Back in the Midwest.

A few weeks ago, a Kyrgyz friend explained to me that Toktogul is neither in the north of Kyrgyzstan nor the south, east nor west. Its identity, its culture, reflects this position in the middle of the country. I told her that was pretty funny, because both Max (the other volunteer stationed here) and I are from the midwest United States. It seems that, 6460 miles away, we’ve found ourselves in the “midwest” yet again.

I’m coming up on three weeks in the town that will be my home for the next two years. I love it more with each day. According to Wikipedia, Toktogul is a town of about 15,000 people - but I’ve also heard 5,000, so who really knows. I do know that it’s small enough that I can walk from my house on the edge of town to the city center in about 15 minutes. There’s not much traffic, very little trash, and lots of tree-lined streets. We have a bazaar where you can buy anything from a cow’s head to clothes hangers (though not for less than 20 som each, which seems steep to me). There’s a lovely park next to the bazaar, with a “stadium” in which Max and I have been running, and from which you get a great view of the lake.

Toktogul is surrounded by mountains, which means you’re never without a stunning vista, and which also means that weather changes fast. As I write this, the second thunderstorm of the day roars outside my window. In between the two storms, it was sunny and clear. The mountains also mean that the heat and humidity stay relatively low, though it’s been quite warm enough for me recently. I’m excited to see what each new season brings here.

South-ish of town is the lake – or, to be more accurate, the reservoir. It was created by the Soviets in the late 1960s as part of a project to build what is now the largest hydroelectric dam in Central Asia. Apparently, the old city of Toktogul is actually under the water. The lake is giant – at least 40 miles by my guess – and brilliant blue, edged by mountains. I swam in it about a week ago, an experience that cinched my opinion of Toktogul as the best place on earth.

If you haven’t figured it out yet, this blog post is my attempt to convince you to visit me and experience this paradise for yourself. Let’s see – what else? There are apricot and apple trees everywhere, with fresh fruit you can grab as you walk down the street. Toktogul is reputed to have the best meat in Kyrgyzstan (which is saying something), and is famous for its honey. There are fun remnants of Soviet rule, like a hammer-and-sickle statue I came across recently, scattered around town. I live here.

Are you convinced? When are you coming?

There's that lake.

A few blocks from my house.

The walkway next to Lenin Street, the main road in town.

Town square, near the bazaar.

Outside of the city.