http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Kyrgyzstan/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Kyrgyzstan en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:10:20 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:10:20 UTC Our stay in Kyrgyzstan began with a days rest room service and video rental in Bishkek as both of our tummys were showing severe signs of shashlyk fatigueWe recovered reasonable well and then the next day managed to get ourselves out to CholponAta a tourist town on the shores of Lake IssykKol. Here we enjoyed the dramatic scenery local fish and chips and I even managed a lovely swim in this http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-331361.html gtgtgt DEUTSCHE VERSION SIEHE UNTEN Day 95 to 11317400 km from GalwayThis time we start our blog in English as some haven't realised so far that we have all our blogs in German AND in English. Just scroll down in the other blogs to see the English version After this necessary detour to Almaty we eventually took off to Kyrgyzstan KG. We were really looking forward to discover this co http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-330346.html En route to JalalAabad we stopped overnight in Naryn another identikit Soviet town devoid of character or interest. We joined forces with a french couple and hired a car to take us the 350k to JalalAabad. The journey was quite an undertaking. Our driver was extremely good and his car a comfortable old Audi which frequently sounded to be on the verge of breaking down. It was very hot and ve http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Kochkor/blog-323003.html We left Bishkek on September 1st catching a bus to Kochkor about 4 hours drive south. The bus was full and with our luggage 2 bags each there was no room at all. A young woman immediately engaged us. She had just finished a month's intensive English conversation course and was very keen to talk English She turned out to be a great translator between us and the others on the bus who were ke http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Kochkor/blog-322733.html Yes for anyone who is wondering we are still alive. Lack of internet cafe's and lack of patience on dialup connections has contributed to our long silenceWe have been in Kyrgyzstan since August 27th. It's a beautiful country with lots of mountains and fresh air. The country is not heavily populated and doesn't have big cities so we've been camping quite a bit.Pictures are not working for us http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-322651.html We headed back into Bishkek to sort out Uzbek visas. My Letter of Invitation still had not arrived however my photo had gone missing. My spare photos were in the back of the truck so I couldn't get to them so I went shopping for more passport photos. I was very impressed the little man wiped away all the wrinkles on my forehead and got rid of my sunburnt noseWe got back underway and headed to t http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Karakol/blog-320408.html It was a public holiday for the Kyrgyzstan Independence Day. We left Bishkek for the Ala Archa National Park. It was strange not having the Brits on the truck but we collected 10 new people and the truck was full.Dave driver had trouble with his Turkistan Visa. My Uzbek Letter of Invitation had not arrived I offered to write one but I couldn't do anything by staying. Dave stayed and the rest http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Ala-Archa/blog-320406.html We drove for around 3hrs from Kochkor to Bishkek. It was strange coming into Bishkek as it was quite a built up town with a whole range of faces and body types. Far away from the Uighurs and the Han Chinese. We had lunch down at the German Beer House. The power was off they turn it off for 6hrs every day so we had a choice of different types of sausages and that was all. Sausage it wasThe hotel http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-320403.html We left Narryn after breakfast and headed for Kochkor . Great Scenery all along the way. Kochkor is one of the three major centres Kochkor Bishkek and Osh. We tried to change money here as we were too late for the banks when we got to Naryn. Alas the bank teller was on their lunch break for a couple of hours and then they ran out of money after the Polish couple first yelled at them in Russian http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-320401.html We woke at around 8am to a spectacular sight mountains all around and the odd truck. It was still very cold but just so beautiful. We were supposed to make it up to Tash Rabat yesterday but the delay at the border slowed things down. We headed towards Narryn and then through the valley to Tash Rabat and the Caravan Kyserai. We were off the main roads so were able to open up the roof seats it http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Kochkor/blog-320397.html Today was the day to leave 'I heart China' ... 'Go China' ... all behind. Today was the day to make the move on into Kyrgyzstan. We arrived at the Chinese border at around 10.00am. It was a stinking hot day at the border so made our way quickly off the truck and into the relative cool of the Customs Office. The Border isn't one of the most used in China so it didn't seem that busy. Everyone was ge http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Kochkor/blog-320391.html After months of planningfretting tackling rental agreements visas train times tickets and packing the house up we're finally off Having said our fond farewells to the family and been waved off at St. Pancras by Pens brother Geoff we spent the next 48 hours rolling slowly across western europe. The greatest novelty on this leg apart from the toilet and the samovar was when our train sidl http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-318243.html Irsquom in Astana now which is the new capital of Kazakhstan. I arrived here via Almaty which is where I originally started and ended my biking trip and which had been the historical capital of Kazakhstanhellipat least for the last few hundred years anyways. To know why I believe this is important or even mention it letrsquos start with a quick Kazak history lesson.Kazakhstan was largely j http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-314625.html There is so much to digest about the Kyrgyz way of life and the culture so I thought I should shed some light on some of the customs and traditions that are still upheld here. Kyrgyzstan is made up of about 80 different ethnic groups and two thirds of the population live in rural areas as nomads. Apparently there is double the amount of livestock here than there are people Not a bad thing conside http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Karakol/blog-310807.html As we set off on our next adventure to SonKul Lake I began to see why Kyrgyzstan has been dubbed