The Future Plus Camels

The Future

 

Looming ahead on the hill Matt spotted what appeared to be a Hindu Monkey statue. As we approached closer all of us continued to look up at it trying to decipher what it was. I flipped quickly through the guidebook to see if I could find any mention of it. Nothing.

 

More strange structures and paintings began to appear. Concrete yurts lined the right side of the road. A giant painting of a dragon in a war scene sprawled our overhead on the left.

Still no information on what it was and we were already passed it. Luckily we stopped for lunch about a five minute drive down the road. Jim and Steve kindly agreed to my request to turn around after we were finished eating so that we could get some more pictures and solve the mystery.

* After searching the Internet with any keyword describing the place we could think of I finally found an answer. It seems someone else had posted a similar thing looking for answers and a viewer knew the name, Alam Ordo. Not much could be found through that either but as least we now new the basics.

The right side of the road had concrete yurts. It is said that when the construction is complete that 365 yurts will house 365 students. Here the 365 students with 36 teachers will have daily discussions and lessons where everyone will work together to create a better world. Together they will gain all of the worlds knowledge and reach the future level of thinking.

The statue on the hill mimics that of a painting within the complex. The man appears to be the head teacher. Murals around the area showcase the history and culture of the Kyrgz and their way of life. 

Many other structures have been erected in the area. Some have been created by the artist who is building the place while others have been dropped off by artists.

The left side of the hill showcased the largest painting and by far the strangest and mysterious. 

The whole place will probably remain a mystery.

A few hours down the road and we found a beautiful green and blue lake that changed colors as the clouds moved. The name on the map was huge! Seriously, it may have been the longest name I have ever seen in history. Here Steve decided to give I a try driving down to the bottom to make camp.

It was perfect. Beautiful water and mountains. We set up camp and began to cook. The rest of the group went down to the lakeside while my cook group prepared an interesting veggie meal out of the materials that we had to work with. Everyone knows cooking is not my favorite however we had a good time together.

 

After dinner we noticed that back up the trail and on the road a caravan of camels were roaming around. Gen, Lee, Claire, Hanne, Mike, and I all went up to check them out. These camels were different than the ones I am used to seeing because they have two humps!

Some of them must have been out of water because they had saggy, floppy humps!

 

This one loved me!

Aw Pet Bunny!

Pet Bunny

 

Our next big destination, and my final one in this country, is Lake Song Kol. Although on a map it is not super far with mountainous roads and windy highways it was going to be a long drive that required a bush camp stop.

On the way we stopped to watch an Eagle Hunt. The middle aged Krygz man and his daughter appeared out of their car. We were parked near a field at the edge of a hill. Giant mountains rose out of the ground in the distance with beautiful snowy caps. The man sported a huge eagle on his arm while the girl carried a rabbit gently in her arms petting him.

The Kyrgz man began to explain the process of raising and training an eagle. As the eagle was a young baby he acquired the bird from a nest in the mountains. He then raised the eagle every day as if he was its own mother. Feeding and caring for its every need. As the bird began to grow he started to train it by using fox skins tied to ropes. Slowly the bird learned cues from its owner and grew into a strong hunter!

This man loved his bird as if it was a child. During the enter presentation he kissed and pet the bird gently. There was no denying the connection between these two.

I got a chance to have the bird on my arm. I was shocked at just how heavy this magnificent bird was.

Now it was time for the hunt. The man began to climb the hill nearby with the bird. The girl on the other hand stayed with us. As the man neared the top of the hill she placed her pet bunny on the ground. Giving it one last pet she retreated back to stand with us.

Jeti-Oghuz

Jeti -Oghuz

Our next two day camping spot was once again up into the beautiful mountains. On the way we passed one of the most photographed natural land features of Kyrgyzstan, The Seven Bulls. The Seven Bulls is a brightly colored red sand stone cliff that dries vertically into the ground. 

Down the road from the main picture spot we stopped for a pee break. This was comical because as we all went into the bushes and abandoned buildings to take care of business we found horses all around. A few of us climbed up a crumbling building to get a few more good shots.

The truck slowly made its way up into the mountains across five bridges. It's a miracle that these bridges hold up day after day with some rather large trucks driving across them. They are only built out of a few logs after all.

Central Asia has never failed to amaze me at the construction, or lack of construction, of roads and bridges. 

