Final leg- 5 down last to go...................

On the way to China.  The last "Silk Road" entry was the 16th May and now I am updating in October so some of what I say will be "with hindsight" as I am looking back over the 4 months since I returned and a period of adjustment, which has not always been easy, to being back in the UK.  So different style maybe - on one hand not so immediate but on the other with reflections about the journey and the process of the journey.  I am using my diaries as "aides memoire", the photos I took and also my memory - which from a programme I was hearing on the radio and also from personal experience and communication with others is probably our least reliable cognitive function!  So now to the updates - and as an aside I cannot tell you what bliss it is to be using my own laptop and not relying on those Internet cafe or other public computers with somebody breathing down my neck to get on and always the worry that the connection might go and I was not "saved"!!!  I will include dates and "diary" entries, so anything in a "quote and italics" will denote a diary entry and anything else is "freestyle" retrospective, reflective or relying on that imperfect memory!  Also any notes, etc. in [ ] is information that I have added to my diary subsequently and was not in my original diary entries.  I will also include some of the photos in the text that they relate to rather than being added as I am in the process of doing in the previous entries.

Balbals at Burana Tower

At this point, although it does not come across too much in my previous blog entry, although I mention "bed rest", I was actually quite ill.  I was suffering from possibly the worst upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) that I have had either in a long time or ever.  Something I could not shake off.  It had been going round the truck since Turkmenistan/ Uzbekistan.  Everyone in the truck was so very kind to me and I was allowed to sit in the back offside seat and be ill.  Under normal circumstances we used to move around the truck every day so that we all got a go at sitting in the prime seats as well as the not so prime ones and nobody had "my seat" moments.  So I was very grateful and much appreciated their kindness in just letting me disappear to the back of the truck and be ill.  What it meant was that when the others went off to do something exciting like hiking and wild camping in the mountains I stayed in what ever hotel we were at and collapsed.  Which was a great pity as Kyrgyzstan was the place I wanted to be.  But "never bother" as my father used to say - I will just have to go back and do all the things I missed out on, and more, another time.  So yet another chance for another blog or even adding to this one!  Who knows?

The field of balbals at Burana Tower

   

The state sponsored marmot!

The Burana Tower - used to be twice this height

We said goodbye to 2 our our party, one of whom had experienced first hand travelling through the "ash cloud" and all that it entailed, arriving at Bukhara rather than Ashgabat.  Her journey to get to the truck sounded as exciting and action packed as ours getting from Ashgabat to Bukhara!  However 2 more joined us so we were back up to numbers again.  We left Bishkek and as I note  my diary entry of 17th May reads "Left for Kochkor.  Back by a minaret set in a graveyard [the Burana Tower] with gravestones from the pre-Islamic [period] - Shamanic, Buddhist stones  remarkably like Celtic heads. ........... The stone heads were so diverse - shape, size and some other symbols."  These stone heads are called balbals and came from all over Kyrgyzstan but have been brought here to an ancient site which also has a small but very good and informative museum.  I was fortunate to speak for quite a long time to the museum curator who had been instrumental in starting up the project about 30 years ago.  Several of them were extremely phallic, as can be seen by the photos and to say nothing of the state sponsored marmot which far from being coy and hiding from us came out from under one of the heads and posed most delightfully for our photos!  Ella Maillart mentions the balbals in her trek to Kirghizia (former Soviet Republic of) in 1932.  See Ella Maillart: Turkmenestan Solo and also Forbidden Journey which is her account of the journey that she made with Peter Fleming (bro. of Ian); his account is called News from Tartary between Peking and Srinagar in 1934 (but more of that later).  Actually see Ella Maillart anything.  She is the most compelling writer.  She had the good fortune to be born at a time when adventurous and intrepid women travellers were striking out and travelling solo in some very far flung places.
 

