Joanne along the Silk Road: Kyrgyzstan Day 4 and 5

September 19 (written Sept 20)

It is moring, pre-breakfast. I was going to try to catch up last night since I had an early bed time. About half of the group went for a Russian Steam, they provide a sheet if you want, coed. Um, no thanks. But soon after I got to my room, the power went out! Which reminds me, I forgot to mention that while we were tucked in our yurt, there was a huge thunder and lightning storm with pelting rain. Impressively, that wool and wood structure did not leak. Although that was not true for everyone,

Back to our story. I believe I left you as we were leaving the yurt camp after breakfast.

I mentioned that we had had a change of itinerary because of a snowed in pass. So I think our morning was slightly altered. We were heading to a hike to see a beautiful view of the lake. I finally get to use my walking poles!

As promised, it was beautiful, not just the view at the top but the whole hike.

We'll be seeing more of this formation later

From the car window

As always I brought up the rear but as I got to the top, I explained in Canada, the person at the back is there to protect the group from any bear attacks. So, you're welcome for the grizzly free climb!

On our way to lunch, we stopped at a cemetery. They are all over the place, at the tops of little hills, and look so cool as we drive by so I was stoked to stop. As you all know, I love a cemetery!

There was another cemetery
across the road

You have to love this woman. This is how I want to be remembered when I'm gone. Maybe I'll get something similar for the office when I retire :)

She (or her family) did add a lovely scene
of the homestead to the base of the stone

Back to the yurt camp for lunch. But I have to stop here to pack up before breakfast. We are heading to our next destination soon.

Still Sept 19 but now writing on Sept 21.

After lunch, we headed to Fairytale Canyon. There are a lot of myths around topography here that involve princesses. I think this canyon was a dragon punishing a princess for not loving him? Anyway, here are a bunch of pictures of a very amazing place.

Then to our next guesthouse run by a Russian family. There is a clear(ish?) division between 'local' and Russians even if the Russian's family arrived in Kyrgyzstan generations ago. There is a racial component, the locals look more Asian. I suspect there is also some class division but that doesn't get mentioned. I may ask.

Our Russian hosts have a very lovely yard full of fruit and nut trees and so many flowers. Have I mentioned the flowers in Kyrgyzstan. There are zillions of them. They love flowers, in every city we've been to. It is rose and dahlia season so the place is awash with pops of colour, even in the brownest of towns.

I only took a few photos of the garden. It was cold and it was about to storm, the winds were really picking up.

Apple trees are everywhere in this yard
and in this country

We had dinner which included borsht. And then out to the garden for a fire, with roasted 'marshmallows'.

The wind was so strong we were being pelted with falling apples. So, it was time for bed. I hadn't been in bed for more than a few minutes before the power went out. That plus the appled hitting the corregated roof like little exploding bombs. But I still fell asleep immediately.

September 20 (written Sept 21)

Next stop the Ak-Orgo Workshop where we learned about felt making and yurt building.

These reeds create the walls of the yurt

Making felt carpets

Explaining what all of those symbols mean

Next up, the wood shop where they make the wooden components. And also other wood things like furniture and musical instruments.

this one is for Joe

And then outside to build a yurt!

All of the parts, ready to erect

The amazing, expandable walls

connecting the roof

This is where the symbol on the flag comes from

Squirrel!!

I didn't seem to have taken a picture of the finished product. You'll have to trust me that it was a yurt.

Oh, lucky break. Nazira took a photo and a video.

A visit to the gift shop where I bought a pillow case and then back onto the bus. Next stop, Jety Oguz and the Seven Bulls rock formation.

This country is shockingly beautiful. You never come around a curve without seeing the next stunning landscape. Scatter in horses and it is too much to handle.

We hiked up a short hill from the 'town' to get a better view. What a view!

And then off to the 'Five Bridges' which are just past the Seven Bulls. We had a couple of delays along the road.

Our Russian hosts had packed a picnic lunch for us which we ate in a cow field, cow patties liberally applied to the seating area. But beautiful, always beautiful in every direction (except down at the ground)

Our picnic area

I have it on good authority that one
should not use this outhouse

Oh, I'm running out of time, it's almost breakfast and then departure to Kazahkstan. Let's power through.

After Jety Oguz, we left the countryside and arrived in Karakol City. And right into a city tour starting with the Russian Othodox Church.

No photos allowed inside so here is a photo from the inside. There was actually a service going on with chorus of women that was mesmerizing. I couldn't see them though, just the priest with his back to the congregation.

There was a gift shop across from the church and I managed to get permission for us to go over there before we left the area. This is probably when things started to unravel. Our CEO Nazina does not usually let us deviate from the schedule or the plan. I bought a T-shirt and some felt slippers.

Quick trip to a money exchanger since we are crossing the border early in the morning next day, then to the grocery store for lunch the next day. Then to a Dungan mosque, which we could not enter. This is when one of the women on the tour could not find her purse, including her passport. Did I mention the border the next day!

Nazina and the woman with the lost purse left to go back to the grocery store in one of the vans. We were left to fend for ourselves. Eventually, we all crammed into the remaining bus and went to the hotel. Where we managed to get rooms without our leader. My stuff was in the other bus. In the end, the purse was in the bus all along and crisis averted. We were reunited with our guide and our bags. An then off to dinner, only 30 minutes late, at a Dungan restaurant. You will all of course remember the Dungans, the expelled Chinese people.