Chyirchyk Pass Ski Base

A Tubular Weekend In Chiyrchyk Pass

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Kyrgyzstan is usually marketed as a summer destination, the time of year when you can climb mountains or ride horses up to yurt camps in the summer pastures.  Well, that’s all completely true, but what they fail to mention is that Kyrgyzstan actually is a fantastic place to come for an affordable winter vacation as well.

Now, my story today isn’t going to appeal to the Aspen Jet Set, but it does appeal to my populist belief and love for things that are so cheap that you can’t say no. Continue reading “A Tubular Weekend In Chiyrchyk Pass” →

My Top 10 Books About Central Asia

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Are you considering a trip to visit Central Asia?  Are you planning to move here?  Or are you curious to read more scholarly and better-researched and better-written stories than I have here on my blog?  Fear not, because I’ve spent enough time here now to be able to give you a reading list of my 10 favorite books about Central Asia that can help you better understand it and get pumped up about visiting. Continue reading “My Top 10 Books About Central Asia” →

The Ultimate Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan FAQ

Published on by Mark Jahnke

As my service continues to draw to a close, that means that a new group of volunteers is preparing to arrive.  I’ve received a lot of awesome emails from newly invited PCV’s (both to Kyrgyzstan and to other countries), and I wanted to put together an FAQ to help answer some of the questions you asked (and that you didn’t know to ask)!  ALL of this gets covered during your Pre-Service Training, but I know I had all these questions ahead of time and wanted to know everything there was to know. Continue reading “The Ultimate Peace Corps Kyrgyzstan FAQ” →

Midnight At A Central Asian Airport

Published on by Mark Jahnke

The cafeteria is lively and buzzing.  Kyrgyz music videos blare out of a nearby television as a few ofitsantkas run back and forth to the kitchen carrying plates overflowing with lagman, mastava, samsa, and pirozhki.  I sigh heavily as I pour another cupful of green tea into the small bowl called a piala that is used as a teacup here in Osh.  People come and go as nearly every table remains full, people wrapped in faux fur coats and hats, with several pieces of luggage by their side, each carefully wrapped several times in plastic wrap.

It’s 2am, and I’ve learned a very important lesson about flying in Central Asia: your flights are scheduled at the airline’s convenience, not yours. Continue reading “Midnight At A Central Asian Airport” →

Osh Health Books Training 1

Mile 21: A Quiet Winter

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Well, January came and went quickly.  January is usually a very slow month in Central Asia because there’s a bunch of holidays and school breaks.  With students out of school and universities closed, a lot of regular work stops as parents stay home with kids and people return to their villages from the city.  Despite this, the month was still lively thanks to some beautiful snowfall and time with friends and a major work breakthrough. Continue reading “Mile 21: A Quiet Winter” →

10 Things I Will Miss Most About Kyrgyzstan

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Given that my plane tickets for the end of my time in Kyrgyzstan are now purchased and the reality that I’m leaving in four months has set in, I think that it’s time to reflect back on the things here, both physical and cultural, that I’m going to miss most about living here in beautiful (and presently ice cold) Kyrgyzstan. Continue reading “10 Things I Will Miss Most About Kyrgyzstan” →