Meeting Locals in Kyrgyzstan

A memorable moment in Kyrgyzstan ❤️⁠ ⁠ The most special moments of a trip often come from the people you meet. This was true for me while hiking in the Kok-Jaiyk Valley. ⛰️⁠ ⁠ Along the remote trail, a local woman with two young children invited me and @AlexOnTheMap into a small hut with a table adorned with tea, cookies, katama (onion-filled swirled flatbread), and bread rounds with jam and fresh cream. ☕⁠ ⁠ While we didn’t speak the same language, we spent over an hour enjoying a tasty spread while communicating through gestures and vocal inflection. We learned that she had 14 grandchildren and that the little boy and girl wrestling across the table were two of them. ✨⁠ ⁠ It was a fun little side trip on the hike and an experience you certainly can’t book through a tourist website. ⬅️ Honestly, a lot of Kyrgyzstan feels like this, which is one of the things that makes it such an amazing destination. 🤗⁠ ⁠ What has been your favorite destination for meeting locals? 🌎