This story is not the first time that a Westerner has ventured over to Central Asia and felt that he had come home.
Kazakhstan itself boasts a wealth of happily-imported locals and adopted patriots, whose love for their new homeland has totally superseded that which they ever had for the place of their birth. In some cases, these people came over on a whim, leaving in their rear-view mirror some of the most exclusive and prosperous havens in the world. Not that they are even looking back.
The undulating Cheshire hills, the legendary Los Angeles skyline, the beaches of Massachusetts, and the excitement of London all rendered a very willing part of just faint nostaglia as the rich life force of Central Asia takes over.
Ethan Hamilton is an IT expert who also spread his wings as a way to get away from the heavy demands of Big Data and website development, visiting around 50 countries before finding that the magic in the Kyrgyz air was something too special to become a single week of amazement.
To clarify the distinction between Ethan’s situation and that hinted at in the opening paragraphs, he never made the decision to live permanently in Kyrgyzstan but remained there for approaching three years and still spends many months in the country each year.
Whatever time he can get to spend in the Central Asian paradise is readily taken, and anybody wishing to visit could do a lot worse than benefit from the love he has for the country. His passion for Kyrgyzstan is not just something that found its way onto a small Facebook page, but to an extensive website with very useful and actionable advice for any kind of traveller.
Kyrgyzstan wasn’t his first destination, indeed, of the many dozens of places he has visited and liked, it was one of the most recent, but it spoke to him from the moment he arrived.
“The scenery exceeded my expectations. I’d already travelled extensively and seen plenty of impressive landscapes, so I thought I had a reasonable idea of what to expect from a mountainous country.
“I underestimated it. The scale of the mountains, enormous valleys and high-altitude lakes was much more impressive in person than I’d imagined. Photographs don’t always convey it very well.”
Photos are invariably better than nothing, and those supplied by Ethan himself support the story more than adequately, although he is right, if we are making the distinction between seeing pixels and seeing real life.
A trip to Central Asia simply isn’t a weekend city break, your Ryanair-type three days in Prague, so better planning and more time is essential, but the KyrgyzstanPlanner takes a lot of the guesswork out of preparing, even though by Ethan’s own admission, he hasn’t been able to get to all the places he shares information about. Be reassured that the website is the result of very careful research and his extensive experience.
“I’ve explored the Issyk-Kul region, Karakol and the surrounding mountains, including Altyn Arashan. I’ve also visited Ala-Archa National Park, Song-Kul and the Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve, among other places.
“What I enjoy is how different these places are. You have the enormous open landscapes around Song-Kul, the mountain valleys near Karakol and the forested mountains surrounding Sary-Chelek. It’s surprising how much variety you can find in one country.”
Kyrgyzstan is like Kazakhstan in many ways, and the two countries are often described as fraternal nations. Of the many things they share, their hospitality is among the most touching, as well as the culture. Ethan agrees:
“The culture was another pleasant surprise. Kyrgyzstan has an interesting combination of nomadic heritage, Soviet history, regional traditions, and modern life.”
There is rarely one definitive moment in which a person realises that they are in their own particular special place. Some cross the border and feel lighter, inspired, awoken. Others find that their connection to the country evolves over time – even years.
Some say that from the very moment they arrive, the thought of ever leaving is readily painful and they somehow know that this is where they want to stay.
Ethan, however, never experienced such an epiphany, and his love for Kyrgyzstan didn’t end up planting any permanent roots. Yet one trip was never enough. Like the book that you just can’t put down, each new day was a page turned in a special adventure. He always found himself wanting to return after leaving. Whenever he came back, there were more places he wanted to see.
“I didn’t originally plan to move to Kyrgyzstan. I started with shorter visits, stayed longer on subsequent trips, and eventually Bishkek became a regular base.
“My work allows me to operate remotely, so Kyrgyzstan has become one of the places where I’ve lived and worked as a digital nomad over the past few years.
“It wasn’t really a conscious decision to relocate. I simply kept coming back.”
Ethan has shown a willingness to get off the beaten track and go to places that your average semi-detached Brit wouldn’t consider. But this isn’t something that featured at the start, rather, came later.
“I started by travelling around Europe, visiting historic cities, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and places with interesting architecture.
