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Published: August 24th 2014
Aloo-Too Square, Bishkek
Formerly Lenin Square. Two stoic guards at base of flagpole.It’s not often that I begin my day downing 4 shots of vodka before 11:30 in the morning. Equally rare is starting the day witnessing the slaughter of 2 goats. In Kyrgyzstan’s Song Köl, both are apparently quite common. The lake is a major tourist draw and there were hundreds of tourists passing through during my 3 days there. Most people seemed to be coming from or going to another destination but I just did what was supposed to be a quick in and out. It turned out to be much more difficult to leave than arrive resulting in an extra night stay which was fine because had I left on schedule I would have missed all the goat and vodka activity.
Now winding up almost 2 weeks in baking Uzbekistan. Today was the worst for the heat, 40°C (that's 104°F for my fellow Americans) in Bukhara where it was simply impossible to be outside for most of the day which gave me ample time to finish up this blog entry in the cool comfort of my air conditioned room. Also have a very good WiFi connection at this hotel which has been rare nation wide. Taking a late train
Song Köl Rainbow and Yurts
Maybe the only benefit of the stormy weather. back to Samarkand tomorrow evening then another from there to the Tajikistan border. Hopefully be in Dushanbe Tuesday afternoon.
US$ ≈ 52 Kyrgyz
somani (c.)
Song Köl
Taxi drivers in Kochkor wanted 3,000с. for the ride to the lake (up to 3 pax) presumably round trip even though I only needed a one way ride. I arranged 2 nights in a cold but comfy yurt with nearly full board and a ride to the lake through Shepard’s Life right in the center of the tiny town. Full board each night went for 1000c. which was fine but the transport was quoted at 1,600c. bargained to 1,300c. still kind of high since I was going with the family who actually lived there and who was already in town for shopping. The road to the lake is passable in 2WD and it takes ~1½ hours to get there. A group of 4 can get a round trip ride for 3,200c. plus a couple extra hundred
som per night for the driver to wait at the lake if desired.
First day the weather was dismal, wet, cold, and windy and I spent much of the day huddled around the cow
dung fuel stove in the “dining” yurt. On the morning of the second day I met a driver who was willing to take me back to Kochkor for 700c. I figured he already got paid for the round trip so I wanted to pay even less and told him I would think about it over my imminent 15 minute breakfast. By the time I realized he had not waited for me, all the cars had left for Kochkor and I was resigned to staying another night. While looking for the driver I noticed a trussed goat being unloaded from the back of a minivan and asked if I could watch the presumed slaughter. No problem and I was then treated to the first shot of vodka, smooth Finlandia. The killing was a bit gruesome for the uninitiated such as myself, a wicked slice right through the carotid artery which proceeded to pump blood for several minutes. No time was wasted and the carcass was quickly skinned and gutted. I professed my gratitude and walked on in search of a ride.
I left the area of the Shepard’s Life/CBT yurts and came across a family with yet another trussed goat
but before this butchering I was invited inside for a drink, a small drink, only 100 grams which is really a normal shot. The vodka was Kok Boru, a local Kyrgyz brand and a bit harsher than the pride of Finland, but it did the trick. As a bonus, the chaser was warm
kimis which is mildly fermented mare’s milk and not nearly as appetizing as it sounds. Two more shots and chasers were plenty for everyone. Mercifully, there was also plenty of bread with
kaimak to buffer all the early morning alcohol. Then came time for my second goat slaughter of the day. I gathered that numerous goats were being ceremoniously killed because many visitors had arrived to celebrate an unknown holiday but I think it was related to the end of Ramadan but not Eid. Horses were supposedly going to be slaughtered too but I was not sure if I wanted to see that. That turned out to be moot as I eventually found a ride with an Austrian family leaving the next day for Bishkek in their rented Sprinter van. They did not take the direct road back to Kochkor but rather went due east then over
Serious Slice Through the Carotid Artery
Pumped out blood for a good 5 minutes. Finlandia bottle and shot glasses on the tire in the background, Song Köl. Dolon Pass to Sary Bulak. I got dropped off in Kochkor ~4½ hours after leaving Song Köl at 8:00, chowed a plate of
manty, caught a lift from a “taxi” (anyone with a car is a potential taxi) to Balykchy for 100c. then finally a
marshrutka to Tamchy for 70c. where I arrived ~15:00 and spent 2 nights on the shore of Lake Issyk Köl.
Tamchy
Quieter lakeside alternative to Cholpon Ata. Kind of run down and the dining scene is massively overpriced by Kyrgyz standards but it is a "resort" area after all.
