吉爾吉斯的遊牧、共生、所在(CN/ENG)

ya hsuan chung
Oct 11, 2024
12 min read

Updated: Nov 12, 2024

! 文末有旅行業者資訊 ! (英文是靠AI+人工檢查，因為我懶惰與不專業) 從幾年前內心就有想去中亞的想法，當初想得是哈薩克

一年半前在法國讀書，大概是第二次去語言交換的酒吧

因為之前的經驗，所以已經知道每次參加幾乎只有我跟同學是亞洲面孔

那天晚上難得遇到一個亞洲面孔的女孩，不知道自己為何突然跟對方說起了中文(頗荒謬的預設立場)，尷尬一陣後我們改用英文交流，她先是講了Kyrgyzstan, 我跟同學都沒聽懂，後來又尷尬了一陣，她拿出了google map, 才看懂原來是一個中亞地區的國家，這是我第一次聽到這個國家。那次的半年後，在爬一些youtube影片之後，發現了Ruby & Bek, 主題是法國職場，也間接知道原來有一個台灣女孩與吉爾吉斯男孩的故事，並且正在致力推廣吉爾吉斯的旅遊。於是我算了時間，報名了秋季團，期待著中亞的異域風情，而這也是久違地跟團 (上次跟團應該是...15年前 ?!) From a few years ago, I had the desire to visit Central Asia, initially thinking of Kazakhstan.About a year and a half ago, I was a student in France, during my second visit to a language exchange bar, I already knew from previous experiences that almost the only Asian faces present were mine and my classmates. That night, I unexpectedly met a girl with an Asian face and, for some reason, started speaking Chinese with her (an absurd assumption). After a brief awkward moment, we switched to English. She mentioned Kyrgyzstan, which neither my classmate nor I understood at first. After another awkward pause, she pulled out Google Maps, and I realized it was a country in Central Asia; that was the first time I had heard of it. Six months later, after watching some YouTube videos, I discovered Ruby & Bek. This indirectly led me to learn about a Taiwanese girl and her Kyrgyz boyfriend who were promoting tourism in Kyrgyzstan. So, I planed the schedule and signed up for the autumn tour, looking forward to experiencing the exotic charm of Central Asia—this would also be my first group tour in many years (the last one was... 15 years ago?!).

半年內兩次聽聞這個國家，我覺得好像受到什麼暗示 Hearing about this country twice within six months felt like some kind of sign

七天七夜的行程，沉浸在大自然的時間很多，在藍天白雲與大地之間，只能從一些很細微的片段認識吉爾吉斯的生活方式(比如：鈔票、加油站、市場…等)，於是我提前三天抵達，希望能先看(漫)看(步)首都-Bishkek 能感受到這裡正在發展中也不至於到落後，行動支付、一些名車、興建中的公寓也都能見到。同時，歐亞混血的臉孔讓我很容易隱身在人群中，幾乎鮮少被側目，通常都是帶著相機的時候才會被注目，這種感覺讓我想起土耳其，置身在人群中，常常會因為不同臉孔而有 : 現在到底是在歐洲還是在亞洲 ?! 的錯覺感。 The seven-day itinerary was filled with ample time immersed in nature. Between the blue skies, white clouds and lands, I could only grasp Kyrgyzstan's way of life through subtle fragments (like currency, gas stations, markets, etc.). I arrived three days early to explore the capital—Bishkek—at my leisure. It felt like the city was developing rather than lagging behind; mobile payments, luxury cars, and new apartment buildings were all visible. Additionally, my Asian look features allowed me to blend into crowds easily; I rarely attracted attention unless I was carrying a camera. This feeling reminded me of Turkey, where being in a crowd often led to the illusion: "Am I in Europe or Asia?!"

巴札，維吾爾語市集的意思，這個詞之前也在土耳其看到過 (歷史上新疆與土耳其也曾有交流)。首都Bishkek的大巴札，真的是頗大也有點像迷宮，每一個轉角都會出現新東西，乾貨、蔬菜、衣物、家電...等，與傳統市場雷同，周末下午去，人潮滿滿，很有生活氣息與傳統氛圍。

看著少女攤主在整理堅果時，我打了聲招呼，並拍了一張，現場馬上airdrop給對方，當我準備走時，攤主追了上來給我一袋堅果，這是我第一次跟吉爾吉斯人互動，感受到攤主的真誠 The term "bazaar," meaning market in Uyghur, is something I had seen before in Turkey (historically, Xinjiang and Turkey have had interactions). The main bazaar in Bishkek is quite large and somewhat labyrinthine; every corner reveals something new—dried goods, vegetables, clothing, appliances... just like traditional markets. On a weekend afternoon visit, it was bustling with life and had a vibrant traditional atmosphere.Seeing a young vendor organizing nuts, I greeted her and took a photo, immediately using AirDrop to send it to her. As I prepared to leave, she chased after me with a bag of nuts—my first interaction with a Kyrgyz person that made me feel her sincerity.