“I was especially interested in the former socialist countries. Soviet architecture deserves a special mention. Some of it is quite remarkable, and I’d encourage anyone interested in architecture to see it in person.
“My trips gradually extended beyond Europe. There was a period of about five years when I travelled extensively, visiting countries with very different cultures, landscapes and histories.
“Over time, I became more interested in geography, history, and urban development rather than simply visiting famous attractions.”
Although his experience is worthy of more than writing just a list, he also enjoyed visiting Hong Kong, and likes its architecture, density and urban landscape which he says are fascinating, especially when you consider the city’s geography. He would like to return to China, too, when he can get over.
He has a keen interest in mountain lakes, perhaps one of the reasons Kyrgyzstan resonates with him so much, given some of the gems it boasts in this category.
“Kel-Suu and Kol-Tor, the latter in the Kegety Gorge, are two particularly beautiful examples. Both require some effort to reach, but the scenery is worth it. There are also plenty of less familiar mountain lakes worth exploring.
“More experienced travellers have an enormous range of remote mountain areas to choose from, while serious climbers will find some exceptional mountaineering opportunities.”
When it comes to Kyrgyz mountain travel, sensible preparations are key, as is the understanding that a lot of these excursions are not comfortable day hikes. He advises travellers to ensure that trips are manageable.
“My main practical recommendation would be not to attempt too much in one trip. Distances on the map can be misleading when mountains are involved.
“I’d rather spend several days exploring a few places properly than spend most of a holiday travelling between them.”
Wise words from this experienced independent travel researcher, much of his advice now available, as described, to anybody, whether they already live in Bishkek or had never even heard of Kyrgyzstan until the World Nomad Games and really want to go over.
KyrgyzstanPlanner began as a travel guide, but now includes lots of fascinating geographical reference materials, particularly those covering the country’s lakes and mountains. As we recommend visiting the site (as well as the country), we won’t cut and paste it here, while Ethan provides a suitable summary of his feelings on the matter.
“For a relatively comfortable introduction to Kyrgyzstan, I’d suggest combining Bishkek, Issyk-Kul and Karakol.
“Issyk-Kul has established tourist infrastructure and a wide range of accommodation. Karakol is also a convenient starting point for exploring the surrounding mountains.
“For travellers who don’t have time for a longer trip, Ala-Archa National Park is an excellent opportunity to experience some impressive mountain scenery without travelling too far from the capital.
“For those who prefer something more adventurous, my personal recommendation would be to pay particular attention to the country’s high-altitude lakes.”
The website is about a year old and often involves doing research, because conflicting information is sometimes an issue when basic information is published online.
“Something as simple as establishing the maximum depth of a lake can involve examining several publications from different decades. Sometimes it takes quite a while to work out whether different figures represent separate measurements, different definitions or simply errors that have been repeated over the years.
“One of the most interesting parts of the project has been getting in touch with researchers who specialise in the geography of Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia.
“I’ve corresponded with quite a few specialists, including authors of scientific papers that I use as sources.”
Ethan is encouraged by the growth and success of his website, and when you see some of his early wins, it’s obvious why. He adds that positive feedback from researchers and people working in education has been particularly encouraging.
“The Kyrgyzstan Lakes Dataset and Kyrgyzstan Mountain Geography Dataset are both available through Zenodo and have permanent DOIs. The first version of the lakes dataset contains 73 lake-related entities and 166 morphometric measurement records, while the mountain dataset covers selected peaks, mountain ranges, glaciers and related geographical information.
“I’m especially pleased with the reference guides to Kyrgyzstan’s lakes and mountains. “They bring together a substantial amount of English-language geographical information and scientific references that would otherwise require consulting numerous separate publications.
“They’re not intended to be scientific papers. The aim is to make geographical information easier to access and understand while preserving the underlying sources.”
So has Ethan been over the border to Kazakhstan?
“Yes, although I only spent about a week there, mostly in Almaty.”
Smart move, and as with so many guests he loved how the city blends so seamlessly with its natural surroundings, something he has always liked seeing in those cities which have achieved the same.
“I’d like to return and spend considerably more time in Kazakhstan. A week is nowhere near enough for a country of that size.”
One week is nowhere near enough? Some expats still say that after 25 years here.
