Larry Memmott's Blog

Sary Chelek lives up to its billing as one of the gems of Kyrgyz natural beauty (a pretty tall order). A large alpine lake set in a deep mountain bowl and surrounded by pines, Sary Chelek reminds me of the rugged beauty of the mountain lakes high in the American Rockies (specifically, since they were […]

[flv]http://memmott.us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/newyears.flv[/flv] A great New Years with lots of wonderful friends!!!

Millennial Walnut Tree Arslanbob is a wonderful little village north of Jalalabad. Surrounded by ancient walnut forests, and with a particularly hospitable population, it is a great place to just relax. Arslanbob lies some 30 miles off the main Bishkek-Jalalabad road. The road is good, and it’s a pleasant drive through the countryside. Attached you […]

This is the New Years card I got from the guys at the Central Asian Free Market Institute (CAFMI).  Love it!                 Happy New Year to everybody, and especially to the CAFMI Crew!

One of the easiest places to go from Bishkek to get away from it all is Alamedin. And though it is a nice trip any time of year, there are reasons why it is an especially good place to go in the winter. Alamedin Canyon has many advantages. Only about 40 minutes from downtown Bishkek, […]

[flv]http://memmott.us/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/christmas2011.flv[/flv] Aliciya had a blast, as you can see in this short clip. That made Christmas for all of us, of course. Merry Christmas to all!

See 24.kg for the story.

Osh, Jalalabad, Batken, Sary Chelek, Arslanbob. Whereever in the south you are going to, the most direct route is down M41 south from Kara Balta. Down, though, might not be the right word, since you first have to climb to 10,000 feet of altitude — twice! Even leaving out the destination, and there are several […]

A couple of weeks ago I visited the Bordunskiy/Krasnyy Most area near Boom Canyon on the road to Issyk Kul Lake. I’d been told to expect a Grand Canyon-type experience. Well, that’s a bit of an exageration, but the area is gorgeous, anyway, and pretty unspoilt. Definitely worth a day trip, and I’d love to […]

My favorite Bishkek nightspot, Zeppelin Rock Club, will reportedly re-open September 10. It’s been closed all summer for renovation. I got a bit of a look into the place today and it looks like it will be significantly bigger and greatly improved. Hopefully the “spit n’ sawdust” character of the bar will not give way […]