In the Kyrgyz language Chon Keindy means Big Mother-in-Law. And so I set out on a June Saturday for a TUK (Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan) day trip to the Chon-Kaindy gorge about a 2-hour drive from Bishkek. 18 explorers. 2 river crossings. 5 hours of trekking. Sudden rain at lunch, which made for a muddy return trail. Green, green and more green. Water, water and more water. River stones, fields of wildflowers. Vistas and the glorious balm of being in the big, wild out thereness. A profusion of white butterflies that looked like snowflakes in flight. The advice at the end of the day during the minibus ride home: Soak your feet in hot water for 20 minutes and drink 100 grams of vodka.
untidy exuberances 