Jeti-Oguz
This beautiful gorge is a popular place for families visiting the Issyk-Kul region. Many traditional yurts are rented out for the night by families looking for an escape from their busy lives back in Bishkek.
Broken Heart Rock
Jeti-Oguz Mosque
Jeti-Oguz is the Kyrgyz phrase for Seven Bulls. The area is protected by law for its unique geological appearance.
Kok Jaiyk Valley
The dirt road leads further into the valley where snowcapped peaks begin to form.
Police station
A family enjoying a picnic
A few teenagers were offering horse rides in exchange for a couple of Kyrgyz Som or dollars. Although my stomach was in the beginning stages of a week-long battle with food poisoning, I did not want to pass up the opportunity to ride a horse in this valley. I met Nursultan, a sixteen-year-old boy who purchased his horse down at the local animal market in the nearby town of Karakol. His friends also joked him for having the same name as the first president of Kazakhstan. Nursultan lives in the villages near Karakol and rides his horse to the market to buy groceries for his family.
