American traveler and photographer Scott Turner first rode 600 kilometers across Kyrgyzstan alone on horseback, and then spent a month living side by side with shepherds.
In an exclusive interview, traveler and photographer from the USA Scott Turner shared why his horse nearly died during the journey and how shepherds view private property.
— Scott, why Kyrgyzstan? American media usually do not often cover life in our country, and negative stories about Kyrgyzstan—about revolutions, civil unrest—predominate on US television.
— I learned that Kyrgyzstan is a wonderful country from my friend in Mumbai. His description impressed me. For a long time, it was a dream for me. But at some point, I realized: it’s time. And within an hour, I had tickets in my hands.
— Where did the horse come from? It didn’t fly with you on the plane…
— Of course not. I got to Karakol, went to the market, and within half an hour, I was holding the reins in one hand and a suddenly empty wallet in the other. The horse and equipment cost me 60,000 soms. I named the horse Mezcalito. Fortunately, the horse was already trained. Unlike me…
— And how did you manage to bond with it?
— At first, I was a bit afraid of her. The horse was huge. I thought she was just waiting to throw me off and trample me. A couple of times, I really did fall off the saddle. But I was incredibly interested in establishing a connection with the horse. However, her temperament was not the sweetest. One night, Mezcalito decided to be without me and ran away. I was left alone with the mountains. In the morning, the runaway returned. I even noticed a hint of remorse in her eyes.
We bonded over this incident: one time we wandered into a swamp. Mezcalito’s hooves began to get stuck in the mire. The marshy muck slowly pulled the horse down. I decided that I wouldn’t leave her in trouble. After an hour and a half, we got out of the quagmire.
— How long did that trip last? What places did you manage to visit?
— We rode from Barkoon to Son-Kul and back. Our journey lasted more than a month.
— Did you have the opportunity to interact with the locals? How did you overcome the language barrier?
— Traveling alone through vast valleys day after day is quite exhausting. The best moments of the journey were the stops to communicate with the shepherds. Even though we clearly didn’t understand each other, they always invited me for tea and shared stories about their lives. The simplicity of their lifestyle is beautiful, as are the places where they live. They themselves enjoy all of this.
— You returned here a year later to live their life. What captivated you?
— I spent the entire June with the shepherds. It was one of the most remarkable moments of my life. I spent whole days conquering mountain ridges on horseback. They even taught me how to manage a herd.
They live a beautiful and pure life. They are not quite the nomads of ancient times: most live in their homes during the winter. But in the summer, they begin a true nomadic life. Thousands of years of nomadism have given them unique knowledge about the land, nature, and animals. I was surprised that they distribute food and shelter freely, as if it were not individual property, but something communal.
Life in Kyrgyzstan, especially on the jailoo, enchanted me. I decided for myself that this journey across Kyrgyzstan would not be my last.
Source: Sputnik Kyrgyzstan
