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Published: September 12th 2009
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Lake Issy-Kul
Shoreline near our motel Day 5, Monday, Duishombu, June 29, 2009: What an excellent day yesterday turned out to be. I finally made enough noise to get Timka out of bed and thinking about going to the beach around 10 a.m. No one seems to be ready to head to the beach in this country until nearly noon or later. I see very few people heading down to the water on the roadway that leads to the beach before 10 am and it seems yesterday that most went to the area that serves the motel around 1 p.m. The beach was not very crowded on Sunday. There were a few families, and a few individuals in groups of two. The beach we went to has no attractions, no pier, no one renting chairs or umbrellas. There appear to have been some entrepreneurial attempts in the past but none of the small buildings was open to sell even water or soda. Everyone seems to bring everything they need to the beach themselves, unless you are staying at one of the fine resorts that are scattered along the shore.
Everywhere you have to go some distance at those resorts to get to the water. Here,
This way to the beach.
A nice walk of about a 1/4 mile from our motel we have to walk, because we do not have a car, but it is possible to drive to within about 400 feet of the water and park in a small lot that was created there. The most remarkable thing about Issy-Kul is that the water is absolutely clear and beautifully blue. You can see small fish swimming close to shore. The color of the water in the photographs we take does not actually show how blue it is. The water is also cold for most people. It is even a little cold for me when I first get in, but it begins to be comfortable after a few minutes. It is a giant alpine lake and as such is a constant temperature of between 72 and 68 degrees fahrenheit. For people with very little fat on their frames it is very cold. Timka turned blue after swimming yesterday and we had to wrap him up.
We swam until a little after 12 noon. Came back to the motel where he showered while I sat outside and watched the parade of people both on foot, in cars, and in bus convoys go by. I took a bottle of mineral water
to help ease the loss of magnesium and calcium that I was sure had occurred. Timka did not want to swim at the closest point to the motel and insisted on walking along the roads we found to see if we could find a more populous place. We walked quite a distance to find no place with more people than the one we first saw. He refused to cross a fence line that would have led us to that resort beach, so we turned around and walked back to the first one, this time I insisted that we would walk along the shoreline and into the water if the shoreline became a problem. It was wonderful to get my feet in the water and to see the way the beach curves into natural coves and settings. Finally, he let me go swimming while he stayed and watched our things. I don't really believe the abundance caution he exercises is necessary. But Emil sometimes reacts in the same way to unknown situations, so perhaps it is cultural. Timka seems worried about urru (thieves) and brigands who will hold us up or mug us. I, of course, feel none of this and
Room 5
Ours was the first door perhaps am just one of those people who feels little fear in strange situations. But it may be that I am turning 67 this year and have more experience with these dangers and have a more finely tuned alert system than the 15 year old and the 25 year old.
After a fairly light lunch, which Timka made me eat inside, because outside was not private, we took a nap and literally slept the day away. I woke about 7 pm. We had dinner. I had an omelette because I did not want anymore noodles which appear to be the true staple of the country. I am having a little trouble getting what I want to eat. An attempt to order some fried potatoes resulted in a dish of meat and potatoes that was a little greasy. The omelette was way too much. But it was tasty. I told Timka that we need to order ½ order of everything.
After dinner, we walked down the way to the resort. There they were having what I think was a giant dance recital and performance. The costumes were incredible and looked really professional. There was some great dancing and there was the usual halting performances by some of the younger participants. Unfortunately, much of the dancing lacked a certain flair and rhythm, and seems to be concentrated on arm movement and rote steps that don't match the music.
Timka grew bored quickly, but I found the whole experience fun and entertaining. After leaving the concert I tried to get him to go to the disco that was pounding out music, just to our left, but he would not. Then I wanted to stop and have a coffee at the restaurant. He balked again. But I said I am going to have a coffee here, you can come or not. He followed me into the restaurant but did not want to order anything. I suggested hot chocolate, he finally had coffee with me. He is reluctant to eat or to have tea or coffee because he is convinced that we will run out of money. I kept reassuring him that we would be okay. He is not used to the good life. Overall, a really good day.
Today, the weather may not sustain a day at the beach. It is overcast and looks like rain, and the temperature may not get very warm. We are in the mountains, after all.
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