Reaching the top we found a meadow tucked into the valley that would serve as our home for two nights. A ten dollar fee per day even covered our cost of using real toilets, in a shack of course. As usually goats and sheep roamed around our tents as we set them up herded by boys of about the age of 8. Typical Kyrgz. 

Some of our group went for a hike while others did laundry in the river. I chose to get our my wind pouch and lay down and read for a bit. After awhile we saw another giant truck come up the mountain. It was Dragoman, another overland company! We stood up and started staring as they pulled in. Even as they began to unload the truck we all stood by a tree just watching them, very awkward.

Alright, time to break the tension. I climbed into my T-Rex suit behind our truck and ran out roaring. Across the field I sprinted running in and out of everyone setting up their tents. Everyone was laughing! How often does a T-Rex greet you into a campsite. 

But, the stand off continued. No one crossed lines to talk to the others. Finally, I walked over to the other side to make friends. It was hysterical to look back at our camp, which had the setting sun facing them so they were all lit up, and see them all lined up against the tree staring at their campsite. One by one as people had a few drinks they came over and joined in on the conversation.

Early the next more we got up for our horseback ride. Similar to the last adventure ride there were very few rules. No helmets, children guides, and sketchy pathways. The 3 hour ride took us through the forest, across rivers, up mountains, and finally through a beautiful meadow. Kirstin and I took off at one point galloping ahead of everyone else. My dapple horse was much more responsive that my previous horse and I really enjoyed her. Paula on the other hand had way too responsive of a horse. One of the boys had to join her to keep her horse from galloping with us. It was her first time riding and not the best horse for it. Gen`s horse and mine did not like each other. Anytime we would get close their ears would go back and start to grunt at each other.

Eventually we reached the Valley of the Flowers at the base of a giant glacier. It was stunning to say the least. The temperature was a perfect amount of cool. We all dismounted and laid in the meadow eating our lunches. Our horses roamed around grazing freely. What a beautiful day! I could've laid there for hours looking out at the fairytale landscape.

On the way back two main events happened. First, Hanne`s horse would not listen and would just leave the path. At once point the little stinker just decided to sit down and remove Hanne from his back. Second, the one boy hit another horse to make him go faster. This resulted in Paula`s over active horse rearing up onto its hind legs. For a girl who has never ridden a horse before we were all proud that she managed to stay on his back! Unfortunately, her recently healing broken foot did not fare too well.

Totally exhausted back at camp we all quizzed each other on Central Asia facts from the guide book and then called it an early night.

Whoopsies

Alright I'm jumping ahead here a bit but it's just too funny not to post about now. I've been in the Middle East for awhile, left Central Asia a few weeks ago, and it's quickly becoming my favorite area of the world.

Anyways, yesterday I was in Cairo and beyond excited to see the pyramids. In the evening when I was sitting around I noticed something awkward going on down town. I looked down and noticed my entire pants were split in half. Oh my goodness!!! How long has it been like that. Awkwardly I was already through airport security and in the waiting area with no bathroom. I tried with very little success to safety pin my pants back together.

Here I am in a Muslim majority country, trying to be modestly dressed with baggy pants, baggy top, and a head scarf to wear in non tourist areas with a gapping hole in my pants. How long was it like this? Did no one notice because of my baggy shirt? Will I ever know?

Well here I am flipping through the pictures from the pyramids while laying in the hotel, knew pants on of corse, and I find it. About 10 hours earlier in the day I took jumping pictures from a panoramic view of the pyramids. It was here that my pants decided to fail me. Mid jump picture it is very clear that my pants are in the midst of tearing open. 

 

Still a bit speechless but too funny not to write about. Middle East I love you and the times I'm having here!

Oh did I mention the Dino made this trip as well?!

Karakol

Karakol

Surviving the exciting ride down from Altyn Arashan was only half of the fun. Running back to Karakol coffee to get our fix of Internet was the real excitement. It is always fun to see anyone deprived of Internet for even three days get anxious to message home. Needless to say we all gave up after about 5 minutes when all of us trying at once to access it basically crashed the system.

Hanne, Paula, Manuela, Jim and I decided to take the day to explore what Karakol had to offer. The city itself is a pretty small run down town that primarily exists due to the previous Soviet Era and continuing to operate as a jump off point for many beautiful treks up into the snow capped mountains.

