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Lake Issyk Kul
If you look at a map of Kyrgyzstan, you cannot miss Lake Issyk Kul, the largest lake in the country, located in its northeastern quadrant. The lake is roughly 182km long by 61km wide, and at its deepest, it reaches a depth of 702 meters.
Karakoo
Karakoo (pronounced kara-koh) is a small village of a few thousand, located a few miles from the southern shore of Kyrgyzstan’s Lake Issyk Kul. This rural community survives mainly off of farming and herding.
Countryside near Kara-Talaa
Kyrgyzstan isn’t exactly a great place for finding convenient public toilets. As we drove from Balykchy towards our destination of Karakoo, we found ourselves desperately in need of a pit-stop.
The Sacred Spring
Atop a mountain pass in Kyrgyzstan, between the village of Chong Kemin and the town of Balykchy, lies a sacred spring. The spring flows year-round from the mountain, and nearly all passersby stop to wash in and drink from its waters.
Burana Tower
Burana Tower, located about an hour east of Bishkek near the city of Tokmok, is all that remains of the ancient city of Balasagyn, once the thriving capital of the Karakhanid Empire. Apparently, at its height, the city manufactured exquisite glass and ceramics, had an elaborate city-wide irrigation/plumbing/sewer system built with fired-clay pipes, was home to scholars, poets and numerous religions (although in its later years it became a Muslim city), it was home to fierce warriors – male and female – and it was a major stop on one of the Silk Road routes (from the Torugart Pass out of China, past Lake Issyk-Kul through what is now Bishkek before heading further westward.
Trans-Siberian Railroad
Stretching over 9000 miles from Moscow to Vladivostok, the Trans-Siberian Railroad is an incredible Russian experience. (I've selected Moscow as its "location" simply because the website dictates that I must choose a location for it.)
Palace Square
Located in the heart of central St. Petersburg, Palace Square is a pleasant place for a stroll.
Novodevichy Monastery
The Novodevichy Monastery was founded in 1524. Novodevichy translates as "new maiden", and over the centuries, this monastery was home to numerous royal women - many of whom were sequestered there against their wills.
Nikolo-Kremlevskaya Church... and Planetarium!
The Nikolo-Kremlevskaya Church, located on Bolshaya Moskovskaya, the main street of historic downtown Vladimir, was built in 1761. It currently serves as the Vladimir Planetarium!
Knyaz-Vladimirskaya Church
The bright yellow Knyaz-Vladimirskaya Church dates from 1785. It's located near the eastern edge of the center of Vladimir, in the midst of a large cemetery.
Jane Keeler has been a member since 30 November 2007 and goes by janekeeler.
Currently in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
I am a traveler, blogger, photographer and ESL teacher. My home is in Waycross, GA although I have lived in Russia and South Korea, and I currently live in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. You can follow my adventures at Jane's Daily Blah.
You can also find Jane at www.janekeeler.com.