複雜的路線與吉爾吉斯標語，讓我很快迷失在這市集中，順著人流走又三不五時被各種攤主給吸引，試圖理解這老闆到底在賣什麼 ?! 把握黃昏時分，大巴札還沒逛完，我就再往Bishkek市區前進，又看見居民潮流的一面 1. 大約2-3棟mall, 距離密集，是年輕人們喜歡喝咖啡相聚的地方

2. 沿路有不少腳踏車外送與共享電動滑板車 3. 有些女生衣著也有些韓系或者露小蠻腰

4. 歐亞混血的面孔，有著各自不同的穿衣風格，感覺他們有獨特的審美 !

5. 每100-200公尺，就會有路邊攤飲料(還支援行動支付)，而且全都是賣同種口味 The complex layout of the market and Kyrgyz slogans quickly made me lose my way among the stalls. Following the flow of people while occasionally being drawn to various vendors made me wonder what exactly they were selling. As dusk approached and I hadn't finished exploring the bazaar yet, I moved towards downtown Bishkek and witnessed another side of local life:

About 2-3 malls densely packed together where young people gather for coffee.
Numerous bicycle deliveries and shared electric scooters along the way.
Some girls wore outfits inspired by Korean fashion or showed their midriffs.
The Eurasian faces sported distinct styles that reflected unique aesthetics!
Every 100-200 meters featured roadside drink stalls (which also accepted mobile payments), all selling similar flavors.

順著城市的光影，我尋找到一些角落，好像是老舊/廢棄社區，但也好像是乏人問津的公園 和角落外的世界形成一些對比，Bishkek有一些錯落的美 Following the city's light and shadows led me to some corners that felt like old or abandoned neighborhoods but also resembled neglected parks—Bishkek has its scattered beauty.

目前吉爾吉斯尚未有鐵路，多數都仰賴開車，第一天開車近40km，來到距離Bishkek最近的阿拉查國家公園 (Ala-Archa National Park)，當天雖是周一，但也能看到不少吉爾吉斯人在散步，領隊Altynai :「吉爾吉斯人非常親近大自然，這裡離市區很近，有事沒事都會來走走呼吸，然後感覺就會好很多」。雖是很普通的一句話，但這種從小、從每一代就養成的習慣，讓我從這一刻開始認識他們。都市仔的我，很少爬山，去的時候也會盡量全副武裝，哪怕只是健行，但現場的吉爾吉斯人，各種隨性，就連領隊Altynai只是個簡單的球鞋配小廢包而已。 (領隊在山中步道簡直健步如飛，而我像個對比的小弱雞) Currently, Kyrgyzstan lacks railways; most travel relies on cars. First day of driving nearly 40 km to Ala-Archa National Park (the closest national park to Bishkek), even though it was Monday, many Kyrgyz people were out walking. Our guide Altynai said: "Kyrgyz people are very close to nature; this place is so near the city that they often come here just to breathe and feel much better." Though it seemed like a simple statement, this habit ingrained from childhood through generations helped me start understanding them. As someone from the city who rarely hikes, I tried to prepare thoroughly even for just a walk. However, the local Kyrgyz people were so casual; even our guide Altynai wore just simple sneakers paired with a small bag (she moved swiftly along the mountain trails while I felt like a underdog in comparison).

山中的遼闊感、沿路風景、民風純樸的氛圍似曾相識，好幾度想起2018年的寮國 The vastness of the mountains and the scenery along the way evoked familiar feelings; several times I recalled my trip to Laos in 2018.

七天裡似乎把一整年的大自然份量都體驗完了但吉爾吉斯的大自然仍是特別的，因為草原上會有蒙古包、木製廁所、四散的馬與牛...等是一種民族與自然的共生，遊牧民族隨著季節遷徙、放牧、自給自足、每日的趕牛趕馬...等 It felt like I'd lived through an entire year's worth of nature experiences in just one week. However, Kyrgyzstan's nature remains special because you can find yurts on the grasslands alongside wooden toilets and horses and cows—a true coexistence between ethnicity and nature as nomadic peoples migrate with seasons for grazing and self-sufficiency.