Karakol was founded in 1869 for the Ak-Suu and eventually taken over in the early 1900s by the Soviet Union. Many of the houses still have the look of old times with whitewashed walls and a touch of blue shutters.

Duncan Mosque was our favorite of the tour stops of the day. This unique most was a mix of Islamic culture smashed together with a Chinese building. Built in 1920 the building is a vibran hue of colors with some interesting Islamic universe paintings. I can say I have never seen a mosque like this. Although it is small it sure was interesting. It was the only mosque to survive during the Bolshevik era.

We all got to put on robes to enter. This covered most of our bodies so that we would be dressed modestly. Together we looked like we belonged in some secret organization of the purple robes.

The Holy Trinity Cathedral gave us another opportunity to dress up. When you enter the church they provide many brightly colored scarves and skirts that just scream Russian Grandma! Giant gold domes top the pillars on the outside topped with glimmering crosses. 

The oddest stop on our tour was a small museum about the history of Karakol. I won't say much about this place other than two rooms full of dead animals can be found inside.

The day ended with another giant market that we got lost in. Obviously our favorite thing to do. Shop, talk with locals, and get lost in the endless winding of vendor aisle ways.

Back at our home stay we found the others that stayed behind getting ready to cook dinner. The home stay itself could have been a museum. The place was huge with room after room of beds. My room was fitted with a chandelier and shelves of old pottery and glasses. Interesting.

The Psychopath and His Gun

The Psychopath and His Gun

Back at camp a young worker was on a rampage of just pure psychopathic nature. Remember the sheep that was tied up when we left? Well this particular boy had a love for his bee bee gun and even more passion for shooting the animals. Wasn't it bad enough already that this poor sheep had to be tied up for 24 hours before making it onto the dinner table? Now he had a psychopath shooting and kicking it.

Tired from a long day hiking most of us retired to our dorm cells to take a bit of an afternoon nap. I hear a noise and the door opens. There stands the boy in our dorm doorway just staring at us for a few awkward moments then turns and leaves. Odd? Turns out he proceeded on to a couple other things and did the same type of thing. This boy is seriously giving me the creeps.

After a short nap came the best part of going to Altyn Arashan, the hot springs. Unlike your typical hot springs these are locked up in a cement shed for privacy. They have built small rectangular cement holding tanks with a water flow system going through. This keeps only the crystal clear and hot water from getting into your bath. With the added insulation of the shed walls, even the coldest of days is warm within the shed. Finally, there is a dip on one end where you get out of the pool. This allows one to sit on the edge and shampoo there hair and then use a pot to wash suds away into the ditch and keeping the water clean. I have heard this is similar to the style of a Japanese bath, just a way more rustic version.

Many Kyrgzs believe that these hot springs with the sulphur in them cure a whole wide range of health concerns. A short walk back up to camp feeling fresh and clean we discovered that there is a horse in the hallway of the dorm room. Lee got quite a nice shock see that when he woke up.

Would it even surprise you if I told you the boy shot the horse? No didn't think so.

Dinner that night was a tomato sauce and a cheese sauce served on top of the pasta. It was my turn to cook and let's just say it was a bit stressful for a few reasons. A lot of our cooking equipment was sadly left behind. I swear I tried to grab it and Steve said to leave it, but that part of the story still has not been confirmed. Either way we were working with half the utensils and a propane tank fire that would erratically light all of the pipes on fire and go up in a big flame! Luckily we had Julian watching over the cook group to jump in and put out the flames.

It was a comically scene as half of us ate spaghetti with spoons. Dinner with followed by a special treat of gluwein to warm the tummies in the cold weather. Most of the group stayed up and we're lucky enough to encounter `The Koreans.` 

I forgot to mention that the start of my day was a bit thrown of when I found out the Koreans had taken by 5 liter water and used it to wash their dishes. Come on guys that's the only water I brought up here with me. It was brightened even more when one came perilously close to spitting his tooth paste in our dish washing water despite screams from everyone around him saying no. 

Anyways, that night the Koreans got wild. A few of them came over to our group yelling about PROTEIN and SILK WORMS as they gobbled them down. Next bottle and bottle of vodka was poured heavily into their cups and quickly into their bellies. Each one proceeding with a chant and followed with their empty cups upside down on their heads. It made for a good laugh. I went to bed wondering how any of them were going to survive their strenuous 3 day hike ahead of them dangerously early the next morning. 

