Late afternoon light at Kyrchyn Jailoo, the place where shepherds take their animals to graze at altitude in the summer months above Cholpon Ata, Kyrgyzstan. This image is from a sort of open-air festival celebrating nomadic and Kyrgyz culture at the World Nomad Games. Of all the beautiful yurts I saw today (there are 300 from across the region) this one is my favorite from the outside. Although they may appear small at a distance, yurts are surprisingly large once you go inside. via Instagram http://ift.tt/2cr1Ybw
As I attend the World Nomad Games, I notice the importance of horses to so many facets of everyday life in this part of the world, and to the Kyrgyz culture. You can even flag down a horse taxi to take you across the vast jailoo (pasture), from one game or exhibition to the next. They are often driven by local men wearing a kalpak, the traditional felt hats that are ubiquitous in Kyrgyzstan. via Instagram http://ift.tt/2c97xvY
The World Nomad Games 2016, Kyrgyzstan: Game of Thrones, Genghis Khan, The Olympics and Burning Man all rolled into one. Goat carcass polo, wrestling on horseback, hunting with eagles (one of the competitors, pictured here), stick wrestling, and even the “intellectual sport” of sheep knuckle toss. If that’s not enough, men ablaze on horseback and an appearance by guest of honor Steven Seagal. If I didn’t see it for myself, I would not have believed it. How it all went down is the latest post on our blog (link in profile). via Instagram http://ift.tt/2cTCYr4
