Part 1: Dead goat in the goal

Yesterday was Navruz, the Uzbek celebration of the beginning of spring, the new year.  The whole country tidies up and prepares for the day.  We were able to join a group that traveled out of the city to visit ancient ruins that date back to 2 B.C., eat a wonderful picnic lunch of the national Uzbek dish plov (Russian)/Osh (Uzbek), and watch a match of kupkari.

A bit about Kupkari.
What:  Game called Uloq or Kupkari ("goat grabbing")
Who:  Lots of men on horseback and one dead goat with head and hooves removed and soaked a day in salt water, making it weigh 150 pounds or so.
When:  Usually played in the spring
Where:  Around Central Asia
Why:  Prizes... my guess is bragging rights also
How:  Men and boys ride their horses and try to grab the goat and get it into a goal (a circle of hay).  Along the way there definitely seemed to be some roughing up among the men but not the horses.  The game can be played as teams or as individuals.

Seth, Vic, and Max loved being in the middle of this giant field where they could climb and run and play.

A young Uzbek gal in a traditional hat

A tea seller

Where the older gentleman gathered together to eat

This fellow asked me to take his photo, and then he shared sweets from his "table" with the boys.

Their meal: bread, salads, tea, osh, and sweets

Our families plate of osh