Amazing trip to Altay!

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Some time ago we had eco-holiday in Altai. It's an amazing place on our planet where nature is still strikingly bright and untouched. A lot of impressions. Now I find photos,reviewingit and it seems that I am on Altai again.

We with friends for a long time wanted to get to the Altai. But always have no time or opportunity. And then suddenly, my friend said she found the Slovakian company - EcoPlanetArtProject, which specializes on trips to Altay and Baikal and organizes there eco-holidays. We visited their web-site - www.artecotour.com/en/ with funny frog on logo and find many other interesting tours. But on the 1st place was Altay!!! So, we talk with manager, discussed some moments and she offered us a very interesting route.

Our vacation begun with Lake Teletskoye - the deepest lake and most famous place of interest of Altay.
Than we hire a helicopter to land on the plateau Beluha. The view from the plateau is just stunning.
The next day we had a horse excursion in the mountains, along the river Katun. We looked Tavdinsky caves. Also this day we visited so called “Zubryatnik”. This is a place where Caucasian bisons are grown. Now there are 30 heads which lives in natural conditions. Next morning began with a trip to Seminsky pass. On the way to it we passed a very beautiful river Ursa and a lot of mounds in Karakol valley. On dinner we taste the national cuisine on the village near Karakol river (mare's milk, arrack – kind of vodka, lamb, kazi - sausage with chunks of meat, different Altai cheeses). Fairly specific food, but tasty. After dinner we went through Chike-Taman pass (translated from altaian - horseshoe), cause it’s a serpentin with very large curves. Chuysk path, which again goes to the valley of the Katun river, led us to the beautiful and mysterious place where local people say you can meet spirits. The next day the guide took us to the Kalbak-Tash path to see paintings on the rocks (petroglyphs). He said that they should be very interesting for me as for an young artist ))) I don't know what you see on this rock, but I saw a herd of deers. Some people believe that some of the petroglyphs represent the space-ships. Whatever they represent, they are huge and amazing. Others, representing animals and hunters are also interesting. One more attraction is situated in a couple kilometers from the rocks with petroglyphs. It is a stony statue representing a warrior clasping a sword in his hands. It was created some thousands years ago.
Next day, we dressed more warmly, and went to the mountains to watch the glaciers of the North-Chu ridge. After it we visited a very warm and sunny area - Kosh-Agach. There situated the so-called "zone of peace" - a plateau Ukok. There is placed a mound, where archaeologists found the mummy of a Scythian woman ("Altay Princess"). A pleasant surprise for us was visiting of Denisovs caves. Guide talked a lot about the objects which archaeologists had found in these caves. Now all they are kept in the museum, but we were advised to take a look at the sides, may be suddenly we have noticed something and made a discovery. Almost before departure home, we went to the village Topolnoye, where is placed “Maralnik”. Do you remember who is "maral"? I also did not immediately recalled that this is a red deer. Here they are bred for the production of antlers (horns). People believe that the extract from their horns are very useful because deer eat medicinal Altay herbs which accumulated in deer horns. We were offered to take an "antler bath" from such horns, which is very popular among tourists. But it helps only, in case of loss of sexual power ))) and we still is young and full of energy ))))))))))))))))))

I regret saying goodbye to this great place.

Altay, Goodbye! But, I'll be back …

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