![\"IMG_0001\"](\"https:\/\/gallivantinggrandma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/IMG_00011.jpg\")
<\/a>Marble Entrance to the Hotel<\/p>\nWe rallied in the lobby for a nine o’clock departure to Tomak village to visit the International University of Central Asia. We had an interview with the American president of the college, John Clark, and had a tour of the main building.<\/p>\n Next we visited Burana Tower which is one of the few existing watch towers remaining from the ancient Silk Road across Kyrgyzstan.<\/p>\n The tower complex include\u00a0a small museum building and a gift shop located inside a yurt. Outside was a field with a collection of carved stone figures called bal-bals. The statues, some dating to the 6th Century, are believed to be memorials to honor dead warriors. They are considered ‘protectors, preservers, and watchers of the land’.<\/p>\n Close to\u00a0Burana Tower there was a small village where a family had constructed a dining room for tourists because there were no restaurants for many miles. Our coach drove down the unpaved road to the house.<\/p>\n They built an L-shaped building with lovely, ornate dining room along the sun-lit front and a small kitchen to prepare and serve food to visitors.<\/p>\n The extended family lived in the blue and white house. Our host lived with his son and daughter-in-law and their young children. As was the custom, four older daughters lived with their husband’s families.<\/p>\n After lunch we went to a nearby field to watch a demonstration of Kyrgyz horse games. The people are excellent horsemen and enjoy displaying their talents.<\/p>\n \u00a0We returned to the hotel to freshen up. Then we went out in the evening to a local Georgian restaurant in Bishkek where we enjoyed a Kyrgyz cultural performance of music and a recitation of part of the epic poem about Manas.<\/p>\n<\/a>Golden Dragon Hotel with Our Coach<\/p>\n<\/a>Entrance to the International University of Central Asia<\/p>\n<\/a>Students and Teacher in a French Class<\/p>\n<\/a>Librarian<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Never Far From the Tien Shen Mountains<\/p>\n<\/a>Gift Shop in a Yurt<\/p>\n<\/a>Field of Bal-bals<\/p>\n<\/a>Our Local Guide with Bal-bals<\/p>\n<\/a>Archeological Site on Top of a Mound<\/p>\n<\/a>Small Museum With Gift Shop<\/p>\n<\/a>Burana Tower<\/p>\n<\/a>On the Tower<\/p>\n<\/a>Village Road<\/p>\n<\/a>Family Property<\/p>\n<\/a>Family House<\/p>\n<\/a>Neighbor’s House<\/p>\n<\/a>Children Playing Cards<\/p>\n<\/a>Formal Luncheon<\/p>\n<\/a>Hostess and Daughter<\/p>\n<\/a>Homemade Salad, Preserves, Yoghurt, and Bread<\/p>\n<\/a>Baked and Fried Bread<\/p>\n<\/a>Our Host<\/p>\n<\/a>Local Boys and Donkey<\/p>\n<\/a>Introducing the Horsemen<\/p>\n<\/a>Picking Up the Flag<\/p>\n<\/a>Melee<\/p>\n<\/a>Intense Competition<\/p>\n<\/a>The Victors<\/p>\n<\/a>Take a Bow<\/p>\n<\/a>Entrance to the Restaurant<\/p>\n<\/a>Chicken, Mushrooms, Cabbage & Spices<\/p>\n<\/a>Lamb Stew<\/p>\n<\/a>Folk Music<\/p>\n<\/a>Reciting the Epic Poem, Manas<\/p>\n