After a night in Bishkek it was time for a
bush camping extravaganza, the best way to see and enjoy the wilds of beautiful
Kyrgyzstan. Our first night on the
northern shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake in the world,
with the option to camp on the beach or a little further back in amongst the
shelter of some trees. Overland
adventure turned beach holiday, swimming in the clear water looking up to the
snowy mountains in the distance, bobbing around in an inflated truck inner tube
and sitting in the sun on the sandy shores.
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Smoked fish from Lake Issyk-Kul |
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Camping in amongst the trees |
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Lake Issyk Kul |
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Rogs |
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Tom relaxing with a beer |
For something a bit different we pulled out
fajita wraps we’d brought all the way from England and some treasured salsa
we’d hidden away for a Mexican themed evening, complete with a selection of
comedy moustaches. Simon’s blending in
far too perfectly with his colouring, others less so. Not Mexican but with vodka costing no more
than a couple of dollars we also cooked up some delicious Mars bar vodka. The cream we thought we’d bought turned out
to be sour cream so milk was substituted, desperate times, what a hard life.
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Gary |
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Sue, delighted with her moustache |
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Simon's blending in far too well |
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Anita, the Italian plumber |
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Si, Em & Gary |
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Iain goes in for a tash |
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Iain |
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Jo-Ann |
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Tom's monkey tattoo even got a moustache |
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And cab pet Ninja |
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The Mexicans |
Every day feels like a Sunday when you’re
driving around the lake. We continued on
the next day to Karakol where we shopped and stocked up for a couple of days
away from the truck. Two Russian monster
trucks, the meaty Gaz 66, roared in and we loaded up our supplies. Our destination for the next few days was
Altyn Arashan. Rather than camp as
nights can be chilly and even snow occasionally at this time of year, we chose
to stay at a mountain retreat with bags of character, a ramshackle refuge and
simple accommodation. The ride up to
Altyn Arashan was exciting, steep and rocky with sheer drops, the trucks deftly
negotiating each obstacle. The road, at
times, isn’t a road at all and there’s no way we could take the truck up there.
Half way along we found a new friend, a young chap called Choi who is riding
his 125cc scooter, yes scooter, from South Korea to Spain. Most people think
he’s mad, we have to agree, but he was a lovely addition to the group for a day
or so, mucking in with cook group and joining us for meals.
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Beautiful sunrise over the lake |
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Some went for a morning skinny dip - no photos though! |
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Pretty Kyrgyz houses |
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Karakol market |
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The Gaz 66 trucks |
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Plush velvet interior |
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The rocky track ahead |
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The small community of Altyn Arashan below |
Altyn Arashan is set in an alpine valley,
the starting point for some longer multi-day hikes into the mountains and other
valleys. On our free day we stretched our
legs hiking along the river and taking in the fresh alpine air and
scenery. Returning to the refuge for
lunch the mountain weather turned, the temperature dropped and rain started to
fall. What better way to spend an
afternoon than to sit in the hot springs.
Channeled into three small pools in huts of varying temperatures. We bathed in the hot water and eased away our
aches. The brave dashing down to the
snow melt river for a bracing splash every now and then before sinking back
into the hot water.
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Our mountain refuge |
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The facilities |
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Does my bum look big in this? |
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Tom & Anita warming up on the table tennis table |
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Gary & Jo-Ann hiking in the valley |
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Em, Si & Rogs |
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Lunch on china plates! |
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The weather closes in |
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Time for a hot spring - Jo-Ann & Sue |
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Tom, Hels, Em & Si braving the icy river |
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How many people can you fit in a hot spring? |
It was time to pull out all the stops for
the evening meal, having bought two legs of lamb in Karakol. A camp roast is a feat of culinary logistics
and a big group effort, fire lighting with damp and still green wood and making
sure all the extras, gravy, roast potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage,
onions and even roasted beetroot (phew!) were ready at the same time. We had
left behind one useful box by accident, the one containing all our cups,
plates, bowls, cutlery and knives. Gary
being a professional butcher the lamb was expertly deboned in record time with
borrowed blunt knives. The rest of the
preparations with improvised chopping boards, pokje pot lids and selection of
utensils. We did however enjoy eating the
feast on china plates and drinking out of real rather than metal cups for a
change, borrowing them from the family who live at the refuge during the summer
months.
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Roast lamb preparation |
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Trying to get the fire going |
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That'll do nicely |
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Some deft de-boning from Gary |
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Si & Choi |
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Sizzling potatoes |
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Yum yum |
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Merkin the resident cat (you may remember Merkin from the Kathmandu-Istanbul blog last year) |
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A game of Around the World |
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Em in her down booties |
Described as another holiday within a
holiday, we packed up our things the next morning and descended slowly and
carefully back down the track that was muddied from the rain. Shopping again at the well-stocked market in
Karakol and lunching on the tasty cold noodle chilli dish they are known for.
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Back down the hill |
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Karakol cold noodle dish |
We were reunited with Penelope after our
mini-break and headed off for another couple of bush camps in Djety Oguz national
park. The entrance guarded by red
sandstone cliffs called the seven bulls after seven calves who grew big and
strong in the fertile pastures.
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The Seven Bulls |
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Broken heart rock |
Accessed by sturdy log bridges, we still
walked across each one in case the weight of the truck proved too much. The crew walking ahead at the end in the
drizzle to check the rather saturated ground for a suitable camping spot, being
stuck in the mud is not our favourite activity.
Surrounded by tall fir trees and alongside the glacial melt river we set
up camp under ominous looking clouds and the rumble of distant thunder. The rain did eventually arrive but didn’t
dampen our spirits, or the alcoholic type.
Some wandered the next day to a waterfall and others ambled through the
valley or made friends with the locals in their yurts.
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Penelope lines up for a log bridge |
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Hmmm… we probably shouldn't camp here |
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A sunnier day for hiking |
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Spot the camp |
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Local Kyrgyz lady |
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Tom reclining with a cafe creme at the waterfall |
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Anita & Rogs at the waterfall |
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Maggie finds time to paint |
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Family day out |
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David joining some of the locals for a meal |
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Frisky donkeys run amok in camp |
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Shoo! |
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Leaving Diety Orgus |
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Stocking up with firewood on the way |
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Your licence please sir? |
After our relaxing time there we drove to Kochkor where a luxury homestay/guesthouse awaited us with soft beds, hot showers (it was about time for one) and a Kyrgyz feast with delicious homemade jams. Hels & Rogs put on a slideshow of the trip thus far to remind us where we’d been and all the amazing things we’d done together.
We sit writing our final words in a taxi on the way to Bishkek, having waved off the group to continue their journey through China in the capable hands of Simon & Emma. It’s over and out from Rogs and Hels!
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Farewell! |
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