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| Juma Gul and Mairam |
I first visited Juma Gul and Mairam’s at their home at Baraskoon Gorge in 2012. I had already spent quite a few days travelling in Kyrgyzstan along with our guide, Aritom (
Click here). Juma Gul and Aritom’s father were good friends. Their friendship goes back to the USSR days when Aritom’s dad worked at an avalanche station beyond Baraskoon Gorge. With the advent of capitalism, Aritom’s dad ventured into tourism and Juma Gul agreed to host his guests. Later, Aritom continued in his dad’s footsteps.
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| Inside the little blue vottage |
During that trip, I had spent 2 days in the small blue cottage. The Juma Guls made quite an impression on me. When I was departing, they asked me to come back and visit them when I have a kids. I was never in touch with them although I did message Aritom a couple of times in the last decade. I never thought that it would be possible for me to come back and stay with them again. But here I am, with the intrepid explorer, in 2025!
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| Awe inspiring scenery at Baraskoon gorge |
Juma Gul, Mairam and their daughter-in-law, Aiym welcomed us into the house. Juma Gul had returned home about a week ago after spending a short time in the hospital. He now wears a hearing aid. Mairam, though visibly older, was radiant as ever. Nothing much has changed in the house. It’s as if 13 years passed in an instant. I’m so happy to be back.
In keeping with the local tradition, Juma Gul’s youngest son has decided to look after his ageing parents. He is working in the village below and rarely comes up here. It’s the trio of Juma Gul, Mairam and Aiym that permanently live at Baraskoon Gorge. Aiym has 2 kids of her own but they are being cared for by Guma Gul’s other kids. In total, Juma Gul and Mairam now have about 15 grandchildren.
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| Its tea time |
We are offered tea in the traditional way. Many eatables like biscuits and other things are served along with tea. Aritom is our translator as he’s the only person who understands English. Soon we are joined by Juma Gul’s brother and his wife. They live a little downhill. They are chatting quite nosily and Aritom occasionally translates it for me.
They talk about politics and the local weather. They were all in agreement that the new president has done much more for the country than any of his predecessors. The new president is planning 3 new ski resorts in Karakol area, Juma Gul told me.
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| The toilet |
I asked his opinion of the proposed railway track to China. Juma Gul was quite enthusiastic about it. He was happy to relocate if his land was acquired for the massive project.
I remembered the marriage story of Juma Gul and Mairam. (Click here). Bride kidnapping has a long standing tradition in Kyrgyzstan. I asked Aiym if she too had been ‘kidnapped’ into marriage. She laughed and replied that the custom has been outlawed. Moreover, bride kidnapping is not socially acceptable anymore. In Kyrgyzstan, men pay dowry to women. Juma Gul paid a horse, a cow and $100/- as to Aiym’s parents part of the marriage dowry.
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| The family |
I went out for a walk along the Sari Monyok river that flows beside the house. The air is crisp and chilly. It’s beautiful here... exactly as I remembered it. I picked up a few amethysts from the lake and returned before it became too dark outside.
There is neither electricity nor mobile signal here. Mairam switched on the battery powered LED lights. An old wood fired heater is keeping the room warm. Aiym put on a working apron and went out to in the cold tend to the cattle.
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| Sari Monyok river that flows beside the house |
Despite all its rugged beauty, life is tough in Baraskoon Gorge. Juma Gul’s main source of income of is cattle. Aiym and Mairam wake up early in the morning and finish milking the cows before the milk van arrives at 6AM. After milking, the cattle are let out to graze in the meadows. In the evening, they have to be bought back to the pen. And the cycle continues.
Winter in Baraskoon Gorge too cold for people and cattle. Before the heavy snow fall begins, they move down with their cattle to Baraskoon village. Once again in summer, they return back along with their cattle. The rhythm of life follows the passage of seasons, like it always has. Mairam asked me if I reside in a warm place. She remarked that life in a warmer place will be more comfortable as people don’t have to relocate twice a year. That’s something that I had never thought about!
It home cooked pilaf for dinner. It was quite nice. Without the distraction of mobiles and TV, I retire early to bed early.
Its bright by 5 AM in the morning. I put on my jacket and went outside to take some pictures. Mairam was already up and about doing her daily chores! I walked through the banks of the Sari Monyok river collecting more amethyst stones. I spotted some horses on the adjacent mountain and walked up to them. It was a gorgeous walk.
When I got back to the house a while later, Juma Gul was awake. Through Aritom, he told me about his health struggles and that people often travel to India for medical treatment. Then he gave me a small black book that he has been using as a visitor log since 2014. During my first visit, Juma Gul didn’t have a book. Flipping through the pages, I see visitors from many countries. But the book doesn’t have a lot of entries. Not many people venture into this remote corner of the world. I wonder if anyone has come here twice, like me.
After breakfast, I went with the intrepid explorer to pick up some more amethysts from the river. It’s beautiful. We spend about an hour and half beside the river. By the time I got back, it’s time to leave. We take a few pictures. Aritom and Juma Gul try to recreate a picture from our last visit. Aiym handed over a small packet of pilaf to Aritom. She requested that we hand it over to her husband in the village below. Without telephones and mobiles, she’s practically cut off from her husband and young kids. I wonder how often she gets to see them.
I loaded all my things into Aritom’s van. We said our goodbyes. Juma Gul, Mairam and Aiym kept waving to us as we drove away. There is a pinch of sadness within me. I wonder if I will ever visit this amazing couple again. Maybe, just maybe, in another 10 or 15 years, I will be fortunate enough to stay with Juma Gul and Mairam in this little blue cottage once again.
Blog from 2025 series
- Steppes and spirituality: 38-day through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Nepal
Blog from 2012 Series
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