我想他們是有智慧的或者至少是很有自己生活邏輯的，能夠找到適合的地方好比第四天，我們一路顛簸上到Altyn-Arashan峽谷，沿路的沒什麼生機，但偶爾會撇見遠處有一戶人家經歷了約4小時，終於到了我們的山屋，很明顯是峽谷中的聚集地。這讓我想到蘇格蘭的High land，當時也坐了很久的車，沿途冷清只有山路與山路，但會突然在一個轉彎直下，就抵達了一個約500人的小鎮，那是個遠到生病都需要搭直升機的深處。 Altyn-Arashan峽谷再次勾起了我這段久遠的回憶，在這樣山上生活的人們自有一套生活的辦法，我想山下那些獨立的蒙古包人家也是如此吧 ! 七天內，經歷了幾個峽谷，幾個山林間，時常看到放牧的畫面，讓整個大自然的體驗又更深刻些

除了動物的移動之外，還有飼主精湛的馬術，敏捷又快速。生活不是那麼容易，又離都市遙遠，所以山區的人們都很熱心、互助 I believe they possess wisdom or at least have their own logic for living that allows them to find suitable places. For instance, on our fourth day we bumped along to Altyn-Arashan Canyon; although there wasn't much life along the way, we occasionally spotted distant households. After about four hours of travel, we finally reached our mountain lodge—a clear gathering spot within the canyon.This reminded me of Scotland's Highlands; back then too we sat on long drives through desolate landscapes filled only with mountain roads until suddenly reaching a small town of about 500 people where even getting sick would require helicopter transport due to its remoteness. Altyn-Arashan Canyon rekindled those distant memories; those living up there have their own ways of life—I'd imagine those independent yurt dwellers below do too! Within seven days we traversed several canyons and forests while frequently witnessing pastoral scenes deepening our experience of nature.Beyond animal movements were also remarkable horsemanship skills displayed by their owners—fast and agile. Life isn't easy here as it's far from urban conveniences; hence people in these mountainous areas are warm-hearted and supportive towards each other.

整個吉爾吉斯的旅行還不是那麼的商業化，但旅途中也不難見到一些歐洲遊客，大家都想體驗曾經的絲路有遇到荷蘭重機團、英法健行團 (很意外我在國家公園能跟人用Bonjour打招呼 !)、比利時...等。我想吉爾吉斯旅遊是有些潛力的 ! (冬天也可滑雪呢 !) 旅途的尾聲，我們到了個大草原，等待著狩獵家族的秀應該是爸爸開著車載著獵犬、老鷹、弟弟，哥哥騎著馬穿著傳統服飾抵達草原之後便開始表演了馬術捕獵、射箭、老鷹捕食、獵犬捕食，在出發前我已經在社群媒體上看過類似的畫面或許是因為這樣所以當下並沒有太驚喜，但是讓我感到有趣的反而是一家人與動物的情誼與默契老鷹大概跟著一家人約20年，到了晚年就會被野放，回歸到大自然群體中很多時後是對命令的反射動作，但更多的是對表演的熟悉而有的默契，明明沒對話，但又好像在對話，處處都透著「職人感」這讓我想起在旅途中也有一次機會參訪羊毛氈工坊，阿姨們嫻熟地示範羊毛的前置過程

過程中阿姨們也沒有什麼對話，就是很自然地默契一步接一步，用很家常的工具當輔助，更多的時候是用手跟身體施力 Overall, travel in Kyrgyzstan remains relatively uncommercialized; however, it’s not uncommon to encounter European tourists eager to experience what was once part of the Silk Road—like Dutch motorcycle groups or hiking teams from England and France (I was surprised to greet someone with "Bonjour" at a national park!) among others from Belgium... Kyrgyzstan definitely has tourism potential! (You can ski there in winter too!)As our journey neared its end we arrived at a vast grassland awaiting a show by hunting families—presumably led by father driving cars with hunting dogs and eagles and little brother while big brother rode horses dressed in traditional attire arriving at the grassland before starting performances involving horseback hunting techniques along with archery displays featuring eagles catching prey alongside hunting dogs.Before departing I'd seen similar scenes on social media so perhaps that’s why I wasn’t overly surprised at that moment; rather what intrigued me more was witnessing familial bonds between them and their animals—the eagle had probably been part of their family for about 20 years before being released back into nature during its old age.Many times it seemed like reflexive responses based on commands but more often than not there existed an unspoken understanding acquired through familiarity with performances—though no words were exchanged it felt like there was communication everywhere reflecting their craftsmanship.This reminded me of another day during our trip when we visited a wool felting workshop where women skillfully demonstrated preliminary processes involving wool without much dialogue—just naturally flowing through each step using simple household tools while relying more on hands and bodies for strength.