Another good nights sleep. As we woke up we noticed that the room through the windows that was previously empty now was home to a few men. Creepy, they could look directly in on us inches away from my head as I slept. Another point for the Russian Prison Camp.

All jokes aside, as eerie as the establishment was in Altyn Arashan, it was easily one of the coolest experiences I have every had. Before leaving that more, I jumped in for one more hot spring bath before we all piled back into the death machine for an even longer rocky ride back down.

T-Rex vs The Cows

T-Rex Versus The Cows

A new day and new perspective on the place. Yes, it still looked like a Russian prison camp but in the morning the skies had cleared revealing a beautiful landscape of mountains and hills around us. Altyn-Arashan is located at 3000m and is a beautiful green meadow below many picture perfect mountains, Pik Palatka being the largest at 4260m!

In the morning we said goodbye to a sheep that mysteriously got tied up to a fence by us. We started off on a trek around 9 am to find a beautiful alpine lake with snow capped mountains as a backdrop. However, this is a lake that we never would actually find.

Winding through the hills we aren't still sure which way the guy told us to go. However, the path by the stream looked beautiful and not too strenuous. We were all still a bit sore from the waterfall hike a few days earlier.

About two hours into our hike we found this very safe looking bridge to cross. This one was best done with your eyes closed, not.

Altyn-Arashan is a nature reserve and is said to have twenty some snow leopards still left out in the wild. During Soviet times the number was higher but of course they trapped them and sent them to zoos. Today these 20 remain and will hopefully bring the population back up over the years.

Despite not seeing any exotic animals there was a plethora of horses, cows, goats, and sheep. I have been seeing many sheep, goats, and cows roaming around with a Shepard nearby herding. It still excites me every time and I do a double take how there are no fences during the day keeping them in.

Seeing horses graze freely is a whole other matter. Beautiful strong horses grazed, galloped, and laid in the luscious grass throughout the meadows. 

After a few hours we found a rock to sit and eat lunch on. On either side of us towering peaks poked the sky before us. Have I mentioned how much I love mountains?

A herd of cattle roamed nearby. I contemplated putting on my T-Rex suit and running through the cows but my common sense got the better of me. Of course that would be a bad idea, what if they came at me instead. Mike, a cow veterinarian, insisted that cows would be too afraid of me to do anything.

 

With a little persuading I put on the costume and approached the cows. They immediately jumped up one after another and the herd began to retreat while Mike, Julien, Lee, and Gen looked on. 

 

Then out of nowhere 5 cows, mothers to babies running as fast away from me as possible, turned the tables. Ahhh! The five of them began to approach me. Now I was the running cow. I unzipped and ran down the hillside as fast as possible. While the others backed off one stubborn mom continued to have a stand off with us. Thankfully Julien and Mike knew how to stand their ground and get her away.

Lesson learned, cows will defend their babes even if it's a T-Rex!

T-Rex in a Lost City

Hi! Hopefully I can get some posts about this past summer done. After meeting up with my mom things moved very fast paced. Once returning home it was almost impossible to catch up. The posts will be out of order but I still would like to share my experiences!

The Lost City of Petra (Rose City), Jordan

Making our way up Jordan eagerly I can barely believe that I will soon be entering the Ancient City of Petra. Originally thought to be established as early as 300 BC by the Nabateans, the city is believed to only be 15 percent uncovered! Soon we would be walking the ancient pathways and discovering more history that I knew little of previously. The city was hidden away for centuries after  the city of Nabateans was absorbed by the Romans. The Romans eventually left the city and Petra became home to Bedouins who inhabited the area for years undisturbed. No westerner visited the city for over 600 years.

After a few hours drive, and multiple desert pee stops, we arrive at our hotel located across the street from the UNESCO heritage site entrance. Here we hired a horse drawn carriage to take us down to the main site. We quickly are very excited about our choice. The sun is scorching hot as we trot down the pathway! Soon the desert sun gives way and we enter the Siq.

Cool, Dimly Lit but Colorful, and Mysterious. The 200 m orange and red rock cliffs tower over us and our horse's feet click down the stone canyon. The view is breathtaking yet eerie. Resembling Antelope Canyon in Arizona (formed by water), the Siq (formed by tectonic plates) winds down towards the hidden city in a beautiful twist. It is easy to see how Petra stayed hidden for so many years. The canyon's width grows and shrinks. At times it is barely 3 meters wide. 

