Traveling the World While Working #5 Kyrgyzstan

Since our founding in 1999, we have been committed to enabling each and every one of our employees to reach their full potential without being restricted by location, time, or living environment.

Together with our employees, we have realized a variety of work styles, including full-flexibility, full-remote work, support for balancing work with childcare and nursing care, and, in recent years, nomadic work both in Japan and overseas. By enabling employees to fulfill both their work and personal lives, we are able to influence each other positively and contribute to improving the productivity and quality of work of the entire organization.

In this series of articles, we will share on how our employees are exploring and implementing their own unique ways of working.

Introduction

Hello. My name is Sakamoto, a global consultant belonging to the Singapore office.
I have started my long-cherished nomadic work since last year, visiting two to three countries a month to experience life and work in those places.
In this blog, I will be writing a series of articles on how to balance work and private life, the culture of the countries I visit, and interaction with the local people through my nomadic work experience abroad.
In this fifth installment, I will share my nomadic work experience in the Kyrgyz Republic.

About Kyrgyz Republic

Following the previous visit to the Republic of Uzbekistan, this time I visited the Kyrgyz Republic, located in Central Asia. Its area is about one-half the size of Japan, and its population is about one-twentieth.

First, I went to Bishkek, the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is beautifully located in the Tien Shan mountain range, surrounded by the Arato Mountains. About 70-90% of the entire Kyrgyzstan is composed of mountains. Bishkek has a population of about 1 million, and the city is dotted with lush parks and squares.

Strolling and Google Maps

As I explored Bishkek, I found Google Maps to be highly unreliable, the worst among all the countries I have visited. Streets were impassable and stores that showed open on Google Maps did not actually exist. This made things difficult as I would get lost and had to make detours. However, I enjoyed the confusion as part of the trip. Bishkek has a small population, so it was a refreshing experience to be able to walk from the center of the city for just 20 minutes and immediately be in the suburbs.

Ala Archa National Park

I enjoyed an easy hike in Ala Archa National Park, about an hour outside of Bishkek. I have climbed many mountains, so the 1-2 hour hike from the parking lot was easy, partly because the path was relatively well-maintained. The weather was cool and perfect for hiking, although the clouds were overcast and not very photogenic.

Market Tour in Bishkek

I visited the Osh Bazaar, a huge market that is said to be the kitchen of Bishkek citizens. Dairy products such as horse milk wine, milk, butter, and cheese, as well as yogurt such as kefir and smetana, which are unique to the nomadic Kyrgyz people, were sold there. The locals told me to beware of pickpockets and scams by fake policemen.

Kyrgyzstan is a former Soviet country, and many buildings and statues related to the Soviet Union can be seen throughout the town.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, first leader of the Soviet Union

Since more than 90% of the population of Kyrgyzstan is considered Muslim, I went to the Central Mosque. This mosque is the largest in Central Asia and was completed in 2018 with the support of the Turkish government.

Excursion to the outskirts of Bishkek

I visited Burana Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about two hours away from Bishkek. On the way, I met a large herd of cows and enjoyed a unique experience in a foreign countryside.

Burana Tower is a valuable historical building for Kyrgyz people. This is because the Kyrgyz are nomadic people and have few historical buildings. Located in an important Silk Road hub, Burana Tower was damaged by earthquakes over the centuries, but still stands 25 meters tall today. Around the tower are the ruins of Balasagun, whose atmosphere I personally found quite eerie.

Next, I visited Lake Issyk Kul and had lunch in the area. The fish dish I had here was the best in Kyrgyzstan. I had been on a meat-centered diet for a long time, so I was very impressed with fish dishes after a long absence. Fish dishes are not common in Kyrgyzstan, but they seem to be popular around Cholpon Ata near Lake Issyk Kul.

Lake Issyk Kul is one of the few ancient lakes and is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan and the second largest alpine lake in the world. Despite being surrounded by mountains, the lake never freezes, and its name means "hot lake" in Kyrgyz. Lake Issyk-Kul is a regular tourist attraction for locals. Driving around the lake, its size made it feel like an ocean.

I took a boat ride on the lake and was able to fully relax with a cup of tea and a spectacular view.

On the way back, I enjoyed the nature of Kyrgyzstan while listening to music.

Kyrgyzstan Business Insights

Like Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan has a small population and a low average income compared to Japan, so I felt it would be a good idea to market our products to the wealthy in Central Asia via e-commerce.

The next country is Nepal!

My experience in Kyrgyzstan, with its rich natural environment, was invaluable to me. I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare and proceeded with my work while waiting for my flight to Nepal.

Stay tuned for the next issue, where I will tell you more about life in Nepal and nomadic work!