Breathtaking Kyrgyzstan! (page 5 of 16)

Hello,

If you take the trouble to read what I actually write instead of what Attila rephrases in his own way, you’ll see that I never mentioned dictatorship in my comments. I have 40 years of travel experience behind my interpretations, but perhaps that’s too much for the prejudices I challenge.

Michel

PS: I’m copying what I originally wrote to clarify that I never suggested happiness comes from dictatorship.

"They are Muslim or Orthodox, and in either case, they believe in destiny. They don’t want to plan everything, anticipate everything, or counter everything, and they don’t have a moralizing state telling them how to be happy. They live. Glad you were able to observe and see that for yourself."

I’ll let you ramble on.

Is my job also to shoo away the mosquitoes? Angélique

There’s one syllable too many.

The morning starts very quietly with a stroll around town.

We first head to the Dungan Mosque.

Built in Chinese style, it was made of wood without a single nail.





Entry is paid, and the dress code is quite relaxed.

Not sure a Taliban member would approve...

I only have a tiny scarf—provided at the entrance—to slip over my head to enter the premises, despite my bare arms and calves.

My companion, on the other hand, gets away with his shorts and T-shirt.

From one religion to another, we now visit the Orthodox cathedral.



The dress code is the same—very convenient if you want to switch from Muslim to Orthodox and vice versa.

No outfit expenses to plan! It’s budget-friendly!

Though I’m not sure how well renouncing your faith is viewed...

I send my companion ahead as a scout. Nothing remarkable inside, so I skip the headscarf this time.

The exterior, however, is worth the look!

We wrap up our discovery of Karakol by browsing souvenir shops.

We find better options here than in many countries where stalls usually just offer a whole range of interchangeable China-made junk.

I admit to buying some kuruts for a little tasting session at work.

I once brought back durian candies from Thailand. They weren’t a big hit...

Okay, we’re not going to spend the whole trip shopping, right?

How about getting some fresh air in the Karakol Valley instead?

A few minutes by car, and we’re in front of a toll barrier.

The park entrance is paid, and the system has been automated.

A guard helps us with the process—the signage isn’t exactly clear...

We drive a few more kilometers to the ski resort, the end of the road.

The chairlift only runs if there are enough customers. Not the case right now—only a local family is waiting by the machine!

We opt to walk instead.



Soon, we follow a trail winding through the forest.

The slope is steep—I’m struggling to keep up!

We can’t see much because of the trees, and there’s construction going on. We’re pretty disappointed.

What if we go beyond the forest? According to the map, it’s not far!

Ah, this is much better!





We find a perfect rock to use as a bench and dig into our provisions.

Unfortunately, the weather changes, and a few raindrops join us between the cheese and bananas.

We decide to head back via the shortest route—a trail that crosses the river at a ford.

When we reach a vantage point above the obstacle, the sun has replaced the drizzle.

Below us, the river looks rather turbulent. Our shoes and calves are in for a thorough wash.

Above our heads, quite far away on a ridge, we spot the top station of a chairlift—the highest point of the ski area.

Wet feet or the exhaustion of another climb?

The promised panoramic view at the summit wins out. We head toward the chairlift.

No trail—we navigate by sight, and it’s exhausting!







I’m hit with one wave of fatigue after another. We should’ve brought some cookies.

Luckily, a forgotten ski pole helps me keep going—though my progress becomes more and more uncertain.

Phew, we’re back on a wide path now.

The summit taunts me—there’s not even 100 meters of elevation left.



Stubborn, I’ll tackle those last meters with over ten stops...

I'm terrible at hiking uphill, but this time, it was worse than anything else.

Was it worth it?

Yeah, kind of...









Except that by then, there were enough people down below to cover the 740 meters of elevation gain without breaking a sweat...

The descent will be much easier, but what an expedition!

A tip: come in the early afternoon, take the chairlifts, and go hiking in the upper part above the forest (you can climb higher than the chairlifts and then descend to the road with that famous ford crossing).

I’ll only have enough energy left to devour my dinner.

Good night...

Okay, there's some work to do... but I'm offering you a one-week internship in my neck of the woods... promise you'll leave with both wrists (intact) 😇

It won’t work!

I’ve been dragging my feet for 40 years! !🤪

This time, I think I had a hypoglycemia attack after a light picnic and the big effort on the "off-piste" trail.

I should’ve taken the last part at a normal pace. It was a gentle climb. I should never have sat down every 2 minutes! It wasn’t about breath anymore.

From now on, I’ll remember to pack some sugary snacks in my bag when I go on a tough hike.

What day of the week were you in Karakol?

Hypotruc....😄 I’ll tell you, a lot of us are making serious efforts...on an empty stomach. I’ve got a couple of friends (both former international cross-country skiers) who head into the mountains or go cross-country skiing in the morning without eating anything...just to burn as much as possible (not 68...😏). So I’m suggesting you take charge of your fitness again...but hey, you’ll have to put in a little effort too! Don’t worry, I work out almost every day...and I don’t skimp on aperitifs or wine with every meal...😏 that’s the secret to successful training.

A Tuesday.

I think you’ll be able to do an internship with lots of travelers as guests. 😏

And I know I won’t be the last one signing up for your boot-camp session. 😛

Alright! I’m starting to take sign-ups now. Okay, Kate’s already dropped out... 😏 I’m in talks with Diamina... but, well, the distance is an issue... 😉 Voyajou... well, I don’t know if he’s up north or way down south (not west, though...) Tiger’s looking for fuel, so he’s a bit busy at the moment... 😏

And Montagnard74, how about some neighborly sharing? I know you’ve got some top-notch reblochon gems hidden away! 😛

That said, a peak at 3,040 meters isn’t too shabby! The shortness of breath can start to make sense at those heights.

