Кыргызстан

Kyrgyzstan - here is a country you wouldn't find in our original travel plans, but one that our travels wouldn't be complete without. The Kyrgyz Republic is a land of rolling plains and heavenly peaks, endless glaciers and gorgeous alpine lakes. It is packed with adventurous travellers discovering the idyllic valleys and quaint villages, as well as kind Kyrgyz locals offering alcohol-rich fermented horse milk from roadside stalls. Here we discovered a world of new cuisine, such as Blinny (Блыни), Russian-style crepes filled with whatever condiments your heart may desire (sour cream, beef, lamb, vegetables; or perhaps condensed milk and honey for a sweeter delicacy), 1.5 L beers for $1.50, more of the delicious lamb shashlik common to Central Asia, and delicious, hot-off-the-grill shawarma with fresh cilantro- more than enough deliciousness to fill us up for our upcoming mountain adventures! 

Our first glimpse of the natural beauty of this country came as the sunrise turned the Ala-too mountains pink on our 06:00 cab ride from Manas airport towards the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. We would then spend 7 days out of the next two weeks basking in the green valleys and alpine surroundings of Kyrgystan's mountains - something that was sorely lacking in our travels through China. Our first trekking excursion was just a 40 minute drive from the capital, where we ascended 1000 meters up the gorge-ous Ala-archa gorge and camped at an old Soviet-era alpine base camp, from which we conquered Mount Uchitel (4650 meters elevation) the next day, another 1600 meters up extremely steep scree and boulder fields. A few days rest back in Bishkek, as well as a night of debauchery at the best bar ever ("Coyote Ugly") and we were ready for the next adventure! 

The next morning we took a $10 Mashrootka (defined: a private 18-seater bus that makes up the entire public transit scene in Kyrgyzstan) to Karakol, a small, sparsely populated town with an undeniable Soviet-era vibe to it. There we picked up supplies, played Russian billiards (the impossible version of snooker), and met friends at Nice Hostel (niiice!). 

The next morning we set out from the gates of town for a 4 day excursion through the Ala-too mountains. We saw the Karakol valley and its herds of wild horses, climbed up to the glacier-fed Ala-kul lake (coldest swim ever), and ventured back down through lush meadows to the small tourist's camp of Altinaarshan, dodging the aggressive packs of bulls hungry for hot charcoal along the way. The first two nights we cooked ourselves delicious couscous meals with hearty oats for breakfast - delicious, certainly, but combined with our gruelling 5 hour days, we were left with shrinking stomachs and growing calorie deficiencies. Fortunately for us, the camp at Altinaarshan is a well-established tourist destination, so we spent our final night eating freshly-slaughtered lamb, swimming in natural hot springs, drinking 1.5L beers with fellow Trekkers, and listening to Kyrgyz ballads around the bonfire. The next days back in Karakol were spent erasing our calorie deficit with home-made spaghetti and meat sauce, and exchanging travel stories with friends. 

Unfortunately, the timing on our Russian Visas required us to move on with our travels, so on our way back to Bishkek, we spent our final night in Kyrgyzstan in the village of Tan, enjoying a sunset and a home-cooked traditional Kyrgyz feast from a yurt on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-kul.

 It was with heavy hearts that we said goodbye to Kyrgyzstan, but another country lay in wait....... Kazakhstan, the greatest country in the world........ (All other countries, we have heard, are run by little girls) ...... Leading exporter of potassium... All "Borat" jokes aside, adventures await!! 

-Ry Guy and the boyZ