My birthday present

Back to Kochkor to pick up the felt picture of Archie we had made on the previous visit.  Lucky for hindsight - the previous visit to Kochkor had been on my birthday.  Kochkor is fairly near Lake Issy Kul and on our previous visit we had met a very feisty, upfront lady who was involved in a women's felt making co-operative in the town.  I bought some lovely slippers and a couple of hats and as it was my birthday she very kindly gave a lovely felt specs holder with the Kyrgyz "happiness" symbol on it.   She also took a shine to one of my fellow travellers and even with his wife sat right next to him - it made no difference!  When we made our return visit, maybe for reasons of domestic harmony or maybe not because his wife certainly thought the situation was funny, he stayed on the bus.  But not to be deterred the lady of the co-operative came on the bus to search him out and gave him a smacking kiss much to his embarrassment and our amusement!!!  On the previous visit there was also a little frisson around the truck as we all knew that our lovely guide had a girlfriend somewhere and from the way that this assertive young woman patted his bottom we instantly assumed that this was she.  And he was teased accordingly but denied that this was the "girlfriend", it turned out that she wasn't!  We stayed in the Kochkor homestays again.  A different one this time and I note in my diary that the bed was damp though I do remember the food being very good.  As to my birthday back at the beginning of May I see from the 16th May Kyrgyzstan entry that I wanted to post the co-ordinates of where we wild camped.  They are as follows: "N 41º 54.790 E 74 º16.061"

VIEWS FROM THE CO-ORDINATES

 

 

 "18th Tash Rebat - climbed into the mountains.  Feeling ghastly..... Arrived at the caravanserai quite late - snowing - bitterly cold ..... stayed in yurts........  Tash Rebat very striking & lonely.  No evidence of other caravanserai - even though on a direct route to China."   And indeed Tash Rebat is lonely.  Sited in a valley some miles away from the present day main road to the Torugart Pass and then on into China.  There is a track leading past the Caravanserai and the yurts following up the valley which I imagine was the original "Silk Road" leading to the Torugart Pass across the mountains rather than the way we went the next morning along the main road, more of that later.  I hope that the photos of the mountains around Tash Rebat show how cold and wild it was.   Although it appears to be in such a wild, deserted place now there would have been a time when the valley and the caravanserai itself was full of passing visitors.  The caravanserai itself is apparently unique of its kind.  Made of grey stone and very solid it sits into the side of a mountain.  When we were there snow had blown into the halls and rooms through windows and added to the coldness.  Even though I was not really able to take it all it I could feel the how it might have been when the caravanserai was constantly busy with passing merchants, ambassadors, emissaries, soldiers, travellers and whosoever might find themselves on the Silk Road and for whatever reason. 


The valley is at altitude, 35oom, but despite the URTI I still managed to sleep in relative comfort apart from the coughing, but I did feel for the others I was sharing the yurt with and as I was sharing the yurt with at least 4 or 5 other people I did not want to keep coughing.  But again they were all very kind about it.  The next morning 19th May it was time to say good-bye to Kyrgyzstan.  My diary reads "Left early by 0600 - road appalling - snowing and miserable but brightened up later on (I obviously did too because I don't remember being particularly ill) Got to Pass (Torugart) will in time by 10.30 Customs (Kyrgyz)  and good-bye Kyrgyzstan - so sorry I was ill for most of it.  Ironic."  The road was indeed appalling.  It was not metalled as we would know it.  To all intents it was what would be considered a track here.  Full of ruts, holes and all the time slippy snow.  Dion driving us came up trumps again because we got to the Pass without any major incident although there were hazards enough.  One thing was that this is a major commercial route between Kyrgyzstan and China so it was full of well loaded lorries.  The majority coming from China rather than to China.  I did not realise until I saw that amount of traffic how much the neighbouring countries to China must rely on China for trade.
But the Chinese customs were something else but more of that next time!


Inside the Tash Rabat Caravanserai



The yurt camp at Tash Rabat



The cold mountains!  I am not sure if this photo conveys the cold that I was feeling at the time.  When I look at it I shiver!

Back on track............. Bishkek and all points East

Hello to all - apologies for such a long delay in getting the rest of the blog up and running.  Adjusting to being back in the UK has been more protracted that I originally thought.  Reversed culture shock!  But over the next few weeks I will be loading photos in the relevant places in the previous entries as well as writing up (from memories and the all important travel diaries) the remainder of Kyrgyzstan and the 6 weeks across China.  Also I am looking forward to your comments too.

Kyrgyzstan and half way through the trip....................

