340.40 Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
$1 US Dollar= 8100.00 Uzbekistani Som (UZS)
$1 US Dollar= 3.50 Turkmenistani Manat (TMT)
$1 US Dollar = 68.60 Kyrgyzstani Som (KGS)
$1 US Dollar= 340.40 Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)
$1 US Dollar= 8100.00 Uzbekistani Som (UZS)
$1 US Dollar= 3.50 Turkmenistani Manat (TMT)
Climate: Central Asia sits at the heart of the Asian
continent, far from any oceans. The climate tends to be dry and can also be
extremely hot and cold. The topography of this region ranges from vast plains
to high, rugged mountains. Hence, Central Asia is home to multiple types of
climates.
I'm including the maps below for
clarity about Central Asian countries that I'm writing about in this blog.
Enormous area of the world!
I'm also put the following larger-regional-context map here, so you can have a better understanding for what I am about to say next...
I'm also put the following larger-regional-context map here, so you can have a better understanding for what I am about to say next...
Just look at the sweep of Central
Asia, and where it is located in the world! I never understood its influence in
shaping commerce, religion, language, and today's geopolitical situation until
I traveled there. Among other things I learned from pre-trip
reading was that Christianity first took hold in these "eastern
parts" and then spread to Western Europe. And that the Silk Road,
conveying silk from China to Europe, and then European goods back again, indeed
shaped the transmittal of culture and language and goods for centuries.
And it still does, with the oil and gas reserves now being exploited.
Part of the reason I personally knew so little about this part of the world is that, for years, these countries were under Soviet domination. In 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved, they became "FSU" (Former Soviet Union) countries, with the abrupt economic dislocation that involved. In February 2018, I had a chance to talk with Disholda Yergesheva, the first Uzbek woman to graduate from Harvard Business School (class of 2013) about what that was like. Her grandmother had worked hard to rise from her farmer origins to the owner of several small businesses. She had scrimped and saved to give her family a better life. When 1991 came, those businesses went bust, the money saved no longer had any value, and almost everyone in Uzbekistan found themselves in long lines waiting for bread and other necessities. Disholda was in those lines too, and is grateful for the opportunity that HBS has given her to build a career here that enables her to be of assistance to her family back in Tashkent. But I diverge.
The photos and commentary in this blog have been previously posted on my Facebook page, and there are a lot of history lessons therein. I hope you enjoy the blog.
Part of the reason I personally knew so little about this part of the world is that, for years, these countries were under Soviet domination. In 1991, when the Soviet Union dissolved, they became "FSU" (Former Soviet Union) countries, with the abrupt economic dislocation that involved. In February 2018, I had a chance to talk with Disholda Yergesheva, the first Uzbek woman to graduate from Harvard Business School (class of 2013) about what that was like. Her grandmother had worked hard to rise from her farmer origins to the owner of several small businesses. She had scrimped and saved to give her family a better life. When 1991 came, those businesses went bust, the money saved no longer had any value, and almost everyone in Uzbekistan found themselves in long lines waiting for bread and other necessities. Disholda was in those lines too, and is grateful for the opportunity that HBS has given her to build a career here that enables her to be of assistance to her family back in Tashkent. But I diverge.
The photos and commentary in this blog have been previously posted on my Facebook page, and there are a lot of history lessons therein. I hope you enjoy the blog.
HOW I GOT THERE:
My routing took me through Istanbul airport. One of the delights of the ISTANBUL airport... a store
devoted entirely to that yummy gelatinous candy cut into cubes and shrouded in
powdered sugar: Turkish delight. However no free samples here, unlike the
stalls at the bazaar.
KYRGYZSTAN
October 6, 2017: Good morning, Bishkek. Nice to finally see you after a mere 32 hours to get here from San Francisco. And aren’t you just a rapidly expanding city, with many construction cranes in the downtown… Something to do with oil and energy, I think?
TODAY,
October 8, 2017 a city tour in Bishkek. Impressions: ‘Way too many monuments
from the Soviet years, although many were destroyed during independence. But it
seems the Kyrgyzs picked up the architectural style in their public building
creation and so I am feeling daunted in the presence of so many square angles
and so much cement!
A
visit to Oak Park was nice: old guys having a Coke party (the beverage kind), a
dad indulging his kids with a bicycle surrey ride, a group of teens trying to
impress one another with their singing (lyrics courtesy of smartphone screens)
... and everyone feeling blessed by the crisp but sunny autumn weather.