the Switzerland of Central Asia. We drove through lush alpine mountains on hairpin roads all the way up to a pass at 3500m. By the time we reached that point it felt like we were really disappearing into the sky and the 360 degree views were incredible. Situated at 3016m SonKul Lake is frozen be http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Yssyk-Kol/blog-310783.html Kirguistn Tierra donde lleg Alejandro Magno Kirguistn IssykKul Biskek JalalAbad y OshChina Provincia de XinJiang Urumqi Kirguistn la tierra de Manas ... con un 80 del territorio montaoso una agricultura primitiva y una economa que subsiste gracias a la infraestructura que dej la URSS pas de un da para otro de nmada a ser parte de una potencia mundial. La influencia sovit http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-310699.html With one remote border crossing down we approached the Torugart Pass from China into Kyrgyzstan with confidence even though it's known to be one of the most unpredictable border crossings at the best of times. When you're in the middle of nowhere I guess you have the liberty to open and close the border as you please take breaks every hour ad treat foreigners how you want The pass is actual http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-309677.html Kyrgyzstan located in Central Asia is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north Uzbekistan to the west Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east.Founded in 1878 as the Russian fortress of Pishpek between 1926 and 1991 it was known as Frunze after the Bolshevik military leader Mikhail Frunze who was born in Bishkek which brings the story around to me. One summer day roughly two weeks ag http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-305063.html Kymys. Fermented mare's milk. I'd been looking forward to trying it ever since I decided to come to Central Asia but I guess I'd always had in mind just a small sip rather than the overflowing bowl Aitbek had just thrust into my hands. I gazed into it uncertainly for a moment fairly dubious about the tiny pieces of straw and strands of hair bobbing at the surface. But Aitbek just nodded encoura http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Kochkor/blog-303558.html The previous night's queasy cocktail of menace vodka turned uneasily in my stomach when I woke but I felt myself very quickly invigorated by the thought of what lay ahead... Three days up in the Tian Shan Mandarin for 'Celestial Mountains' a mountain range which LP claims comprises perhaps the finest trekking territory in Central Asia. I'd decided to explore it for myself rather than hiri http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Karakol/blog-300982.html KYRGYZSTAN Herewith blog from Kyrgyzstan and its just the three weeks late. Wersquore currently enjoying the Monsoon in India Thanks to those who have sent messages hellip but please everyone we really enjoy your comments so donrsquot be shyKyrgyzstan is an amazing country 90 of it is above 1500m and the Tien Shan mountains which run into China form a beautiful backdrop to Bis http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-297443.html Kyrgyzstan is the most beautiful country I've ever seen. It's known as the mountain kindgdom and for good reason.I have no stories to tell I spent two weeks bushcamping the most glorious countryside taking hikes through the mountains up to waterfalls and glaciers watching herds of wild horses run through the campsites and then a couple of days in the capital Bishkek before heading into the http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Karakol/blog-297333.html Wednesday 11 June Karakol to campsite 78 km 610m climbBreakfast in the courtyard rather disorganized bread and their very runny jam then some cheese and butter arrived then last the hot water for tea and coffee. There was meat soup that hardly anyone wanted.Today was not a nice ride the road surface was bad in many places and the last 30 km mostly very bad. There was a head wind som http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Yssyk-Kol/blog-297292.html Friday 6 June Bishkek to Kemin 1123m 108 kmA flat road today gently rising 500m in al. I managed to keep up with the Reds for 80 km but then got tired and slowed down. There was a following wind in the morning but later it turned round into a srong headwind. It was a cloudy day very grey over the mountains and we feared we would have rain but didnrsquot.Arrived at our school early a http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Karakol/blog-297271.html Friday 30 May Shimkent to Risqulov 83 kmBreakfast a bit disorganized as the hotel staff as usual were quite overwhelmed by 100 cyclists arriving all at once. I managed to get an egg plus one to pack for lunch plus the usual other bits eventually.A very good dayrsquos cycling beautiful countryside hilly and green lots of people and animals and agriculture and all the time the mountai http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-295669.html Een korte rit in een Mercedesbusje brengt ons vanuit Almaty de grens over naar Kirgizi1083. Verstrengeld tussen de Centraal Aziatische Stans komt dit land er torenhoog bovenuit Bergtoppen hoger dan 7000 meter diepe ingesneden groene valleien gletsjers en ijsblauwe Alpine meren bedekken 90 percent van rsquos lands oppervlakte. De barkoude winter houdt het vee op stal in laag gelegen dorp http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Bishkek/blog-295605.html The old man with the wooden leg grinned across the low table at me a mouthful of gold teeth gleaming in the candlelight. Raising his shot glass high he waited for the rest of the table to fall silent then looked me right in the eye and barked something in Kyrgyz eliciting growls of assent from the men around me. I didn't recognise the word but his sentiment was clear enough it didn't matter http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/blog-292707.html I have visited a Central Asian embassy for the last time. You have no idea how relieved I am although this last one was relatively easy.So Tajik visa in hand I set off on the 12 hour drive to Osh in the south of Kyrgyzstan in a shared taxi. I managed to get the front seat which was great as I'd read much about the majestic scenery. I was not disappointed the views were stunningly dramat http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Osh/blog-282067.html I've just had a wonderful day in the mountains. My feet have just had a really shit day in the mountains and hate me.Lots of sun again. Lots of majestic scenery again. No horses though. And no people which was the bit I liked best. I was absolutely and totally alone for about 8 hours in the most amazing landscape. Bliss.Just as well really because there was noone there to hear me yell http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Kyrgyzstan/Ala-Archa/blog-281421.html