SE Asia, Europe, Dubai? - Difficult choices for our first Central Asian Spring Break. OR, we could travel by hired van 11 hours to our neighbor country to the south and go skiing. Skiing it was. Actually we continued a tradition started in Bosnia of traveling to Austrian/Italian Kinder Hotels during Spring Break for skiing. We booked the only hotel located on the slope and took our chances.
A typical day, up at about 8, done with breakfast by 9, on the slopes 30 minutes later, actually had to ski down from our hotel to the lift. Lift tickets, $15. Ski for a few hours (mountain had incredibly varied terrain), eat lunch in the sun (shashleek and pizza), then a few more hours of skiing. Post skiing Jim and the girls would swim and sauna, dinner and then either bowling or billiards. Multiply by 5 and you have our Spring Break.
Our hotel. The glass structure on the left is where we ate lunch each day, and the top of the mountain is peeking out at the top. Pleasantly surprised by the mountain, accommodations, food and the experiences. We may go back next year.
The view from the slope just outside our hotel at the end of the day just after the slopes had been groomed.
Looking down from one of the lifts to Lake Issy-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. That little skier is Talin.
Jim and the girls from the top of the mountain looking down towards the lake. Both girls were a little unsure of their skiing when we arrived, but confidently skiing down from the top of the mountain by our third day.
Top of the mountain, 3040 meters (10,000 feet). Notice the attire, spring skiing at its finest.
Lunch. We traveled to Kyrgyzstan with our friends Tyler and Emma Horn, young teachers at our school. Jim and Tyler explored the out of bounds terrain and the beer selection.
Talin on the back side of the mountain cutting fresh tracks. We got about 6 inches of snow on the last night, then the sun came out for the ski day
Alma posing in front of Lake Issy-Kul.
"Yes I did just ski that steep slope" - Alma
Talin carving up the same slope. Amazing how much they both improved in one short week.
Talin sans gloves and a parting shot from Kyrgyzstan.
1 comment:
Hello, I'm a Northwesterner living overseas and we have long time family friends named Tyvand (of the Minnesota Tyvands) who live in Bend. Any chance you're related? And if this is a family connection, I thought I might put you in touch with a friend who is new to Almaty and looking to meet people outside her immediate office circle. Remote connection? Maybe, but that's expat living, right? Thought I'd give it a try. Cheers, Heather
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