Best Eastern Hotel Issyk Kul Bishkek

... somewhat more than the Lonely Planet ($16) suggests, or as it is commonly called by backpackers in Kyrgystan, the Lousy Planet. It does seem as though the information it contains on the country is somewhat lacking.
"Can I pay more and have it issued sooner?"
"Yes." A pause while further calculations are done.
"For $190 (LP $32!!!) you can have it tomorrow, but perhaps you would prefer to stay and enjoy Biskek."
I mutter ...

... bottles. I need to get a honey stall next to a raspberry/blackcurrant stall, and mix the two.

And so at the end of the lake, into Karakol I wander. The impression I had of it, from reading other people's Lonely Planet guides, was of a Queenstown of Central Asia. Hmm, nope. More the feel of a frontier town, I wondered when the local shoot-out would be. Apparently I stayed in the 'first backpacker hostel in central Asia'. Fair enough. I had an ...

... interesting part of my trip along from Almaty so far - my night at a petrol station. Coming into Targhan, no luck was had trying to communicate my wishes to sleep somewhere with a bunch of locals. I fear I may have asked if I could sleep with their daughter, rather than somewhere to sleep. No bother, I trundled along leaving behind confused locals. I minimise my risk of being sought out by stray dogs, I pulled into the petrol station at the end of the village. After a somewhat ...

... and welcoming. I wish we had more time in this beautiful country, but tomorrow we begin what has been described as a 'hideous' 15 hour drive through the Kazakh steppe to Uzbekistan.

I will keep this short for now. It is breakfast time. Thanks to the Russians, breakfast is edible. In China, it consisted of congee, pickled cabbage, last night's concoctions and some other unidentifiable things. But here, it is bread, porridge and cheese - thank goodness!

... first to Sarala Sez, to stay in a yurt with a Kyrgyz family there and to watch the arranged Horse Games. After some initial nausea and hypocritical shock on Caragh's part at the slitting of the goat's neck, it was hard not to be mesmerised by the game. Our American friends again provided some of the entertainment, with the ever enthusiastic Nick running after the action with his handheld camera and getting in all of our pictures too.


The ...

... de la meme maniere il ya 10 ans.

Voila pour les premieres niouzes, on fera un peu plus nature et moins ennuyeux les prochaines fois promis. Mais qu'est ce que vous attendiez : une rando suicidaire avec un cheval canonique, un gun des annees 30 et des loups qui m'encerclent, des sources d'eau chaude radio-active ?? Fini ce temps la, je suis pere de famille, bientot quadra et chauve alors on cause serieux maintenant sur ce blog. Non mais !

Allez, bien des choses a Tous,
RV

... and meteorological weather conditions.
Day 10. Return to BC with having possibility of making flight from Puteshestvennikov pass or from close placed slopes (environs of BC).
Day 11. Ascents and flights in area of BC or flights in Kyzyl-Su river valley.
Day 12-16. Ascent to Lenin peak (for planned members) or ascent to camps C 1-2 and making flights from close placed crests and slopes.
Day 17-18. Descent to BC. Rest. Flights in environs of BC ...

... the dice is cast you are to meet with the Great Mountain face to face.

Program of the tour:
Day 1 Arrive in Bishkek. You are met at airport, transferred to hotel and accommodated there.
Day 2 Drive to Karkara (460km). Accommodation in Base Camp "Karkara".
Day 3 Take helicopter hop to Base Camp (BC) “South Inilchek” (4,000m above see level).
Day 4 Get yourself introduced to the area ...

Our Introduction to Kyrgyzstan

Quaint or quirky Kyrgyzstan – however you may describe it - this country is certainly a bizarre paradox. With a façade of normality and all the trappings of modern living, Kyrgyzstan was to blow us away with its contemporary and beautiful capital city of Bishkek, yet third world conditions and widespread practices of bride kidnappings within only kilometers of the city centre. And sadly, like many of the former ...

... university educated and spoke perfect English and Slava was an experienced and knowledgeable driver.

As we drove out of Manas airport it was hard not to notice the lines of US air force planes. Like silent moths they sat solemnly and ominously in endless rows along the tarmac. It was a sobering reminder that the United States uses this main international hub to double as a military base to aid aerial operations in the forever war torn Afghanistan.