The Silk Road Lodge Bishkek

... time warp ensued, crossing the road, over a Soviet canal, and to a small, squat apartment block. If there was ever a Soviet period drama, this would surely have been the setting. The stack of hay was already done, ready for the winter. Vegetables grew amongst the weeds around the house, and the apartment they let me stay in was what I would have imagined the good Soviet citizens of aspiring to. I think they must live in the whole block, as I had the entire ...

... 90 or 100kph. I revert to being the slowest vehicle on the road.

Then there is the remaining 158ks to Bishkek which mostly seems to be ribbon development with speed limits of either 50kph or 60kph. It gos on for ever.

I finally get to Bishkek and miracle of miracles get to a homestay that has been recommended. I get the last bed. Six of us share the room but it is clean and Patrick, my new German friend, tells me it is quite upmarket compared to what lies ahead in Tajikstan!

... cycling trips the others had done (see earlier, for example), the mountains they've been climbing, and, of course, the visa palava.

Well, that is quite enough for one day. I will hopefully be updating this again soon, but it may not be for a week or so. Also, I've been informed that in Xinxiang province, western China, there is no internet access to the outside world, or international phone calls. Therefore, I will be uncontactable and you will have to hope for the best....

... even offered to buy it from me (I naturally refused).

Since my last time in Bishkek, I have been to mountain lakes with seaguls, a family reunion in a yurt, hiking, hitch hiking, eagle hunting (well, I saw a demonstration), sunburning, swimming, mass hat buying and prbably a lot of other things too.

Frankly I can't be bothered to write about it all though, and as I'm now back (writing for the ...

... were inspired by their plans to attend a Birds Of Prey Festival (complete with live demonstration of Golden Eagles hunting poor defenseless white bunnies) on the south side of Issyk-Kol Lake and to arrange a demonstration of Kok Boru, the traditional Kyrgyz horse game much like polo, but which involved teams of riders wrestling for the corpse of a headless goat.. and yes, we did get to witness the sacrifice! Not so PC, but where else in the world ...

Kyrgyzstan is well cool, I've benn horse riding and all. Internet however is very expensive so this will have to be brief. We went over a big mountain to a holy lake and camped up in the high pastures and I wore a big hat and got a sunburt nose, it was the best! I also went to some waterfalls and helped a family bale up hay for their cows!
Next I'moff to Song Kol (a lake) and then too Issy Kol (another bigger lake, in fact 3rd deepest in the world!)

... Base Camp «The Edelweisses Glade »), located in altitude of 3600 м at the bottom of Lenin Peak. This is the optimal place for the flights carrying out deep into valley of Kyzyl-Su river and at the same time for having acclimatization at Camp I-4400m, Camp II – 5300 m, Camp III-6200 m and for further (for all who desire) ascent to the Lenin Peak (7134 m).

Geographical special features (information for the pilots): The geography of the ...

... Passage down along Laily-Mazar river to Uzgarish village (1300m). Festive dinner. Overnight at national house. 15km, 4h, -300m.
Day 13 Transfer Uzgarish village – Osh. Accommodation at hotel. 300km, 8h, -50m.
Day 14 Sightseeing around Osh. After midday - flight Osh – Bishkek. Accommodation at hotel.
Day 15 Transfer to airport. Departure home.

http://www.centralasia-tra vel.com/en/trekking/pamir/pamir_area

... accommodation in shared (between 2-3 persons) tents (tents in the Base Camp are improved with wooden flooring and mattresses);
- full boarding (variety of food including vegetarian, 3 meals a day from professional chef, possibility for special personal ordering);
- toilets, luggage office (tent) at BC;
- sauna (steam room) at BC;
- medical services (by professional doctor) in BC;
- electric supply 220 V ...

... in almost every sight we saw.

We were amazed by the expensive cars in Bishkek. Many, if not most were Mercedes, BMWs or Audis, with a splattering of Toyota Land cruisers and Forresters. We wondered how a country of just 5 million people could afford cars like this. Vita later explained that there is a huge market in Kyrgyzstan for overseas second hand vehicles and that in fact these cars were purchased very cheaply by local people. It ...