Salima Bishkek

... north. There is rarely anything that catches the eye architecturally. Still I take some shots for the memory.<br> At 16.00 I am outside the consulate and welcomed by the security guard. I am a regular now!<br> "Ah, visa?"<br> "Da."<br> He seems pleased that I have been successful and I am admitted. My passport is returned with the all important visa though I have just worked out - I do need a minder - that I must leave ...

... Glorious sunshine, but the wind whistled into my face through the valley I was going through, and the weather became hot hot hot. A driving force behind my venture to Lake Issy Kol (second highest Alpine lake in the world after Lake Titticacca) was to see a friend of mine, Jonathan Watkins, who I know from singing in ULCC in London, and who happened to be at Kaji-Say, on the south side of the lake. Arriving at the lake at 2pm, there was no way I would ...

... and it had been locked into the shed with the Soviet-era oil tanker, time to attempt food. As I was sorting out my stove, the owner of the station said/indicated I could use the hob inside. Hurrah. Mixing up my brew, he bounded back in, proffering a container of white liquid. Hmmm, I'd heard about this stuff before. Unpasteurised fermented mare's milk. Yummy. Well, not quite so yummy, really. I did have a good swig in order to not have the dogs set on me, and he was quite ...

... through dusty, bumpy roads flanked by desolate mountains, we passed through checkpoint after checkpoint after checkpoint on the Chinese side. The Chinese customs and quarantine station was the real fascinating part. Taking almost 2 hours to pass though, we had every piece of luggage scrutinized, our passports checked page by page (to questions of "where is this stamp from? What is this visa for?) and then they told us to turn our cameras on for photo inspection. There was an ...

... Festival might have a different meaning here in Kyrgyzstan; though there was music, dancing and a scary traditional game, where everyone ran 100meters to a small child whose feet were tied, with the first there cutting the rope for the child to run free. Much child crying ensued.<br> <br> <br>It was here that we found out about a salt lake, Shor Kol - 40km away, from another American guy who was writing/photographing a book on Kyrgyzstan. In keeping ...

Salut a Tous,<br>L'ambiance a Bichkek est au beau fixe, avec bal musette et feux d'artifices tous les soirs, dans la perspective des elections presidentielles qui auront lieu dans deux jours. Dans mon avion sont arrives quelques observateurs dont je n'ai pas bien compris l'utilite puisqu'ils ne sont pas autorises a assister a quoi que ce soit sauf a se positionner a l'entree des bureaux de vote mais bon, ils avaient l'air tres fiers d'etre la en tous cas.<br>Pour la campagne rien n'a ete ...

... is the wide high-mountain valley (with average altitude of 3200 m) of Kyzyl-Su River, widely spreading for the distance of more than 100 km. Width of valley is 25 km in average. The valley restricted by the mountains of Allay Range from north and Zaalayskiy range &#8211; from south. The climate of the region is continental. At warm time of season, there are 70-80% of the solar days and day average temperature is + 28 degrees Celsius and +5 +8 degrees ...

<br><br>In the world, there are very few mountains comparable by their beauty with this snow-clad giant. Words are flat and helpless when you talk of the Khan Tengri&#8217;s beauty. You must see it with your own eyes. The sunset at the Peak is stunning: surrounding mountains are drowning in the dusk while the Peak, dominating over all other mountains around, turns flaming red in the rays of the sitting sun and clouds ...

<br><br>This trekking is designed for the fans of horse riding who are keen to visit picturesque, intact corners of nature. The trek takes place in the mountains of Western Tien Shan and comprises a vast area, including the Kirghiz natural sanctuary &#8220;Sarichelek&#8221;.<br>We start from the garden-clad Fergana valley, a pearl of Central Asia, through which the Great Silk Road passed. The ...

... Well, that is except everything actually worked, the staff was efficient and helpful and we had a lovely three roomed apartment style suite to ourselves. And a further bonus was a kitchenette with coffee making facilities (something we had not seen since we departed Sydney - and were not to see again either&#8230;) and an ironing board and iron. What bliss for two very crumpled tourists! It just goes to show you how wrong you can be on first impressions.