Accommodation and food Early August sees many Russian and Kazakh tourists descend upon the lake even in sleepy Tamchy and it took me a while to find a vacant room. Settled on У АСИИ where a 400c. twin room with share bathroom, single channel Kyrgyz cable TV, and common kitchen went for 300c. for solo use. Dining scene is virtually identical at all the restaurants (think
shashlyk,
manty,
plov) although Байкал around the corner from the hotel was good and a bit cheaper than most places. One expensive café in the center has WiFi.
Transport Caught a
marshrutka to Karakol for 200c. although
I'm pretty sure that was the full price from Balykchy. Ride took 3 hours including half hour transferring to another
marshrutka while the driver tried and failed at an impromptu brake job in Cholpon Ata.
Karakol
Scruffy town in the back of beyond used primarily as a base for trekking. Didn't have time for a trek but had a great place to stay and did check out the Sunday morning animal market.
Accommodation and food Tourist Information Center (TIC) is extremely helpful in locating available accommodation. They directed me to Nur Guesthouse where I took a very clean room with share bathroom, amazing breakfast, and WiFi for 600c. A load of laundry was a 25c. The only downside was that it was far from the center although there's not much happening there anyway. As is the norm in Kyrgyzstan, all the restaurants basically serve the exact same food. Breakfast at the guesthouse was so massive, I don't think I ate lunch afterwards. I remember one night having dinner at Mustafa Bistro only because it was closest to Nur. Cheap
shashlyk and salad at Osh Bazaar.
Transport Taxi from the guesthouse to the animal market was 60c. (ask
guesthouse to arrange night before) that I shared with 3 Swiss women also staying at Nur. Best to go early, we arrived ~6:30 a.m. and it was in full swing. I had planned on taking a night bus back to Bishkek (330c. and ~8 hours, hourly departures 7:00-11:00 p.m.) as a cash saving maneuver but I decided I did not want to hang around Karakol all day after the morning animal market. Walked to the distant bus terminal (~35 minutes from Nur or there are
marshrutkas) and got the last seat in a share taxi for 600c. so we took off immediately. Trip was nearly 6 hours, including a stop at a roadside café, and the driver dropped me a couple of blocks from Interhouse in Bishkek.
Bishkek
Soviet inspired capital city which is a good place to apply for visas. Not much in the way of sights so best to drop off the visa applications and leave ASAP. Don’t have to leave the passport while waiting for the visas so can get a 2-for-1 during the same period at least for Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
Accommodation and food Spent all 7 of my nights in Bishkek at the
immaculately clean Interhouse Bishkek south of the city center. Space in a huge 7 person AC dorm is $15 with breakfast (normally buckwheat which would be great in winter but not when it's 35°C on a daily basis), tea, cold drinking water, kitchen use, great common areas for socializing, and good WiFi. There is also Interhouse City Center but Bishkek's center is totally unremarkable. I wanted to be close to the Tajik Embassy which is oddly in the southern part of the city and a 20 minute walk from the hostel. This was a wise decision as I ended up going to the embassy a ridiculous 5 times during my 3 stays in the city. A couple of blocks from the hostel is Faiza Restaurant serving great inexpensive food. Around the corner from the hostel are a couple of basic, slightly cheaper restaurants. Also close to the hostel are several fruit sellers with melons going for ~20c.
Transport Many
marshrutkas (10c.) pass close to the hostel for trips to the center, Uzbek Embassy, or Osh Bazaar. Also one
marshrutka to the sprawling Dordoi Market (17c.).
Marshrutka 380 departs frequently from the airport starting ~6:00 a.m. for 50c. including baggage.
Let's Torment the Animal First!
This man couldn't tell me enough times that he was 60 years old and his daughter (in purple) was one. Kimis must be Kyrgyz natural Viagra, Song Köl. Final stop after ~40 minutes is around the intersection of Molodaya Gvardia and Chuy near Osh Bazaar from where there are many more transport options. #243 heads to the Western Bus Station where
marshrutkas leave frequently for Kochkor taking a bit less than 3 hours for 150c.
Border crossing to Kazakhstan at Korday From the Western bus station
marshrutkas run across the border directly to Almaty for 400c. Get there early or be prepared to wait a while for the van to fill up. I arrived at the station ~9:40 and did not leave til just after 11:30. Final stop was Almaty’s Sayran station at 17:15. The border crossing was painless and took less than an hour. Locals can pass Kyrgyzstan with just ID cards so the Kyrgyz officials will locate foreigners who turn over their passports which are briefly taken into a separate room, stamped, and returned. Follow the caged path to the Kazakh border post where a migration card is filled in and handed over with the passport for entry stamps. Keep the card at all times and surrender at departure from Kazakhstan. Try to get two stamps on the migration card if entering on a visa
which will preclude registration in Kazakhstan (not necessary if entering visa free). Can change money on either side of the border (decent rates at least on the Kazakh side).
