Photography & travel

Aitoo

A golden heart, a golden bird, a lovely host. That’s Aitoo’s Home.We arrived late afternoon unannounced. The welcome was warm and immediately we were invited for a cup of tea & cake. Together with his spouse Gulnaz and mother we enjoyed the warmth of their presence and kitchen. They live rather secluded and are therefore self-sustaining for most part of their daily life. We spent the night in one of their yurts, covered under colourful blankets. In Kyrgyz an eagle is called Berkut, named after the golden feathers in his neck. The hunters are the Berkutchi. Eagle hunting is probably …

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Yuri Gagarin

The cosmonaut you mean? Yes, the one and only who made it to orbit in 1961. Hey, that was way before the Americans reached the moon. No?Yuri stayed 3 times in the Voyennyy Sanatoriy Mork in Tamga. On our way to Bokonbayevo we decided to visit this little gem. The place is a pearl, and on top well preserved. You can actually book a room and stay a night if you wish to revive the Russian athletic spirit. We didn’t. Walking around the park searching for a Yuri Gagarin monument we noticed several people painting stuff & weeding the area. …

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Karakol

50 shades of grey is not only a book. In Karakol it is a gloomy reality. No vibrant colours, only grey. Maybe that’s the reason why there’s such a beautiful church & colourful Dungan mosque. The Holy Trinity Orthodox church dates back from 1895 and is made entirely out of wood. Like many of them in Kyrgyzstan because they are more earthquake resistant.

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Animal market

Karakol, ex-Soviet inspired city (read: dark concrete buildings) has kept his traditions alive. In the wee small hours of Sunday morning sheep and other cattle exchange owners. We had set the alarm at 6 o’clock to enjoy the busy atmosphere. And busy it was, compare it with a very active ant nest. Hundreds of people searching for animals of their liking. Horses, cows and plenty of odd looking sheep. They had a big but. We have never seen them in Belgium. Only when we returned home our local Turkish kebab restaurant owner explained me that they are called fat-tailed sheep. …

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Lightning mcQueen

Roads are as such that you have to adapt your travel timing. Poor quality and plenty of pot holes force you to drive carefully. On top you have the speed limits and the local police who’s very vigilant. Often dirt roads are in better shape as their asphalt siblings. The Chinees driver got stuck on the mountain pass 2 days before we met him. Together with a Czesh hitchhiker Martin, we picked him up the day before, we managed to shuffle the guy to freedom. Due to the poor quality of 90% of the roads and ancient cars (most of …

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Bisjkek

The preparation itself was actually an adventure on its own. Searching the internet for information showed quickly that there was not that much information available. Browsing traveller blogs proved to be a better option. Because the country map ordered online took a while to get delivered, google maps and old school paper & pencil was handy to plan our itinerary. Bisjkek, capital city of Kyrgyzstan and our first night of a 3 week adventure. Next morning, after the reception of the rental car we headed for Issyk Kul lake. A little beauty of 185km long by 60km wide @ 1600m …

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Gotcha!

Cans, cans, cans & more empty spray cans. Not really on the hunt for graffiti, but they kept popping-up in the corner of my eye. Once triggered you get hungry to discover more.And believe me, there are many inked places to explore.

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Nicosia – Lefkoşa

The capital of Cyprus is a city with 2 characters, scars and divided by the green mile. South or Greek Cypriot part, has some fancy bars and lots of graffiti. The government invested to develop a district close to the green mile, but failed. Much of the shops & houses remain empty. Crossing the border is literary entering a different world.The north part, Turkish side, is much more alternative. Lot’s of atmosphere, ayran and – God knows why- plenty of lawyers.

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Larnaca & Lazarus

In the shadow of no man’s land you can visit 2 ancient monuments.The Church of Saint Lazarus, a 9th century Byzantine church and the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque. Both symbols of the main religions in Cyprus. Pyla, 16 kms outside of Larnaca is a small village with a community center. From their rooftop terras you have a clear view over the area.Here we met a Cypriot who was victim of the country’s split.With a melancholic voice he told us that he was evicted of his house which was just in the middle of no man’s land. Because he’s a staff …

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Heavy sky

Visit Limassol by overcast weather. It looks diabolic!The combination of dark blue sky and charcoal sea is just perfect for some dramatic shots. Halloween atmosphere at is best. Arrived moments after some heavy showers the dim light conditions were a perfect setting. Limassol is developing at high pace. Probably due to the vaste amount of Russian inhabitants. And piles of black money.A positive note on investments, you can find plenty of restaurants & pubs with Belgian beer on tap!

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