Kyrgyz Eagles

Kyrgyz hunters ride horses with golden eagles during the Traditional Eagle Hunting Salbuurun Festival on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul lake, 213km (132 miles) southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. [Vladimir Voronin/AP Photo]

Kyrgyzstan is in the middle of Asia, just west of the giant desert that forms most of western China.

Kyrgyzstan

Google Map here.

Another plane crash in Kyrgyzstan

A KC-135 tanker blew up in the sky last month with no explanation. Accident? Terrorist? I'm wondering, so I said send me more news. This showed up this morning. Check the highlighted text.

Small plane crash in southern Kyrgyzstan kills 3

Posted about 53 mins ago | 0 comment 

BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least three people were killed after a small airplane crashed in southern Kyrgyzstan, officials said Friday. 

The Antonov An-2 aircraft was carrying three people when it crashed at around 10 a.m. local time in the village of Zhyl-Kol in the country's Aksy region of Jalal-Abad oblast, Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Emergency situations confirmed, Kabar news agency reported.

The small single-engine aircraft belonged to Valor-Air Airline LLC, and faced technical pobles during disinfection of field from locusts. The plane burned down after crashing, the ministry said. 

All three people on board were killed. They were identified as crew member V. Matveyev, Bishkek resident, A. Toktosunov and Aksy resident Sapar Alymbaev, who was a chief specialist of chemicals, defense and quarantine of plants.
(Copyright 2013 by BNO News B.V. All rights reserved. Info: sales@bnonews.com.

I thought plagues of locusts went out with the Pharisees. Seems I was wrong. The Antonov An-2 has made this blog before.

Kyrgyzstan, Part 3

I came across a pretty good map of the 'stans, but it wasn't big enough, so I went looking for a better one and I found this point and click geography test. Some of them are easy like Egypt and Turkey. Others are almost impossible, like Bahrain, and Chad and Niger. I don't think I will ever be able to keep those last two straight.

Kyrgyzstan, Part 2

This showed up in my email this morning. I came across a smaller version of it yesterday and asked for a larger one, and voila! This statue is in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The short version of the story is that the horse carried the man until he was too tired to go on, and then the man carried the horse. I imagine there is a longer version but I have been unable to find any trace of it. Bishkek is the same city where the Manas airport is, the one being used to supply our troops in Afghanistan.

Kyrgyzstan

Natural arch in Ala Arhca National Park in Kyrgyzstan

A couple of young women from OSPIRG came by this evening soliciting donations. One of them had a slight accent and when I asked her about it, she tells me she is from Kyrgyzstan. I was shocked six ways from Sunday. From her appearance and manner I would have guessed somewhere in Europe or Scandinavia. For another I don't think I've ever met anyone from any of the 'stans. I am aquainted with a couple of young men who have spent time in Afghanistan, but that's about it. I know a little bit about Kazakhstan, that's where our astronauts go to catch a ride to the space station, but I know virtually nothing of Kyrgystan, so I do a little looking and I find some interesting bits.

Brief geographical summary of Kyrgyzstan extracted from Wikipedia:

• Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country in Central Asia. 
• It is farther from an ocean than any other country in the world. 
• Issyk-Kul Lake is the largest lake and the second largest mountain lake in the world after Titicaca. 
• The highest peaks are in the Kakshaal-Too range, forming the Chinese border. 
• Jengish Chokusu, at 7,439 m (24,406 ft), is the highest peak .
• Due to the country's predominantly mountainous terrain, less than 8% of the land is cultivated.

From the US State Department:

• Kyrgyzstan's 2011 presidential election marked the first peaceful transfer of presidential power in post-Soviet Central Asia. 
• Kyrgyzstan hosts the Transit Center at Manas International Airport, an important logistical hub for the coalition effort in Afghanistan. 
• Kyrgyzstan benefits from a robust civil society and a relatively free media sector.
•  U.S. direct investment in Kyrgyzstan is concentrated in the hotel and telecommunications sectors, with increasing interest in construction and mining. 
• Kyrgyzstan has signed a bilateral investment treaty with the United States. 
• The treaty on double taxation (what the heck is that?) that was signed by the United States and the Soviet Union remains in effect between the United States and Kyrgyzstan. 

From the BBC:

It has some oil and gas and a developing gold mining sector, but relies on imports for most of its energy needs. Resentment at widespread poverty and ethnic divisions between north and south occasionally spill over into violence, and the country's first two post-Soviet presidents were swept from power by popular discontent.
...
After Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed in September 2012 to write off Kyrgyzstan's debt to his country, President Atambayev agreed to a 15-year extension to Moscow's lease on the Kant air base, but said that the lease on the US military base at Manas would not be renewed when it expires in 2014.

And yes, I made a donation.