Horse Riding to Song Kol Lake, Kyrgyzstan

This is my second time in Central Asia.

My first journey took me to Mongolia years ago, and now, I find myself in Kyrgyzstan, the land of the Celestial Mountains, often called the Switzerland of Central Asia.

It’s easy to see why.

Nearly 90% of the country is covered by mountains, from the mighty Tien Shan to the rugged Pamir range. In a place like this, anyone who travels here must surely come for the mountains.

The moment I stepped onto its soil, I felt a quiet stillness in the air.

Song Kol Lake during sunset

From afar, the mountain range stretched endlessly beneath the soft light, and in that instant, I knew that there was no rush here. The people of Kyrgyzstan seem to move at the same gentle rhythm as the land itself; calm, unhurried, and deeply connected to nature. I reminded myself to do the same here. To move slower, to listen deeper, and to simply be present in this moment.

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Minimalist mindset in Tibet

Last year, I visited Tibet via overland routes from Xining to Lhasa  (1,907km long). I had been curious about Tibet for quite some time.  The mysterious Tibetans that stayed up high on the mountain and their features looked a lot like the Native Americans in the US, the stories of the Dalai Lama with monasteries and nunneries playing a very strong role in Tibetan culture, the political struggles and so on.

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