KIRCHDORF AND DER KREMS. Ursula Forster and Oskar Lehner recount their travels through Asia in three lectures, each with two dates at the Kirchdorf cinema. It starts on Wednesday, January 31st, with Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.
photo_library (Photo: Forster/Lehner)
In 2023, Ursula Forster and Oskar Lehner traveled across Asia in their off-road vehicle for eight months (Tips reported in Two Micheldorfers immersed themselves in the culture and nature of Asian countries for eight months). They describe these trips in three lectures with photos and video sequences at the Kirchdorf cinema. Entry to the lectures organized by the JKU Cultural Institute is free. Tickets for the Kirchdorf cinema can be booked via the cinema website: https://reservierung.kinokirchdorf.at.
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan
In the first lecture, on Wednesday, January 31, at 5pm and 8pm (two presentations), Ursula Forster and Oskar Lehner report on Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan (On the Silk Road, Part 1). They talk about the journey through western Kazakhstan along the nearly dry Aral Sea, a man-made ecological catastrophe. The two inhabitants of Micheldorf were among the first foreign tourists to travel to Turkmenistan, one of the most closed countries in the world, just days after the borders opened. What particularly fascinated them about Kyrgyzstan was the stunning landscape and the lives of the semi-nomads they encountered during a ten-day journey through the far east of the country.
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan
Uzbekistan and Tajikistan (On the Silk Road, Part 2) will be the focus of the second lecture on Thursday, February 15, at 5pm and 8pm (two presentations). Ursula Forster and Oskar Lehner chronicle the historic desert cities of Uzbekistan – Kiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand – which were centers of advanced culture, architecture, and science for thousands of years. With stunning images and video sequences, they describe their journey through the mountains of Tajikistan in an off-road vehicle through the Fan Mountains and the legendary Pamir Highway. One of the highlights of the trip was the subsequent crossing of the Pamir Mountains on foot with locals and pack mules.
Trekking in Nepal
In the third talk, Wednesday, March 20th, at 5pm and 8pm (two presentations), Ursula Forster and Oskar Lehner talk about their two-month trekking trip in Nepal. They recount their 22-day trek to Everest Base Camp, the trek around the Annapurna massif and a ten-day trip to Upper Mustang. This is a little-known Tibetan kingdom that collapsed in 2008, it is located north of the Himalayan mountain range and was closed to visitors for a long time. In addition to a visit to Chitwan National Park, known for its rhino population, the people of Micheldorf report on Kathmandu's architectural attractions and the country's cultural and ethnic diversity.