Here are some photos from my August 2015 road trip, where I traveled from Osh across the country to Karakol and back to Bishkek. We traveled through Uzgen, Jalal-Abad, Toktogul, Suusamyr, Song Kul, and all over the north shore of Issyk Kul, before hitting Karakol, Balykchy, and finishing in Bishkek. It was quite the adventure!
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The ceiling of the minaret in Uzgen
The aerie of the minaret in Uzgen
In front of the minaret at Uzgen
The minaret at Uzgen
The door to the mausoleum at Uzgen
Inside the mausoleum at Uzgen
A hexagonal mesh gate in the mausoleum at Uzgen
A hexagonal mesh gate in the mausoleum at Uzgen
Inside the mausoleum at Uzgen
A carved door to the mausoleum at Uzgen
Outside the mausoleum at Uzgen
Arabic calligraphy outside the mausoleum at Uzgen
Outside the mausoleum at Uzgen
Outside the mausoleum at Uzgen
The minaret at Uzgen
The mausoleum at Uzgen
The gates to Jalal-Abad
Manas welcomes you to Jalal-Abad
At the gates to Jalal-Abad
Toktogul reservoir
A Kyrgyz truck stop
Wildlife
A fishing stop
A local man fishes in the Suusamyr River
A local man catches a fish in the Suusamyr River
Showing off the catch of the day on the banks of the Suusamyr river
Fishing in the Suusamyr river
Along the road to Kyzyl-Oi
The CBT office in the isolated village of Kyzyl-Oi
Ruins near Kyzyl-Oi
Driving through the valley near Kyzyl-Oi
Driving near Chaek
Driving near Chaek
Downriver from Karakeche, the river runs yellow.
The coal mining “village” of Karakeche on the road to Song-Kul
Climbing thousands of feet up switchbacks above Karakeche
This flower will kill you
A shepherd watches his flock
A large flock of sheep grazes on the mountainside above Karakeche
Yurt and mountain on the way to Song-Kul
The first views of Song-Kul
Strangers we met in a random yurt welcomed us for lunch and kymyz
Strangers we met in a random yurt welcomed us for lunch and kymyz
Strangers we met in a random yurt welcomed us for lunch and kymyz
Strangers we met in a random yurt welcomed us for lunch and kymyz
Horses graze near Song-Kul
At the first intersection in 60 km, the sign tells us to go left to go to Song-Kul
Yurts with cars and mess tents
This yurt advertises a store with gasoline for sale (the nearest gas station is three hours away by car)
Horses lead themselves to bathe in the lake
A horse bathes in the lake
The hills
A storm swept in that night
Our humble felt yurts
Sunrise after the storm
A yurt wakes with the sun
A yurt wakes with the sun
Milking the cows is part of the morning chores
Our hostess milked this cow at about 5:30am to make our breakfast.
Our yurts with the lake
A horseman watches.
A cow and the lake
Our host’s Lada watches the sun rise
Yurt and mountains
And miles to go…
Cute cows
Cute cows
Boats on the shore of Song-Kul
Our yurts seem but a speck on the meadow
A long shadow
The ultimate version of Lake, Yurt, and Mountain
Rowboats on Song-Kul. This may be the best photograph I’ve taken in my life.
A panorama of the lake
Song-Kul
Breakfast in the jailoo
Our yurt
Camels
Another horseman
A pond shows the reflection of the mountains at Song-Kul
Yurts
Me by the pond
The main access road to Song-Kul
The main access road to Song-Kul
It’s not a road trip across Naryn Oblast without a flat tyre!
On the beach inTamchy
Ashlyam-Fu
Lunch with a view
On the beach near Ananievo
On the beach near Ananievo
Preparing the sheep for traditional Besh Barmak
Besh Barmak is served!
I managed to avoid eating most of this.
I do not have words to describe how delicious these were.
Outside Karakol Coffee
The train waits to take us back to Bishkek
On the tracks
View from the train
Platzkart life
Single tracking
Disembarking at our destination
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