l'aviva travels

this past week has been nothing short of wholly momentous – full of indescribably rich experiences and discoveries and inspirations, while at the same time plagued by tremendous political turmoil and resulting revolution. it feels beyond overwhelming to even begin to reconcile it all.

this is a trip i have long fantasized about: traveling the ancient silk road, immersing myself in a sampling of the phenomenal artistic traditions of central asia. accompanying me on this journey are my dad, and friend susan easton. for this first leg, we have also been joined (and nutured and guided) by my wondrous friend polina, a kyrgyz-native.

a former soviet republic, kyrgyzstan has been challenged by a tangled political and social history which has been much exacerbated since the collapse of the soviet union in 1991. with only a vague familiarity of some of the complexities, we certainly had no idea that we were entering into a country that was - literally - on the eve of a revolution. (though it must be said, neither did the kyrgyz people).

here in kyrgyzstan, the awe-inspiring mountains and landscapes contrast deeply with the eerily post-soviet cities and villages. nothing, however, speaks more loudly to the soul of the country than the warmth of the people and the richness of their deeply rooted traditions.

i am writing now from our hotel in bishkek, where we returned yesterday after having spent the last week in small towns and villages high in the mountains of kyrgyzstan. we were in the town of naryn when the events surrounding the overthrow of the kyrgyz government started to transpire.  ensconced in a small guest house there, we felt entirely safe but also quite isolated. back in bishkek, international flights seem to have now resumed, and we are awaiting a flight out to uzbekistan later in the afternoon.

there is so very much i am wanting to share from these last days – many posts to follow, documenting our past days in kyrgyzstan, and those to come in uzbekistan.

very best,

la

pictured below: the central square in downtown bishkek, bedecked in decorations commemorating narooz, the holiday marking the new year and the arrival of spring. these pictures were taken the day we arrived in the country, only days before the uprising.