七天七夜的最後行程是在旅店附近的餐廳用晚餐，這天旅社的窗口 Navat 和她的先生，還特意準備了吉爾吉斯手工小禮物，一人一份，十分感動。七天內和當地人交流的機會不多，對比荒漠感十足的地景或者一望無際的草原，民族的好客、善良、互助，有點像荒漠中的spotlight吧 ! 在前往頌湖蒙古包的前一晚有團友詢問蒙古包的安全性、可否上鎖...等

領隊Altynai說：「安全的，我們(吉爾吉斯人)對那(偷竊或他人物品)沒什麼意思」雖然我們都是亞洲面孔，從一些衣著上也能感覺我們並非本地人，但實際走在路上也沒有被側目更不會有感覺尋找獵物的小偷遠處盯著、好意搭訕實質要錢的行為。

很多人不曉得這個國家，就如我也是一年半前才第一次聽到。或許是因為這樣讓我有動力再次寫了不專業遊記 (上一篇是2018寮國) 領隊Altynai、窗口Navat和她的先生，都會流利的中文，因為他們都曾經在上海求學(大學或者研究所) 在上海似乎是很多吉爾吉斯留學生的首選，這和台灣流行去英美有很大的不同領隊Altynai還跟我分享了 : 有很多吉爾吉斯人去芝加哥開計程車我 : 芝加哥 ? 計程車 ? 聽到這個小故事的時候我腦袋只想著，這好像是什麼移民電影會有的情節聊著聊著，Altynai：「吉爾吉斯人很會生存的，我們都很會找自己的地方」在海外的吉爾吉斯人，可能是孤獨且難遇同鄉人的，尋找自己的地方的同時也還要解釋「吉爾吉斯」但我想他們是很有韌性的民族，就好像那些山林、峽谷裡，總會有一些人住在那，生存大不易，但他們總會有自己的邏輯與方法。 探索吉爾吉斯(行程、簽證) 請洽 Bek Ruby 旅社 : https://bekruby.com/ 其他美照請至相簿 : https://chungkole.wixsite.com/ychung/kyrgyzstan The final itinerary for our seven-day journey concluded with dinner at a restaurant near our lodge which Navat and her husband as our local contact window prepared handmade Kyrgyz gifts for each person—There are not many opportunities to communicate with local people in seven days. Compared with the desert-like landscape or the endless grassland,

The nation’s hospitality, kindness, and mutual assistance are a bit like a spotlight in the desert! The night before heading towards Son-Köl’s yurts one group member asked about safety concerns regarding yurts or whether they could be locked...Guide Altynai reassured us: “It’s safe; we Kyrgyz have no interest in others stuff.” Although we all have Asian look, and we can tell from some of our clothes that we are not locals, we actually didn’t get much attention when walking on the road.

There is no such thing as a thief staring at you from a distance or striking up a conversation with good intentions, but actually asking for money. Many people don’t know about this country just as I only heard about it for the first time a year-and-a-half ago. Perhaps that's what motivated me again to write this blog (my last being Laos in 2018). Guide Altynai, Navat and her husband both spoke fluent Chinese since they studied in Shanghai (bachelor or master). Shanghai seems popular among Kyrgyz students unlike Taiwan which typically favors studying in English-speaking countries. Altynai talked me that there are many Kyrgyz work as taxi drivers in Chicago—I thought: “Chicago? Taxis?” This sounded like something out of an immigrant movie scenario! While chatting further Altynai remarked: “Kyrgyz are resourceful; we know how to find our place.” Kyrgyz people abroad may be lonely and rarely meet their fellow countrymen. While looking for their own place, they also have to explain "Kyrgyzstan". But I believe they are resilient people just like those living amidst mountains or canyons—there will always be some who dwell there despite difficulties surviving far removed from urban comforts yet possessing unique logic & methods suited just right for them. For exploring Kyrgyzstan (itineraries & visa info), please contact Bek Ruby Guesthouse: https://bekruby.com/