No worries about the internship... I kinda figured you probably didn't need it... 😉 For the reblochon, if you're heading to Arbu... let me know ahead of time, a stop in Pers-Jussy might help before the climb 😏

Before starting the car, we do a visual check of the tires. This damn right front tire still looks flat! We can’t spend all day pumping it up! How about we go to that repair shop we saw last night on the way to the restaurant?

It opened at 0800, right?

We arrive at the repair shop around 0930, but the door’s locked... I ask at the shop next door—thanks, Google Translate—the employee tells me we’ll have to wait until 10:00.

This garage’s hours are pretty flexible!

10:00, still nothing. A delivery truck pulls up, a package for the mechanic. The driver knocks, tries calling the numbers scribbled on the door, then leaves. One, two cars park—other customers! Suddenly, an old clunker screeches in, and two young guys jump out to unlock the workshop door.

It’s 10:20, and they’re finally starting their workday. What’s that proverb again?

*You’ve got the time, we’ve got the watch.*

I explain my problem to the worker—thanks again, Google Translate—and he gets to work fixing it. I’m starting to know a thing or two about tire repairs: one in South Africa, one in Georgia, one in Morocco... I know he’ll dunk the tube in water to check for bubbles, unseat the bad tire, clean it, patch it up, and hand it back as good as new. I’m also getting familiar with the prices. If he says 10 euros, that’s steep. Around 5, that’s not bad.

It’ll be 3.5...

We take the chance to ask him to check the pressure on the other three tires while he hands us the culprit that was tormenting the Sailun. Some kind of rivet... With all the roadwork, no surprise!

By 11:00, we finally leave Karakol. Good thing I didn’t pack the day with hikes... The red cliffs of Jeti-Ögüz are soon in sight, and we park in the village to explore them on foot.







Like at Skazka Canyon, there are quite a few people. And plenty of touristy setups. Still, this isn’t even the most spectacular site in the country.

An Instagram effect?

My paper guide mentions a riverside hike in the area. We leave the car where it is, grab the picnic, and start walking past the "no entry" sign.

A few dozen meters later, cars coming from a track on the right overtake us. They keep overtaking us!

I must have gotten the starting point wrong...

We go back to get the RAV4 and quickly figure out where we should have actually gone.

A handful of kilometers later, the landscape opens up.

Yurt camps sprawl across the meadow, horsemen are on the lookout for potential customers. The drivable track seems to more or less end here, so we find a patch of grass to have lunch.

We’ve barely turned off the engine when a man knocks on my window. In flawless English, he offers a horseback ride and quotes his prices.

The fantastic ride would take us to Maiden Braids Waterfall. Huh, that’s one of the hikes I’d considered! There’s a bit of elevation gain, and I’m not too keen on repeating yesterday’s experience.

On horseback, though...

We shake on it despite a price we find a bit out of sync with the country’s cost of living.

Compared to the prices at Monument Valley in the U.S., though, it’s a steal... 15 € per horse, 1 horse each, 1 for the guide, 45 € for a little over two hours of riding.

We eat before mounting our steeds—this time, it’s us who have the time and the Kyrgyz who are in a hurry...

The horses aren’t very big or wide, so we climb on fairly easily.

Our young guide gives us a few instructions: "tchou" to go forward, "drrrr" to stop, a tug on the reins to the right or left to go... well, you can guess where.

All good?

Let’s go!

The area is *very* touristy—kind of the country’s Disneyland. The ride is still really nice, though. Sometimes you just gotta keep your inner child’s eyes open.









Trees, tied-up horses—this is the lazy way to end the ride.

The waterfall is just 5 minutes away, but now we have to walk.



After a round trip, we’re back on our mounts.

A group of Indians has just arrived—they’re not the most agile riders. Here’s a girl in her twenties struggling to get down from her nag. "Help me, help me!" shouts the slim, impeccably dressed young woman. She’s flailing on her saddle like a fly in a spiderweb—I’m laughing inside.

I’ll be less amused in about ten minutes when my backside reminds me that a saddle isn’t the comfiest seat...

Our guide thinks we’re running late, so he urges the horses into a light trot.

Not great for my rear, but it’s fun!





Now we’re back on solid ground—my butt thanks me.

The afternoon is well underway, so we head straight to our next lodging, a cabin on the heights of Barskoon.

The surroundings aren’t finished, and the furnishings are simple, but what tranquility!





A great spot—almost the best of our guesthouses. Perfect, since we’re staying for 2 nights.

Only downside: we have to drive to go for dinner. But since the village restaurant doesn’t serve any alcoholic drinks, it’s not a big deal!

Bon appétit.

True, Jeti Oguz is packed with people, but it’s still pretty awesome to see. Yeah, horseback riding wasn’t the best, but at least it’s probably less brutal on your backside than mountain biking... The restaurant seems nice—very Asian cuisine vibes, which is pretty much the same all over this country. I’m into it 😉

I'm so fed up with this new-gen travel forum... can't edit a message properly—if I want to change a word, it randomly jumps to another part of my message, at least on my smartphone. What the heck is this mess?

Poor Pepereju! At home, he didn’t want me to use a smiley. So I didn’t put one 😕 If you wanna complain, it’s here: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=10777957;a=10777957 But maybe you already know...

Yeah, it's nice.😉 But I wouldn’t make it the main goal of a trip.

( Biking? I’m hopeless—I started too late! ) ( Try private browsing, it usually works better.)