Stars shine bright above a yurt camp on Song Kul Lake in Central Kyrgyzstan.

Song Kul Lake Region, Central Kyrgyzstan.

The proprietor of a small homestay in the Song Kul Lake Region takes pause from tending to her animals to offer a warm smile.

Achil, the grandson of Burulcha, stands outside his yurt in the gathering twilight.

Yurts are a way of life in Kyrgyzstan with a long and rich history seeped in tradition. Today, many families move up to wild, natural places during the summertime from their homes in villages to put up yurt camps that host travelers to the region.

Achil stands in the doorway to the dining yurt of his grandmother's small, three yurt camp.

A mountain shepherd in the Song Kul Lake Region offers wild laughter from his horseback mount.

Song Kul Lake is Kyrgyzstan's largest freshwater lake and has an area of 270 square kilometers (167.8 miles). It sits at 3016 meters (9895 feet) elevation. Multi-day travel to the lake by horses is customary in the area.

Rakmina and her mother stand in front of three of the yurts in their family's yurt camp on the shores of Song Kul Lake.

A horse guide stands on the broad plane beside

Numerous family operated yurt camps are dotted along the lakes shore.

A mixed group of locals and travelers play 'Kok Boru,' the National Sport of Kyrgyzstan. Teams of horse-mounted players do their best to cross the opposing team's goal line with the carcass of a dead goat or calf carcass, although when played casually (not in a tournament) as in this instance, a tanned goat or sheep skin is used in place of a carcass. Things get very physical as players move in on whomever is carrying the carcass towards a goal line. Violent rugby-like tugging, pushing, and jostling take place as attempts are made to pry the carcass [or skin] away from whomever has it on their way towards the goal.

A mixed group of locals and travelers play 'Kok Boru,' the National Sport of Kyrgyzstan. Teams of horse-mounted players do their best to cross the opposing team's goal line with the carcass of a dead goat or calf carcass, although when played casually (not in a tournament) as in this instance, a tanned goat or sheep skin is used in place of a carcass. Things get very physical as players move in on whomever is carrying the carcass towards a goal line. Violent rugby-like tugging, pushing, and jostling take place as attempts are made to pry the carcass [or skin] away from whomever has it on their way towards the goal.,' the National Sport of Kyrgyzstan. Teams of horse-mounted players do their best to cross the opposing team's goal line with the carcass of a dead goat or calf carcass, although when played casually (and not in a tournament) as in this instance, a tanned goat or sheep skin is used in place of a carcass. Things get very physical as players move in on whomever is carrying the carcass towards a goal line. Violent rugby-like tugging, pushing, and jostling take place as attempts are made to pry the carcass [or skin] away from whomever has it on their way towards the goal.

Travelers and guests of the yurt camp eat a grand feast of a breakfast at a yurt camp on the shores of Song Kul Lake.

While most travel to the lake is done on horseback, some guides and families use automobiles to shuttle both supplies and visitors to and from the nearest towns, typically some 25 to 35 kilometers (15.5 to 21.8 miles) away.

This setup on the shores of Song Kul Lake serves as home to a family for the warmer months of summer. As the weather grows cold they will return to their house in a town, not far from the lake.

Kyrgyz people have been breeding horses for 4,000 years and they are a way of life here. Children are taught to sit in the saddle before they can walk and typically learn to ride on donkeys first. This boy is all alone on the vast plane beside the lake with a herd of approximately 200 animals in his keep.

The young shepherd rides off to tend to his flock as the giant peaks of the Songköl Too Range can be seen rising aboveSong Kul Lake.

A woman prepares lunch inside a dedicated kitchen yurt as a rainstorm rages outside.

Used as portable dwelilngs for thousands of years in this part of the world, every aspect of a Kyrgyz yurt holds some deeper significance. The tunduk a circle with two sets of three to four beams running across it, represents home and family unity, and also makes up the central image of the flag of Kyrgyzstan. The ring serves as a skylight and opens onto the sun and stars when the cover is pulled back.

My host for lunch plays traditional music on a small three stringed kamuz. Like many Kyrgyz songs played on the instrument, the rhyythm pattern he plays mimics the trotting of horses.

Mother and child share a warm embrace in front of one of their yurts on Song Kul Lake, Central Kyrgyzstan.