I feel like a great explorer racing down the canyon with my head scarf wrapped tight with my mom and my partner in crime. Barely any tourists are in sight. Sadly, due to the recent issues in the Middle East, tourism has declined greatly. Add in the fact we are here in the middle of the summer heat and tourism can be considered non-existent.

Then it appears through the dimly lit crack glowing bright in the distance. The natural architecture of the canyon allows sun to light up the Treasury in front of us.

If there is one thing I have learned, no matter how much I travel or see, world wonders NEVER disappoint. They always feel as if I am looking at something that could never be imagined. This was no exception.

It is pretty amazing that this city was carved out in the years before Christ and still exist in such perfection today. The Nabateans were very developed and used the natural geography to form a city using trenches to create a water system. 

Here we are, in 110 degree weather, starring at a 2000 year old stone carved city. So what do I do? Put on my T-Rex suit of course! I am not going to lie, I was very nervous. Unsure of if it was breaking any regulation and how the locals would take it I secretly climbed into the outfit. Within seconds and younger Jordanian approaches us asking what is going on. I quickly explain the situation and he looks at me and bursts out laughing.

"This will be a first. I can guarantee that! I grew up right here. Everyone will be surprise and amused," the young man tell my mom and I. "Can I try it next?"

The costume inflates and the temps go from 110 to what feels like 150! But hey, it is all worth it right?

Kids, camels, adults, security all look at my puzzled and laughing. I begin to run around the base of the Treasury. A few people approach to get pictures. Then a few more. Before I know it I have every local (like I said tourists were lacking) in a group gawking at me. One lovely man offers to take some pics with my DSLR while my mom snags some go pro moments. I plan to edit them into a Travelsaurus Rex montage.

Another guy ushers me over to the camels. They are not happy!

A little overheated I unzip and step out. Laughing looks turned to surprised as they point and say "That was a girl in there!" Next up is the local bedouin. I show him how to work the costume and zip him up in it while the other kids look on longingly. 

 He jumps, prances, and chases the camel clearly loving life. After all of the fun we sit down to enjoy some lunch before continuing on to explore the rest of the city. 

Russian Prison Camp

Russian Prison Camp

 

Altyn Arasha here we are at last and in one piece. We all quickly clambered out of the truck gasping for cool air after melting in the Cold War Russian Death Machine. Standing around in shorts and tank tops sweat we met with hikers coming back down from the snowy mountains a days hike away. They were all geared up and totally covered in snow coats and pants. It was cold up here. Reluctant to put on a jacket after our experience we started to unload the truck supplies in the freezing mist into a worn down shack.  

Jim went to figure out the situation. We were going to be paying to use a room for cooking facilities. It seemed so far the only room was packed with climber gear, random outs strewn across the floor, and some confusion. Many of us wanted to figure out if we had to pitch our tents or would be able to make home to a dorm room for the upcoming two nights.

Eventually it was determined we would in fact be able to get dormitories. Wth the colder temps we were thrilled upon receiving this news. The girls room was made up of 8 bed springs of varying springiness. Some featured boards beneath the spring stopping your body after only an inch of applying pressure. This gave the bed the feeling of sleeping on a slab of stone. Others, including mine, had nothing to stop a person from sinking Into a mush of nothingness. 

Half of the bed same with a mattress (folded up bedspread) for some added comfort. Claiming our beds we began to observe the rest of the room. Oddly decorated with three small paintings and one large one of pictures not relating remotely to the mountain Kyrgyz area we were in. The place began to resemble that of a Russian prison camp!

Oh did I mention one side of the wall was fitted with windows, no curtains, looking into a new room they were building. At least it was empty.

The boy`s room was another story in itself. Since it was already late afternoon we decided to hang around camp and hike tomorrow. Sitting there laughing about our already bizarre accommodation we watched as they built four brand new rooms across from the current complex. Boys who looked no more than 12 and a few older men occasionally carried items in and out of the room. It was then that we found out they were building the boy`s room!

The evening was spent sitting around outside talking and laughing while the cooks prepared a nice pasta dish inside our `cooking room.` Loving this part of the adventure!