Uzbekistan visa I did not plan on visiting Uzbekistan at the outset of the Central Asia portion of this trip mostly due to the cost ($160 visa for US passport holders) and purported hassle dealing with the embassy. I changed my mind when it became patently obvious that traveling through Uzbekistan to Tajikistan would avoid a lengthy trip from Bishkek to Osh then Khojand, Tajikistan. It actually turned out to be very easy to procure the Uzbek visa although it did take a bit of time. However, since I did not have to leave my passport at the embassy during the visa processing period, there was no need to wait around boring Bishkek for fear of traveling around the country
sans documents. Many nationalities (Americans included) do not need an expensive letter of invitation (LOI) and if time is not an issue, it is easy to obtain the visa without one. Call the embassy consular office (+996 312 663078) between 3 and 5 pm to schedule an appointment, normally for
Organ Meats
Thought it was a good idea to leave at this point lest I be invited to partake in the prepared goat stomach and intestines, Song Köl. the following working day (closed Saturday - Monday but can call on Monday). In the morning bring the passport, a passport data page copy, application completed online, and a copy of the Kyrgyz visa or entry stamp. The official will read the list of names to be processed in order and it shouldn't take more than 30 minutes to an hour to drop off the materials and be finished. Call again at the designated time (normally 7 calendar days later) to schedule a next working day appointment to pick up and pay for the visa. Can also change the entry date if desired (all Uzbek visas date specific for the standard 30 day entry period). The entire processing period, including drop off and pick up, was 12 calendar days but would have been less had my first appointment not been on a Friday.
Tajikistan visa and GBAO permit The Tajikistan visa along with the Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast (i.e., GBAO or Pamir) permit was supposed to be the easiest to obtain in Bishkek. The visa was, in fact, easy to obtain but the GBAO permits were only being issued for 7 days or less which was not nearly enough time
to enjoy the trip through the Pamir Mountains. Instant processing for a 30 day visa is $75 + 100c. but I could wait a week (didn't have to leave the passport here either) so the price dropped to $50 + 100c. Tajik visas are also date specific. I will hopefully be able to obtain a longer Pamir permit in Dushanbe.
Kazakhstan
Similar to Uzbekistan, I had not planned on visiting Kazakhstan because of the expensive and cumbersome visa procurement. But beginning in July a new 15 day visa free program was implemented for Americans (among several nationalities) so I checked out 2 cities in Kazakhstan, Almaty, the principal city and former capital, and Shymkent out in the purported desert where it actually rained at night. Almaty was really nice especially in hindsight after returning to Bishkek. It was noticeably cooler in Almaty and there is easy public bus access to the winter ice rink cum summer BMX/skate park at Медеу (Medeu). Shymkent was close to Turkistan, home of the famous and impressive Yasawi Mausoleum (free entry and English speaking tour guide).
US$ ≈ 183 Kazakh
tengi (T)
Accommodation and food In Almaty I stayed 4 nights at
Hostel 74/76. I did not want to book in advance in case there was an issue at the border with the new visa free program. Crossing was hassle free but when I got to the hostel I was actually quoted a higher price than if I had reserved through booking.com which was odd. A bed in a 4 person dorm was 2,500T but I had the room to myself and the price dropped to 1,625T for subsequent nights. The hostel has WiFi, clean shared bathrooms with excellent showers, possible laundry facilities, free tea and usually something light for breakfast. I took all my other meals at one of two cafés located next to each other at the NE corner of Shevchenko at Furmanova. One was called Visit and at either 1,000T will buy a several course meal including the best éclair I ever ate.
Hotel Nurotau close to the center of Shymkent was OK for 4,000T for a small en suite single with an unreliable water supply. Very unstable WiFi is accessible only in the lobby. Can get tea and hot water from the kitchen. Down the street towards the center is Istanbul Restaurant and a block from the
hotel is a nice bakery/cafeteria. Found a place selling ice cold pints of Shymkent’s own label for 160T. Not too shabby...
Transport The #11 night train from Almaty to Shymkent leaves Almaty-2 station at 17:40 and theoretically arrives in Shymket at 9:15 for 2,832T in
platzkart (very nice 3rd class on the new Russian carriages blessed with air conditioning). Train #12 does the reverse for the same price departing Shymkent at 19:20, arriving Almaty-2 at 10:55. Trolleybuses 5 and 6 run up Abylay Khan from a stop close to the hostel to Almaty-2 (all local transport 80T). Bus 6 heads south on Dostyk for Medeu. Tram 4 is best between Sayran bus station and the hostel. The trip back to Bishkek from Almaty was much faster than coming to Kazakhstan and also a tad cheaper at 1,300T.
In Shymkent,
marshrutkas leave regularly from Samal bus station for Turkistan, 800T for the 2-3 hour trip. Get to Samal from the center on bus 58 or 93 (50T). The train station is an easy 20-30 minute walk from Hotel Nurotau but there are also buses plying the route.
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