Central Asia.
A region that kept coming back in my mind for quite some time now. So when I came to Kazakhstan for work, of course I stayed longer.
That’s when I met
@anyasavoskina .
She arrived in an orange 4x4, a love for the mountains, skiing (of course), outdoor cooking with wine under the stars, and a deep love for Zaz (that one I didn’t see coming).
We hiked glaciers, met a stray dog along the way, and saw a gigantic royal eagle flying above our heads. The second day, her friend
@indi_kator joined us. Equally passionate, just not about the wine. We left Almaty, hiked into canyons, and drove east, five hours towards the Chinese border.
The road alone was a journey — wildflowers everywhere, dark skies above, semi-wild horses darting across the hills, and Kazakh cowboys herding cattle on horseback or tiny old motorbikes.
We reached the lake I had mapped this whole detour around.
Just us, a few horses and cows grazing nearby, and a Kazakh family who had also come for the sunset.
We set up camp and watched the sun hide.
Later that night, at 2300m, we smoked clove cigarettes from Indonesia under the milky way.
Spicy, sweet, crackling while inhaling. Like a childhood magic cigarette.
We talked about what it means to be a woman. About the differences and what stays the same, no matter where you’re born.
Two bottles and a thousand bad jokes later, we were up at 4am, watching one of the most stunning sunrises I’ve ever seen. (And freezing my ass off)
Only appearing in the mornings with clear skies, there was Khan Tengri, the “Lord of the Sky,” 7010m tall, its north face facing us, standing at the edge of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. Reflected in the salty lake we slept beside, surrounded by endless layers of steppe.
Felt like it deserved a cheesy Instagram caption. So here we are.
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