Scary Roads and Even Scarier Roads

Scary Roads and Even Scarier Roads

What makes a road scary? I grant you, I am being very generous with my use of the 'road' but the answer lies in a steep drop, too many rocks and a truck without suspension that is bigger than the small incline it is trying to navigate down. Coupled with devilish maniacal look of glee on Steve's face through the side mirror while he is insulated from our screams (the cabin is conveniently separate from the main body of the truck).  

This followed the announcement as we all piled into the truck, "Good morning, you may have noticed we are going the wrong way, but we have heard that this road goes through another gorge and joins up with the main road again".  There was a very spirited debate in the back about the merits of a particularly dainty bridge and the look of queasy horror at the thought of going back up.

The view was worth it, green forested mountains, cut through with river gorges and the looks of confusion on the locals as they consider the stupidity of it all.  But let's see how long it takes for mountain fatigue to set in. 

After getting through the mountains, we hit Karakol, more specifically Karakol Coffee where the universal traveller's cry of "WIFI" went up, which quickly subsided when too  many people piled on too and it went down. The misery was soothed by coffee and cheesecake. Then after a mad alcohol dash and frolic under a lizard porch, we got to the relatively unimpressive from the outside at least home stay, and sat out in the shade for about 45 minutes waiting for central Asian logistics to click in to place. The Struggle Is Real.

Then something happened.

We were heading up to Altyn Arashan, way up in the mountains, with the promise of hot springs, walking and horse riding. We needed a new truck, as our home truck would not be able to handle the journey. An excited 'ohhh' escaped the group as what appeared to be a  Soviet Army truck ambled into sight. Then after a whirlwind of packing, intense sitting arrangements negotiations and confident assertions that we had everything,  we all clambered over the watermelon, washing up bowls and bottles of water.    

The truck was about half the size of our normal truck, with fewer Windows, no head or leg room and some exotic tiger print seats haphazardly scattered around. As we drove off, realization dawned, we were going to cook slowly and not in a sexy way. As we left civilization, the road dropped from concrete to dirt to a mix of dirt and surprise stones. We started to ascend, and the ride got bumpier and bumpier, the low light was an hour slowly going along the river where the only joy was speculation on a graffiti artist's motivations (answer dependent on assumed direction of travel). 

We eventually crossed into a national park where we stopped off for a pee break where we discovered:

* The truck driver's name was probably Victor,

* The truck was from 1966 and had seen hard times during the Cold War,

* Mysteriously it had Libya and America in Arabic on either side

* The truck was actually made in 1992 and had a hard life

* Victor was probably born in 1966 and had a pretty good life.

* Or all of our dates are wrong as we couldn't understand a thing this tiny man said

Then the full on ascent began, lurching towards the cliff's edge with a 30 degree incline mixed with various traffic jams. The boulders we drove over grew larger and larger as the vehicle`s wheels took them on one by one. Eventually some houses, yurts, dropped into site, we managed to drive past all the slightly nicer ones to arrive a relatively run-down blue building, we wearily stumbled out of the van feeling like a goat's body after the end of a vigorous round of goat polo.

*Guest written with Claire!

Petroglyphs and Cows

Driving around the lake our first stop this morning was the Petrolyphs in Cholpon-Ata. It costs about a dollar to get in. From there we walked around looking at the ancient rock carvings. The first one that we saw was by far the most impressive. On a pretty large rock was a petroglyph depicting tame snow leopards hunting ibex. It's hard to believe that these drawings dated starting in the Bronze Age of 1500 BC until 1st century AD. The majority of them were thought to be carved by the Saka-USun who lived in the area before the arrival of Kyrgyz nomads. This group of people had their settlement in one of the areas that has now been over taken by the lake that I had previously mentioned.

 

After studying the snow leopard we did about a 40 minute walk around looking at the other stones. Not going to lie, the put the best one up front to attract visitors. Some of the rocks I could barely make out a caravan of camels or an ibex after reading the sign. Others looked like nothing more than a few light scribbles. We all joked about some of them as we walked around.

 

One thing that was stunning was the backdrop of the lake and the mountains on the return walk. My favorite few so far! We headed down to the lake to take a quick bath and wash off our bodies. The water was not nearly as cold as the river and everyone splashed around excitedly.

 

Our destination for the day Semyonovka village in the Kichi Ak-Su valley which means little. Arriving there we set up camp and some people went off for walks to explore the area. After the previous hikes and activities I decided to take an afternoon to relax on my big air sack and to read. I feel asleep for a little snooze and what did I wake up to? Well cows roaming through all of our tents and campsite of course!