It seems ages since the last entry - but so much has happened.  Kyrgyzstan may be a small country compared to other Central Asian countries but it has it all.  Our guide told me the story of how Kyrgyzstan came to be.  God was allocating the different countries to the people of the world but the Kyrgyz was asleep.  So the Kazakhs got the steppe because they like to live where they can see the sky and to ride horses, the Uzbeks are good at agriculture so they got Uzbekistan, the Russians like to be cold so they got Russia, Africans like the heat so they got Africa, no doubt the British like to be wet and to fish so they got Britain.  The Kyrgyz woke up just after God had finished and ran up saying "where is my country?"  "Where were you?", asked God.  "I was asleep and now I don't have a country."  "Well", says God, "I had just put a little bit aside for me so I suppose you had better have it."  And that way the Kyrgyz have agriculture, fishing in lakes, horses, heat and cold, wet (in May) mountains, desert and everything.  And it is quite true I have seen desert, I have seen mountains and I have seen lakes.  The Kyrgyz are indeed blessed with their country.  Wherever you go you can always see snow covered peaks.  


The Tien Shan from the homestay

The first day we arrived (3rd of May seems so long ago) it was raining, we stayed at a homestay in Osh down in the South and we left in the rain to go to Arslanbob (read Roger Deakin-Wild Wood to find out more about the walnut forest) and arrived in the rain.  I stayed in a lovely homestay where our host had what seemed like hundreds of bee hives in his back garden and a very comfortable room and the shower was absolutely bang up to the mark modern complete with jets and various other functions which I did not dare try out!  There was a very naughty dog called Jackson who stole all of our shoes off the veranda and deposited them around the yard so our poor host and his son were out with torches trying to recover pairs!  Our host learned a useful bit of English for future occasions which was "bad dog"!!!  But Jackson was only a baby and he must have thought that this was Christmas and birthday all rolled into one when he was given a present of 7 pairs of shoes to play with.  

 

Homestay village



Our homestay



The milk bottle!



JACKSON! the "bad dog" - smiling



The kitchen garden - and all those hives



Another view of the Tien Shan from the homestay

Talking of birthdays I had mine  just over a week ago- I meant to bring the co-ordinates with me today but they are in my diary back at the hotel but when I post the pictures I will show you what I woke up to - see 21st October entry for the photos.)  But to get back to Arslanbob it was all misty on arrival but nothing prepared me for the scene the next morning when I woke up to brilliant sunshine and the most stunning view of snow capped mountains and a blue, blue sky through the trees.  And since then I have seen mountains every day.  The breakfast at the homestay was fantastic and all specially cooked by our hostess and her sister-in-law.  To say nothing of the delicious honey which came from the bees in the garden.

The camping at Lake Issy Kul was a delight.  The lake is a beautiful blue and even when it is cloudy it seems to be blue.  I did some swimming but unfortunately the 3rd time I was not able to get warm again afterwards and I went down with the truck "bug" which has afflicted quite a few of us but even having to have bed rest in a hotel has not spoiled the pleasure I had swimming.     

 

 LAKE ISSY KUL SCENES

The campsite

More of the campsite



The weather changes from moment to moment





Mountains seen from the north shore



A north shore resort



A Lake Issy Kul Butlins!



The Kyrgyz Navy (or Russian warships)

The countryside we drive through is alwasy stunning.  We have witnessed the annual movement of horses, cattle and sheep to the higher grazing pastures, although this does not really start until the end of May.

Transhumance in action - seen from Archie



                The Naryn River which merges to become the Syr Darya                  



Typical mountain scenery



A cemetery



Toktogul Resevoir



Mountain scenery

These pictures represent just a few of the sorts of scenery that we experienced every day in Kyrgyzstan.  After a visit to a women's felt making co-operative and the wild camping time at Lake Issy Kul we made our way to Karakol to "civilisation"!  The whole of the journey I was doing my teeth with the water in the various hotels, but not drinking it, but Karakol was the place where the hotel said not to drink the water and supplied us with bottled water.  I did meet a group of Swiss hydro engineers who were involved in a water treatment project.  Not before time, it would appear.  Nearly all the others went off wild camping, but alas I stayed behind to sleep and rest in the hotel, which was very pleasant and well run.  The company who run the hotel are Swiss (as well as the hydro engineers!).  So it is true.  Swiss hoteliers all over the world.  The hotel had some wonderful displays of textiles by a local felt artist.

Some of my birthday pictures

Archie decorated for .............

