Ariane Eloy Belgium . My experience in Karakol
Experience at Community Based Tourism and Leadership - Kyrgyzystan
At first, I started to learn a lot of think about Karakol as a city but also on Kyrgyz tradition and people.
About CBT, I worked with a Kyrgyz volunteer. The aim was to develop two brochures about Karakol: for the summer time and the winter. We choose pictures and took the other pictures in the city to have visual brochures and add some comments with each picture.
I wrote a PowerPoint about deforestation and pollution. The aim was to make aware people in a village, where some of them cut trees illegally, of these problems and their consequences. I have to present it in English with the translation of my college in Kyrgyz.
With Leadership, I translated some tourist information from English to French. I completed some documents about a guided tour from Karakol in thirteen points of interest: a flyer and global information that the guide need to know for the visit. I realized a first visit with colleagues before proposing official visit to tourists. I had activities on the website trip advisor.
Moreover, I did other thing as taking pictures during the Child ‘Day fair. I participated also to activities: celebration in the honor of Pushkin, manifestation for women’s rights, sharing my experience with young volunteers... I had also the opportunity to do kayaking on the lake and to follow several Russian courses. The team was really kind.
In fact, I lived in two host families and with them I discover several things: Issyk Kul Lake, Mountains around Karakol, beverages and foods, celebration at the end of the Ramadan. And obviously, we discussed a lot about our countries and lives.
During my free time, with a friend, French volunteer, I discovered Jeti Oguz, Arashan Valley, Issik Kul Lake, Animals Market, and History Museum.
From this experience, I retained several interesting meetings and discussion. Kyrgyzystan is a nice country with a lot of contrast: weather, nature, culture (crossroads of several influences: kyrgyz, Russian, Turkish, Chinese ...)
Ariane
