This morning I am flown out of Bishkek’s Manas International Airport for Osh, the second largest city in Kyrgyzstan. With a population a little over 208,000, Osh is located in the Fergana Valley. I was prepared for chaos at the airport but it went smoothly. Security to enter and security at every doorway, had to remove shoes and still have a pat down. Short 45 minute flight to Osh, didn’t leave on time, but quick exit at Osh and on time for lunch.
This morning we depart lovely Lake Issyk Kul and retrace some of our route west before turning north to Bishkek. There are not a lot of roads here, basically up and down the valleys with little more than hiking trails over the mountains. I think locals like it that way.
Muslim cemetery and mountain glaciers of Kyrgyzstan
Hours wait at border
Along this 160-mile route, following the twisting Chu River and running parallel to the Kazakhstan border for miles, is the true land of the Kyrgyz: Muslim cemeteries, mosques, small villages, farmers, smelly toilets, interesting and decorative landslide barriers, and truck stops. At a border crossing into Kazakhstan, trucks are lined up for miles. No one seems to care that bureaucracy is creating chaos with goods and services. A trucker could sit in line for days.
It’s Sunday and after a hearty breakfast we board our large and comfortable bus and drive to Issyk-Kul Lake. The road travels west within the valley before rounding the mountains in a southerly direction and looping east around the mountain to go up the next valley and the northern shore of the lake. All the while we are bracketed by tall mountains. The bus travels about 100 miles but takes us over three hours. Passage is slow.
The day begins with a large, delicious breakfast including flaky pastries, potato pancakes filled with cheese, honey and raspberry spreads, bread, quiche and more – homemade and from their gardens. I’m not a breakfast person but one has to indulge here. As for coffee, well, let’s say there is room for improvement. Roger, our supreme leader and caregiver, buys us cream to replace the fermented mare’s milk.
I am spirited off, by van, to the Kazakhstan border with neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Except for the spelling, how does the history and culture of this country differ? Kyrgyzstan flies a brighter national flag, is more rugged and mountainous, is home to 6 million Kyrgyz, does not share a border with Russia, hosts a population over three times denser over far fewer square miles and has but a small fraction of the GDP of its oil-rich neighbor Kazakhstan.
Turquoise Chon-Kevin River on our way to the small village of Kolmakov Aashu, part of Chüy Region of Chon-Kemin Valley.
Last night, we joined ElderTrek. Having previously cancelled this trip twice as per Covid, the third time is the charm and for this trip I invited my adventurous niece along (guess all those cancellations worked in her favor). We met our small group at a welcome dinner and learned more of our future travel through the Stans. It is a group of 7 like-minded Americans and one New Zealander born in Kansas.
Almaty – what used to be the capital of Kazakhstan before it picked up its skirts and moved 750 miles north to Nur-Sultan, the second coldest capital city in the world. I walk on the steppes of Central Asia.
I am inexplicably drawn to the 14 old republics of the late U.S.S.R. and other countries of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. In most part, having lived under the boot of Soviets and Communism for decades, these countries, as a result of pride, determination and unity, created the Velvet, Gentle, Orange, and Singing revolutions. They were extraordinarily non-violent but achieved their aim – independence.
