Karakol

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Early on Sunday morning the animal bazaar is held in Karakol. I timed my visit so I could stop by here before heading back to Bishkek, and it was definitely worth the early morning rise.

The street leading up to (and around) the animal bazaar is lined with people keeping anything from 1 to 10 sheep or goats on a string.
The buyers move through the ranks of the sellers, feeling up on how fat the sheep are (sheep are kept here primarily for their meat and fat, not their wool).
Within the animal bazaar are rows of steel bars to tie the animals to, with one section filled with cows and one filled with horses. Naturally there are also people walking (or riding on horse-back) through the ranks with animals on a string, adding to the chaos.
And then after the trade, the animals have to be taken away. Some of the more professional traders put them on the back of their trucks, but you can also just put the sheep in the back seat of your Lada!