..... for the "birthday girl"

& the "girl" herself complete with her lovely present 0f (out of date") beetroot soup mix!

 

A bit more of Samarkand and the utterly amazing Tashkent....................

This may be the last entry for a little while as tomorrow (Sunday) we head off towards Kyrgyzstan and out of the 2 weeks we have in Kyrgyzstan I think we have 3 or 4 nights in a hotel and the remaining time we will be camping in the mountains or staying in yurts so may not be near an internet source for some time.  

Just a little bit more about Samarkand before moving on to Tashkent.  We stayed in a crazy hotel - the Hotel Furkat has the distinction of being Samarkand's only B&B, though I think Fawlty Towers (including a resident Basil) would be nearer the mark!  The room that I was in had the  most wonderful new wash hand basin in pink plastic with the best tap ever, I want one (and there will be an opportunity to see a picture of it when I load up the pictures.  There was a joy stick in the middle of a circular glass disk.  When the joy stick was twiddled water poured over the glass disk into the basin.  However this whole effect was somewhat spoiled by the fact that when the couple in the room above used their shower our shower tray filled up with sand.  However Mr. Furkat was unfazed when told this and just said "no problem" which was the solution to most difficulties at the Hotel Furkat!  



And here it is.............

 




















..... in all its glory!!!!



However the breakfast room, under Russian army surplus camoflage so we would not get accidentally strafed, made up for all the "no problems" open sided on the very top of the building with wonderful views over the city - so for that alone I would recommend a stay there.   5 of the group had had to go to Tashkent a day early to sort out Chinese visas (fortunately all successful) so I was responsible for all their bags being loaded onto Archie.   The bag loader employed to shift our bags into a car to take to Archie had obviously had a stroke.  I started piling the bags up ready to take downstairs and poor man each time he thought that he had taken all the bags I had added another one from the pile in my room.  I felt so sorry for him, but yet again it was "no problem"  But then came the real problem as Archie had been parked away from the hotel and was being allegedly "looked after" when we tried to drive away Archie would not move.  Somebody had nicked 500 litres of diesel!  And finding replacement diesel took ages as only about 1:6 garages stock it and we kept turning up at garages only to find that their pumps were empty.  There was obviously a diesel shortage in Uzbekistan that day - and who knows - maybe we bought back our own diesel!

Anyway we arrived in Tashkent in good time to have a look around later that afternoon.  And yes, we did meet the French party again - some of them though not the "yurt 6" were staying at our hotel - and what is more one of them knew my cousin who lives in France!!! Her grandson had been at school with my cousin's son (and my 1st cousin once removed).  How's that for serendipity - I go to Uzbekistan and not only do I find someone who lives in the same town as my cousin but actually knows her!  

Tashkent is the most amazing city.  It has the most beautiful metro of any city I have been to - and a really neat way of being able to get round the metro without a map - though a map helps - I liked the station with the portraits or perhaps one should say pictures of all the astronauts and they include Uleg Beg which just gives it a lovely inclusive feeling.  But there is another station which has decorated domes - but unfortunately no photos as this is a finable offence.   Tashkent is a city of contrasts.  In the centre full of people dressed in the latest fashions and all very up to date.  But you only have to go to the outskirts to find cows tethered by the side of the road or men trotting about on donkey carts.  But I really like Tashkent - it is a city with a good feel and people are so helpful and friendly.  Today I was shown the way to the Decorative Arts Museum by a woman sweeping the street - literally with a twig broom - in such a kind way.  The museum was hard to find because it was down a residential street but when I got there is was well worth the difficulities finding it.  Full of local art and crafts - some 19th/20th C but also some really modern things as well.  And this evening I went to the ballet to see The Corsair - danced by the Uzbek National Ballet - that was an experience and a half.  The scenery was stunning and the prima ballerina taking the part of Medora was as light as a feather and a very good dancer with brilliant gesture and facial expression.  So  this visit to Tashkent has only been a taster.  I would love to come back to Uzbekistan and be here for a bit longer.  So over and out for the present and look forward to catching up with this at the next internet stop.



Statue of Amir Timur in the main square



Amir Timur with a couple of foot soldiers!



Spice stall - Chorsu Bazaar



Our very kind and unofficial guide round Tashkent