They hung around for awhile grazing around. Nothing surprises me anymore in this land of nomads and animals.  

 

Onward to Lake Issy-Kol

Onward to Lake Issyk-Kol

The next stop on the trip is the worlds`s second-largest alpine lake. The only lake to beat it out is Lake Titicaca! Stationed at 1600m the lake never freezes. It's depth and thermal activity don't exactly make I the warmest but keep it unfrozen even in the coldest of winter nights. Thus the lake has been named Issyk-Kol which translates to `hot lake` and is a big summer destination. The backdrop for this gorgeous setting is the Ala-Too mountains which are beautifully snow capped. 

The lake has changed shorelines many times over the course of history leaving some towns completely submerged. Chigu is one such example that dates back to the 2nd century B.C. Then the Krygyz nomadic tribes came in around 10th century.

Once again Timur appears in legends down here in Kyrgyzstan making the lake a summer home.

As continues with every history lesson of these Central Asian countries, the Russians came. Spas were built around the lake and it became a very popular destination. However, they kept it for themselves forbidding foreigners from coming. Not only was the lake off limits but much of Kyrgyzstan was blocked as well.

Were they just being selfish and keeping the beautiful landscape for themselves or was there another reason? Legends tell of USSR sanctioned opium and marijuana fields growing beyond the borders in the exotic lands. Hmmm? Funny thing is that as I was reading about this legend we stopped for our typically side of the road pee stop. What did we find? Oh just an entire field of marijuana!! The Russians may be gone but looks like that stayed in some areas.

The second reason to keep Issyk-Kol off limits was for Naval testing. Different types of torpedoes were tested in the deep waters. Kyrgyzstan gained its independence from Russia in 1991 but the new Russian president still wanted to continue to use the water. Luckily Kyrgyzstan was smarter than that and politely declined the offer.

Today anyone is able to come and see this beautiful lake and picturesque backdrop. The only struggle now is booking flights to this off the beaten path country!    

For the next few days we will be traveling around the lake to different adventure points!

Headless Goats and Bride Racing

Headless Goats and Bride Racing

 

*With the lack of internet I am jumping ahead a bit with this post. This skips over the rest of Uzbekistan and Kazahkstan. I will add those posts later with a note letting you know. Wifi to will be spotty again as we go up into the Kyrgyzstan snow capped mountains. 

Leaving the beautiful, but cold, Ala Archa Valley we made our way east to the Chong-Kemin Valley. Very quickly the heat picked up and everyone became zapped of their energy. The next 4 hours were spent in a daze of music and sleep as everyone sat pretty out of it. 

Thankfully we stopped at a market so I could stock up on a blanket or some type of warmth for the cold nights. It is truly amazing how hot it is during the day and freezing at night. The market sprawled out under tarps tied in every direction with scraps of rope. Parts of the market entered into narrow alleys and one big building. Not going to lie it was one of the most impressive markets I have seen. 

In this random market I make two exciting purchases. First, a very warm and comfy blanket for 8 USD. Second, a pair of rhinestone shoes. Yeah you read that right, I bought rhinestone shoes in a random dusty market in Kyrgyzstan. They are definitely wild, totally me, and very perfect for one of the upcoming wedding events in the future.

The ladies laughed as I tried them on in my backpacker clothes. The group laughed even louder when I appeared with them and pranced around inside the truck. Very big contrast to the mucky sandal and horse sweat stained shoes I have been wearing!

Back on the truck  we made our final approach to the valley is runs right along he border of Kazakhstan and has beautiful hills and mountains on both sides. We drove around for awhile looking for a blue bridge as our only landmark for an upcoming turn. After any close calls we found the bridge and stopped near the river to have lunch and scope out camp sites. 

Feeling a bit dirty, but not nearly as bad as when we used to be in deserts, we all decided to go take a bath in the freezing cold mountain melt river water. With a few screams we all managed to get at least our bodies clean.

Deciding to move up closer to where our evening activities would take place, Steve drove the truck across the bridge, up a hill, and through a neatly lined tree drive way right into someone's backyard and hay field. The Kyrgzish man smiled and waved at us while we set up camp and he collected hay. I often wonder what goes through all these locals heads when they see a massive truck appear with disgusting smelly adventurers show up.

