Beach Boys

We just got back from four fun-filled days at the beach! Lake Issyk Kul is Kyrgyzstan's most famous lake, so huge that it attracts people from Kazakhstan and Russia as well as nearly everyone in Kyrgyzstan itself. The name means "hot lake" because it never freezes. It's incredibly deep, and the 10th largest lake in the world by volume. (It's also the world's second largest alpine lake. Mountains surround the lake on all sides.) The whole lake is rimmed by resorts, some cheap and some extravagant.

Mountains towering on the other side of the lake.

Misha had been to this beach before, when he was a little baby. Here I am holding Misha in the lake when he was three months old!

People in Kyrgyzstan swear by Issyk Kul as the cure for all ailments - doctors recommend it to every family with children for its air, water, and sunshine. The lake itself is supposed to heal all kinds of ailments, as well as make you thinner. The mud from the bottom of the lake is also rumored to be special. Beach goers rub this bluish-black clay all over their skin to ease their joint and muscle pain and to soften their skin. 

The boys had long been looking forward to going to a real beach to play in the sand and water to their hearts' content. In the days leading up to the trip, Sebby begged me incessantly, crying pitifully, "I wanna go to the BEACH!" Try as I might to explain that we would be going in just a few more days, he still thought we should be leaving immediately. Every night we read his favorite Little Critter book about the beach: Just Grandma and Me.

Finally, I finished my last day of work and the kids and I piled onto a bus and settled in for a four-hour ride. Because Josh's schedule was slightly different than mine, he didn't have the same days off I did and didn't join us this time. However, I met up with our friends Pasha and Marina and their two boys, Vladik and Yarik. They reserved me a little cottage across from theirs (complete with shower and fridge!) and made my whole trip stress-free. The kids had a great time playing outside all day, every day.

A typical day went something like this:

Vladik pops over to see if we are awake in the morning.

Sebby rolls out of the bed and head outside, still stretching.

The kids play badminton until it's time to eat breakfast in the stolovaya (cafeteria).

Mmm, rice pudding!

After gobbling down our breakfast, we head back to our cottage to get ready for the beach.

We grab all our sand toys, floaties, towels, etc. and make the short trek down the path to the shining blue water.

See Misha in the orange tank with the green inner-tube? The beach lies at the end of this birch-lined path.

All morning we play on the beach. Digging in the sand was the highlight for Misha and Sebby, although they did pop in and out of the water too. Despite being named "Issyk Kul," the water was still on the chilly side!

During the hottest part of the day, we packed up and returned to our cottages to nap, watch TV, draw, play Uno, play badminton, or read.

 Then we ate lunch, relaxed a little more, and headed back to the beach in the late afternoon.

We played on the beach until suppertime (8 p.m.). The rest of the evening, the kids played in the area by the cottages or inside, doing origami, playing hand-held video games, etc.

Then we snuggled into bed in our warm pajamas and snoozed until morning, when we'd do it all again! The nights were wonderfully chilly, requiring sweatshirts.

Here are a ton of photos for your viewing pleasure:

My little fish

A boat ride from Vladik. Sebby used the shovel like an oar.

Marina and Yarik

Vendors walked along the beaches selling all kinds of healthy snack options: cherries, bananas, apples, salted fish, and hot corn on the cob. 

Mmm, cherries. The kids loved the fruit!

I wasn't brave enough to try the salted fish, which was served whole. However, the corn on the cob was a hit and we ate it every day.

We could also wander over to little cafes and take-away stands and order other dishes. This cold salad called Ashlan Fu has a sauce with tomatoes, fried egg yolk, onions, green onion and spices served over noodles. Very good!

Marina and I

Digging buddies - Yarik and Sebby back at the cottage

Henna tattoos were also wildly popular with the beach goers. I let Misha choose one, and of course Sebby followed suit and got the same lizard design.

It's a good thing we had our warm SDSU sweatshirts for the evenings!

On the beach with my boys

Playing at the little park near the beach

We took a little walk along the pier. Sebby got so enthused that he took off at lightning speed. I had to run after him.

A look back at the beach from the pier

Buried alive!!

Playing contentedly

My sand dragon

Master of the dig

My tortoise

Fun in the waves!

Waves wash away Sebby's name

Excited about his buried feet.

A cute little belochka (squirrel).



Another popular attraction at our resort was a "radon shower." My underlying impressions of radon have always been that it is something to be avoided rather than intentionally sought out, and everything I read on the internet speaks to its negative effects as opposed to its benefits. Nevertheless, this poster goes on and on about how a 10-minute radon shower is beneficial for people who have had surgery, people with mental disorders, people with gynecological disorders, etc, etc, etc. As for me, I think I'll pass ...

Yes, time for more tattoos! This time, they both got dragons on their other arm.

Walking back after a morning on the beach. The blue lake is visible in the background.

On our last day, we ate breakfast, hit the beach, then loaded up the car before eating lunch. After lunch, all we had to do was jump in the car. We drove a short way out to see a "diki plaj" - wild beach - before heading back to Bishkek. The diki plaj was filled with grass, weeds, grazing cattle, and cow pies. This area is also known for having old artifacts washed up on its shores, ruins from an ancient city that existed in the depths of Issyk Kul.

Misha dug for ancient treasures, but didn't have any luck. However, he found some cool rocks and was pleased with those. :)

Then it was off to Bishkek, where we were happily reunited with Daddy!