It took 34 hours door to door. Fortunately, the trip was pretty uneventful. The weather here is perfect in the 70′s with nice sunshine. I have been told that this will change quickly and that they will have snow by the end of the month. The mountains have snow on them all year round. I have been having lots and lots of meetings but I did leave Bishkek to see the ruins of a town from the 10th century. I found the most interesting stone sculptures with faces on them. I am told that they are all over Kyrgyzstan. I took lots of photos for I know that there is a mask of one of them in my future. Learning a lot about Kyrgyz crafts and culture. It is extremely interesting. Tomorrow morning I will hang the exhibitionat the Museum of Fine Art. I cannot wait to see all the Kyrgyz quilts. There will be many old and some new. Quiltmaking as we know it is a relately new craft. They were nomads and embroidering on fabric was what they did. However, I consider these works quilts also. I am sorry that I cannot share more at this time but I am on a tight schedule. I promise more detail tomorrow as I don’t have to hang the exhibition until 11. It is the last time I will have much free time. Paka, Karen
Comments (3)
After 34 hours of travel I’m not even sure I would be able to see straight and here you are bloggin…absolutely incredible. I’m glad to hear you arrived safely and I’ll be looking forward to your future posts.
I hope you have a great time.
Jeremiah
A quick look at Kyrgyzstan:
Population 5,213,898 (July 2006)
Median age: 23.6
Religion: Muslim 75%, Russian Orthodox 20%, other 5%
Literacy: 98.7% (age 15 and over)
Unemployment rate: 18%
Population below poverty line: 40%
Kyrgyzstan is a poor, mountainous country with a predominantly agricultural economy. Cotton, tobacco, wool, and meat are the main agricultural products, although only tobacco and cotton are exported in any quantity.
Claim to Fame: Kyrgyzstan has the world’s largest natural growth walnut forest.
If you have pictures of the Kyrgyz quilts or embroidery I would LOVE to see them!