 

Alright, now for the good fun I have been waiting this whole trip for. Goat Polo! The Afghan game burkashi, called Ulak-tartysh in Kyrgyzstan, is a game played on horseback with with a headless goat. The players sweep across the field trying to wrestle the dead goat from each other and carry it to a dome at the opponents side to score. 

 

Before the main game started we watched the players do a few other traditional games. One was galloping across a field as the rider tried to reach to the ground and pick up bags off money. The second one was bride racing. The girl takes off across the field with the man quickly behind on his own horse. If he is able to catch her and kiss her on the cheek they will be married!

Then the main game started. Aggressively tossing the dead goat in the middle of the  field the horses feverishly ran towards it. Their hooves knocking at the body with thumps. Men lean all the way down to the ground to get the body. In our case I was rooting for the green team and the other half rooting for the blue. 

 

The blue team got the goat and the man swiftly threw him up under his leg and galloped towards the goal. Men shot across the field trying to grab the got back. Horses bumped into each other and the men somehow kept their seats. Point after point these guys kept going. It was a sight for sure.

After the game we took some pictures with the team. Green team one although blue claims they won. Someone offered to let me get on their horse. I climbed up and started to trot around. Before I knew it I heard quick hooves stamping behind me. Somehow I was just tricked into a Bride Race! Obviously the skilled man quickly caught me as everyone was laughing. Geez these nomad traditions just keep getting me!

 

Ancient Korezm

The Golden Circle

After leavivvng the museum we entered the desert and nothingness again. Hours and hours worth of driving. In the beautiful even sunlight we come across what looked like a fortress from long ago.

 

We stopped and took some pictures. The fortress looked amazing in the evening light. The wind however was less than amazing. Gusts of wind swept across the desert battering at our bodies.

Already half broken from bush camps and lack of showers, we started to panic about our upcoming camp. The wind would make trying to set up tents as well as keep a fire going to cook on seem impossible. Lee and Jamie had found in the Lonely Planet guide an upcoming yurt camp. 

 

Together we got together and discussed our options for camping. Steve, the insane but amazing bush man he is, did not want to go to a campsite and would prefer to suffer through the night. Most of the group was did not need any convincing. After a slightly aggressive argument I was settled that we would drive up and check to see if there was space in the yurts.

Pulling up to the camp, three of us got out to discuss the price with the lovely Uzebeki lady. With a little negotiating we got the price from 25 dollars down to 15. You guys know how much I love to negotiate. In this price we also got to use the kitchen area safe from the dust and wind!

Steve, I think was a little put off because he didn't get his way. As soon as we dropped our stuff in the nice yurts with no wind he insisted we dry out all the tents from the night before in the Aral Sea. It was pretty comical to watch everyone trying to not lose the battle against the wind. I discovered that you could stand on the corner and the entire tent would fill up with the strong wind!

That night we enjoyed a nice dinner inside a yurt! Yay for no dust and no tents. The yurt was decorated in a traditional style. Late that evening we had a little fun getting to try on all the traditional outfits. Although I am pretty sure we did not wear them all correctly.

After a good nights sleep I woke up and finally got to take a shower! Yes, a shower! The trickle out of the faucet was slow to conserve water but hey, after camping in the desert and sweating days on end it was fabulous.

Now time for exploring this desolate but intriguing area in the daylight. The drive from Nukus in the previous day took north of Urgench Ito southern Karaalpakstan. This area was previously known as Khorzem over 2,000 years ago when the Amu-Darya used to flow and make the area flourish. The forts that we we're currently starring up at date back 2,000 years. This particular one is a complex of 3 forts named Ayaz-Qala and are part of the Ancient Elliq-Qala, meaning fifty fortresses, and today named by UNESCO as the `Golden Ring of Ancient Khorezm.`   

Hiking straight up the mountain in the early morning golden sun I was once again shocked. Here we are in an ancient ruin town with not a single person, tourist or worker. No admission, no rules, and no people. Had this been in another Western city fences would be build to keep people off the walls and people would want paid to let you see it. 

For about an hour we hiked on top of the now melted fortress walls. I stopped many times to try to imagine the nomads coming into the city walls during an invasion for protection. Looking out in every direction was more and more barren land. Land that we somehow had managed to cross and camp through for days. It was a beautiful way to start the day!