Who knew it would snow in
the Tien Shan mountain range of the Chui Valley? Glad I brought my down jacket
and regretful I did not pack thermal underwear... but warming up tomorrow!
An hour’s drive from Bishkek, the Burana tower is all that’s left of the
old minaret in the ancient city of Balasagun, dating from around
the 10th thru 12th century. This was a large and thriving metropolis, located
on the old Silk Road along which goods moved from China to Europe via Central
Asia. The site also features many gravestones with Turkic features, Arabic
writing, and petroglyphs of animal figures. The Turkic grave stones are
characterized by a distinctive facial style, and the folded arms hold a cup
signifying hospitality, and a knife signifying protection.
Monday afternoon treat was a visit to two
educational enterprises in Bishkek. The first, a preschool just opened for 100
students aged 1.5 to 7. I met the founder, Diana Rysbaeva, on my flight from
Istanbul to Bishkek. Very energetic young female entrepreneur. This is her 3rd
school startup, a bright and beautiful place “Jolly International Preschool”.
Each student starts their day in the salt room, lined with salt rocks, to
enhance immune systems. Then the nurse takes complete vitals. Then off to the
yoga gym, the performing arts room, or a regular Montessori-based classroom.
Plenty of time for play too!
A visit to American University of Central Asia.
Funded in large part by George Soros. Beautiful library on 4th floor courtesy
of USA. Shy person that I am, I introduced myself to Andrew Wachtel, nice guy
born in NJ and now university president. He said I should come and be an
instructor. Hmmm. I could design a course on Women in Business. Thinking,
always thinking...
THE STEPPES
Remember reading about the steppes of Central Asia, the ones the Mongols and Ghenis Khan swept across with their hordes and armies? Well, here is a section of steppes on the road between Bishkek and Almaty. But with a modern twist. Today’s wars are, after all, about energy...
RELIGION,
LANGUAGE, AND TIME: It is
late here… We are 13 hours ahead of California… And we had a big travel day
between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. So I briefly just answered a question from a
friend about religion and language, and thought I’d share:
Most of the people in these two countries are
secular Moslems, mostly non-observant except for major holidays and major
family events like weddings…although of course that is not so much the case in
rural areas where more women are veiled and the observance is stricter. As to
language, many people continue to speak Russian, as there is still a lot of
trade back and forth, but the local language is also maintained. Most
university students and graduates speak sufficient English for communication,
and of course hotel staff in the major chain hotels are pretty good with
English.
KAZAKHSTAN
Almaty, Kazakhstan, sounded
so remote, exotic, and in my imagination, rustic. This is certainly not the
case. The city offers terrible traffic, a thriving economy, a bustle and a
vibe. To top it off, on the mountain nearby, there is an amusement park that
operates until the early evening, a spectacular restaurant, and a city full of
light and action.
OCTOBER 10, 2017 ~
Good shivery morning, Almaty! I see you have put some snow on the nearby
mountains, just to remind me to dress warmly for our trip up there today.
In Independence Square in Almaty, impressive statuary abounds.
One of the largest is of a Kazakh man. Surrounding the platform on the plaza
are a series of bronze friezes depicting key moments in Kazakh history. The
panel below shows the revolt of 1986 against imposition of Soviet rule. However
it was not until 1991 that independence from Russia was achieved.
An afternoon in Almaty’s Panilov Park included time at Ascension
Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox Church that dates from 1907. Built entirely
without nails, its inner structures were created in the artist workshops of
Moscow and Kiev. Under Soviet rule it was turned to other uses but re-opened
for religious services 20 years ago. The exterior is under restoration today,
but here is a glimpse of what it will look like again soon...
Rumor has it that it can get very hot in Almaty. And when that
happens, the wealthy Kazakhs retreat to their dachas in the nearby mountains.
But this is a mountain retreat and ski area with a difference. Earthquake prone
as this region is, several times Almaty has been wiped out by massive
mudslides, most recently in 2015; in this recent instance, glacial lakes melted
due to global warming. So the first photo here is actually taken on top of the
massive Medeu dam that has been built to contain mud slides. Regardless, this
area is lovely.
and so we go on to the next steps in the Silk Road....
Astana Airlines ... flying between Almaty, Kazakhstan and
Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Also other routes. Should I join their frequent flyer
program too? Or just enjoy the views of the steppes?
Please see the next part of this fascinating trip: Uzbekistan (click here!)
