Strange Harvest in a Central Asian River Valley

Chu Valley (Photo: vmenkov/Wiki Commons)

Chu Valley (Photo: vmenkov/Wiki Commons)

A Central Asian river runs through our Geo Quiz: We’re looking for a 600 mile long river that starts in western China and flows through part of Central Asia. One stretch of the river actually forms the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

Along their shared border, there’s a lush river valley – where marijuana grows wild. In the old days, Soviet authorities tried to wipe out the plants but to no avail. And the locals have developed a rather unique way of harvesting the stuff.

Think people who wash themselves in the river, clean their horses and then ride naked into a forest of marijuana!

Can you name the Central Asian river where this is going on?

The answer is the Chu or Chuy River.

Radio Free Europe reporter Merkhat Sharipzhanov tells anchor Marco Werman about the wild marijuana harvest in the Chu River valley.

Discussion

3 comments for “Strange Harvest in a Central Asian River Valley”

  • Troy Freeman

    That’s my new favorite river.

  • http://www.facebook.com/ian.claytor Ian Claytor

    Hmmmmmmm …… 
    “a 600 mile long river that starts in western China” … what’s your source for that? … the source of the Chui (Chu or Chuy) River is a long way from the Kyrgyz/Chinese border … yet alone China itself. ”there’s a lush river valley – where marijuana grows wild” … OK, there is marijuana growing wild in the region, but there’s not much of it in the Chui valley …   

    “Think people who wash themselves in the river, clean their horses and then ride naked into a forest of marijuana!” … I take it that this is an attempt at humour.  Sorry, but I’m not laughing …

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/James-Bean/1541349059 James Bean

    “Think people who wash themselves in the river, clean their horses and then ride naked into a forest of marijuana!”

    I’ve heard this myth before. Supposedly this is how they make hashish. However this is not really how cold pressed hashish is made.