A peine avons-nous mes les pieds au Kyrgyzstan, que nous voila les invites d’une famille Kyrgyze dans un village situe aux pieds des Montagnes Alatoo. Quelques mots de Russe et beaucoup de mimes nous ont permis de communiquer avec nos hotes.

Ils adorent boire leur Chai (the) et en font un rituel quatre fois par jour. Ces sessions de the deviennent de bonnes excuses pour un repas. La nourriture consiste principalement de ble (pain, nouille), produits laitieres et confitures. Les legumes et la viande se faisaient rare a notre table alors que les fruits commencaient leur periple sur le marche.

* * * Seeing the mountains from Bishkek was not good enough, so we scampered off to the hills as fast as we could. We found ourselves guests of a Kyrgyz family in a small village located at the foot of the Alatoo Mountains. A few Russian words and much mimes allowed for some communication with our hosts.

They love to drink their Chai (tea) and make a ritual out of it, about four times a day. With Chai comes bread, butter, cream and jam. The variations consist of noodles with onions or cucumbers and tomatoes with oil. Meat and vegetables were a rarity where as fruits were slowly making it back on the market after a long winter.

La production agricole de la region est la patate! Tres exotique! Malheureusement, sa production a ete grandement affectee par l’apparition d’une vermine qui se nourrit de ses feuilles. Cette vermine aurait ete introduite, il y a peine trois ans alors que des pommes de terre du Colorado/USA auraient faites leur apparition sur leurs marches. On a passe plusieurs heures dans les champs a recolter/ecraser cette peste baptise Coloradski. On se demande bien qui profite de la vente des pesticides.

* * * The main crop around Tosh Bulak is the “Famous Potato”, how exotic. Sadly, its production has been greatly affected in recent years by the introduction of a bug. This little pest feeds off the potato plant’s leaves and reproduced itself like little rabbits. Named Coloradski, its place of birth: the State of Colorado. As best as we could understand this little bugger would have appeared about three years ago along a potato shipment.

Because it is a "super bug" spawned off of the herbicide and pesticide resistant genitically engineered potatoes of the west, traditional control methods no longer work. This means that the little people around here must now "pay the Man" for pesticides to battle the Coloradski. My question is who makes the money from the sale of those pesticides.

Ce village nous a rappele notre sejour en Roumanie. Des maisons de type slaves decorent ses petites rues de terre. Leurs habitants font tout a la main, n’ayant pas les moyens de faire autrement. Un peuple reserve a prime abord, mais dont il devient vite difficile de se detacher.

* * * The village reminded us of our trip to Romania with the Slavic type homes along little dirt roads. The people are self-sufficient and make everything they need themselves. They are a little reserved but easy to get fond of.

Apres quelques jours dans la famille de Kengebek, je me suis sentie frustree de ne pas pouvoir communiquer. Je me suis donc mise a l’etude du Russe, grace a une patiente voisine Gildis. Pauvre elle, j’oubliais tout au fur et a mesure. Tous les mots me paraissaient semblables. Je me souviens tout de meme d’une phrase: “Ya Zabila”, qui signifie, “J’ai oublie”.

* * * After a few days with our hosting family, I was getting very frustrated not to be able to communicate very well. I therefore decided to learn Russian. Our very patient neighbor, Gildis, offered her help. I kept forgetting everything. All the words sounded the same to me. I did retain one little sentence though: “Ya Zabila”, which means “I forgot”.

Voila notre douche, evier et eau courrante. L’eau vient directement de la fonte des glaciers. Elle est tres bonne, mais pas tres efficace contre la sueur.

* * * Here was our shower, sink and running water. The water comes straight from the Mountain Glaciers. It is very tasty, but the shower head is a bit low.

Au 5eme jour, alors qu’on commencait a parler de partir, on s’est fait introduire au Sauna. Toute une experience. Nasyr, le frere de Kenjibeck, a bu trop de Vodka et a perdu conscience. Heureusement, Christopher s’y trouvait, il l’a traine dehors dans la boue et submerge d’eau glacee jusqu’a ce que ce dernier revienne a lui meme.

* * * On the fifth day of our stay, as we started to talk about our departure, we were offered a sauna, a very hot sauna in fact. Nasyr, the brother of Kenjibeck, had a bit too much Vodka and fell unconscious while Wylie was taking a breather outside. Wylie dragged him out through the mud outside the door and submerged him with cold water until he recovered his senses.

Pendant ce temps, le reste de la famille faisait la queue a la porte de ma chambre pour recevoir massage et energie. Ils croyaient en mes pouvoirs guerisseurs plus que moi-meme. Je ne savais pas trop ce que j’etais censee traiter a certains moments.

* * * Meanwhile, the rest of the family was queuing at our bedroom door for massage and energy. They believed in my healing skills more than I. I still don’t really know what I was treating at times.

On etait triste de quitter Tosh Bulak, mais on y reviendra.

Si vous aimeriez visiter la famille de Kenjibeck out tout autre familles Kyrgyzes tout en faisant de belles excursions en montagnes, il vous est possible de consulter Rambling in Northern Kyrgyzstan pour plus d'information.

* * * We were sad to leave this place but maybe we'll come back some day.

If you would like to visit the Kenjibeck family, some of the other families, or to experience some of the hikes and horse riding available in this region, please consult Rambling in Northern Kyrgyzstan for more information.