Ata

Mt. Muztagh ...

To say our stay in an old Soviet sanatorium on the banks of Lake Issyk-kul was an experience would be understating the fact. We were all looking forward to some R&R after the rigours of more bushcamping - what we got was a cross between that classic ...

...  Wednesday morning warmed me up, a breakfast heavy on the carbs gave me more energy, and the view of snow-covered Mustag Ata on a brilliantly clear day helped me forget that I don't much like the cold. After breakfast, we loaded back into the minibus ...

... , I didn't mind the extreme speed and blind overtaking, which have become standard on every journey in Central Asia. Unfortunately Chopon-Ata left a sour taste in my mouth upon leaving. This wasn't such because of the place, but more because our wallets ...

... glacier and the tallest peak called Bairiga. The clouds had cleared and I could see what yesterday was veiled. I was high above the Ata glacier, which flowed in two directions, both north and south--unusual for a glacier. In front of me, snow, ice, ...

... had to hail a taxi for us going back the other way whilst everyone else sat on the bus wondering what we were doing.  Cholpon-Ata is central asia's main beach resort, like a Russian version of Magaluf.  We went down to the beach and saw a family ...

... the price down to what it should be.  No sooner had we hopped in and the minibus tore off.  We pulled into Cholpon-Ata around midday and went looking for the homestay that was recommended to us. We asked a local and she seem perplexed but when ...

... she'd been the week previous.  The marshrutka ride was pleasant enough, dropping us off at Lake Issyk-Kul's resort town Of Cholpon Ata. We were looking for this one hostel in particular, but having a coffee an elderly woman signalled for us to come ...

... hour (Celi sat on a wet seat for 20 minutes before she realised this then hoped it was not human pee)before heading to Cholpon Ata right on Issy Kol Lake- the tourist destination for Russians and Kazaks. For one and a half days it rained and we saw ...

the underground lake Kow ...

... with Kyrgyz words and slang. Actually, all of my family is incredible and, coincidentally, mirrors the Geense family in Washington: an Ata (Dad), an Apa (mom) and three boys ages 19, 16, and 14. The first night I was here was extraordinarily ...

... moving. We were among many who tried to understand the reason for this unnecessary bloodshed. We located the monument which gave Ata Turk's most poignant address: 'Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives... you are now lying in the ...