Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

The receptionist in Taraz called us a taxi to take us to the marshrukta station. There was a sign for Bishkek and we were directed to buy a ticket from the cashier and present it to a ticket collector. It took about an hour to fill the 18 seater Mercedes Sprinter and we were off.

The border crossing was easy. We had to present a card that had two stamps on it to the Kazak officer and then walk with our luggage to the Kyrgyz post which was a small tin shed. The guy there had to check with his colleague in another shed to see if NZ ers needed a visa. He obviously hadn't dealt with Kiwis before. Once we got our 30 day stamp we were off again.

As soon as we drove through the border town we could see the big difference between the economy of the country compared with Kazakhstan. The roads were rough and potholed. The houses were simple single storey wooden buildings quite close together. Many were unpainted with patched roofs. Many women wore scarves covering their heads and necks and had long flowing gowns over their clothes signalling a more conservative Islamic sect than in Kazakhstan where most did not wear scarves at all.

At the bus station in Bishkek we were confronted by three men wanting to negotiate the price of the taxi to our hotel. We have not had touts at all so far on this trip which is great as they can be quite exhausting. We halved the prices  they offered and they accepted.

The hostel is two storeyed and we got the only double room they have. It cost $US 9 for a dorm bed in a room of 8 or 6 bunks and for $US 3 more we have our own huge room with a TV and desk, and air con. There are twenty Turkish electricians staying here working on upgrading powerlines. None of them spoke English and they took over one of the small lounge areas as their prayer room. The hostel is spotless and staff clean the showers and toilets every half hour or so. The kitchen has all the things we need so we opted out of the local breakfast in the mornings

The hostel is a few minutes walk from a huge shopping centre so it is easy to get fresh fruit, bread and salads to have for dinner as we are over the meat shashliks for now. The supermarket has a huge selection of salads and pre-cooked meats so we have been feasting on them. Most restaurants only offer tomatoes and cucumber salads.We have tried about different dishes with eggplants and they are all yummy.

We need to get a visa for Uzbekistan but discovered that Ramadan ended on Sunday night and Monday is a holiday so we had to wait until Tuesday. John spend Monday getting an online e-visa for Tajikistan and I researched some of the web sites that offer drivers and 4x4 vehicles to cross the Pamir Highway and  its passes. We also discovered that Turkmenistan is having the Asia Indoor and Martial Arts Games over the time we pass through and prices for accommodation have doubled as a result.

The temperature in the city has been around 37C. The night and the mornings are a cool 19C and it heats up mid afternoon. We managed a walk around the city centre and even had a few spits of rain. There is not much to see other than a few parks and squares. It is easy to find everything with our map apps so we don't have to jam in over packed mini buses or taxis.

 Countdown to World Nomad Games!

To get our Uzbek visa we had to first register online and then print off the documents and phone for an appointment. On appointment day we caught a taxi and arrived to a very small courtyard full of others wanting to get theirs. We were the only native English speakers and were able to help some of the others waiting who didn't know they had to register online first. Everything was in order and the grumpy secretary huffed and puffed when we asked questions. Of course she could avoid such hassles if she posted the information for everyone to see, so maybe she enjoys it. We were given a deposit slip and had to queue at a bank 2 kms away to pay for the visa and then had to get back to the office before it closed at 1 pm. We caught a taxi to the bank that had just let other visa hunters off and then walked back with lots of time to spare. We can now visit for 30 days.

A wooden house from the Soviet days in our street

We usually call home to catch up with the family around lunchtime in NZ. Heard our grandson fell back from his chair and gashed the back of his head on the edge of the bench. He got the gash glued up and was back to his usual self after a good sleep. We were also able to talk to a niece in hospital who is having problems with her pregnancy. The internet here has been so strong and constant that we are able to do lots of calling, chatting and researching. I have been able to update the blog without too much trouble which is a great relief.

Met Guy from Israel and together we caught a taxi to Ala Archa National Park. We had to pay for the taxi to enter the park and drop us at the start of the trails. Guy was headed off to the mountain hut to stay the night even though he didn't have a sleeping bag and warm clothing. We opted for the trail to the waterfall.

A bus from Rotel tours arrived before us and spilled out lots of grey haired German tourists. These well equipped tour buses are all over the world and having been operating for decades. They have adapted the buses for camping and cooking if needed.

The trail was pretty muddy and slippery in places and rocky in others. There were lots of meadows of wildflowers. Some Germans pointed out an edelweiss flower to John but we also saw, wild irises, burgundy granny bonnets (columbine), poppies, and wild roses.

We hiked up the left fork of the canyon and when we got to the first river crossing and could see the waterfall I decided it was not worth the extra one hour plus hike and left John to carry on to about 2800m. In the end he did not make the falls as he though he would need another hour. The peak of Alamudin was covered in cloud so we never got to see it. We didn't want to leave the park too late in the afternoon as we needed to hitch a ride out and back the 20 kms to Bishkek. The buses do not go to the start of the trail which is odd.

Met a Swedish guy who was carrying a lot of gear as he was cycling and camped near the hut. He was also going to cycle the Pamir Highway. Another travel friend of ours cycled it and it took him 6 weeks.

We visited the local Community Based Tourism office a couple of blocks down the road. They explained how they operate and gave us a map of their locations. We plan to head around Lake Issy Kol and use the accommodation they offer in locals houses that belong to the group. They also cook meals for you and can organise horse treks and tours.

Next stop Tamchy.

Taraz, Kazakhstan

We farewelled the family and took a taxi with the dad to Vanovka where we joined a shared taxi with mother's and their children. The drive was very pleasant on a smooth four laned highway. We passed many fields of different kinds of grains and rapeseed plants to be used to extract oil. A huge mobile water irrigator was being used in a couple of fields and on the hills we spotted a huge bank of solar panels, otherwise it was miles and miles of fields.

The father had negotiated for the taxi driver to take us to our hotel and when he abandoned us and charged off to talk to groups of people at the taxi stop we realized he did not know where our hotel was situated. I whistled him back and we used a map app to find the place for him. We signalled him to drive and John used his hands like a navigator at a car rally while following the phone map. The elderly driver was a bit shell shocked as he looked to John at every intersection to see which lane he needed to get into and when to turn at the intersections. It was a new experience for all of us.

The name of our hotel Voyage!!

The hotel was a lot like a smart NZ motel. Our upstairs room even had white towelling robes on the bed. There was a little kitchenette, air con and TV. The separate bedroom and lounge were huge. We had breakfast delivered to our room in the morning. The other rooms were filled with families and their teens.

The 37 DegC day ended with strong winds and the rain cooled it to a comfortable temperature.

Taraz is one of Kazakhstan's oldest cities on the Silk Road and it was levelled by Chinggis Khan. In Soviet times it was called Dzhambul but after independence it was renamed Taraz. Today its main economy is construction and chemical manufacturing.

We walked the leafy streets to the city centre and were greeted by two rows of gazebos. Most were selling what would be best described as slabs of meat. The locals were picking up chunks and turning them over before selecting the mass they wanted. It would be best described as a Farmers' market. Some of the stalls were selling tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes and they had the longest queues.

There were also eggs, biscuits and honey sellers. Some dignitaries all dressed in suits or long dresses watched singers and dancers on a stage for a few minutes and then headed off accompanied by police officers in their big hats and a film crew. We watched the dancers and listened to the music. A few people clapped but generally the entertainers were ignored by the shoppers.

We visited the museum nearby and pretty much had the place to ourselves and had to turn lights on and off as we drifted through the rooms of exhibits. The local Green Market is currently closed as archaeologists uncover relics from the city's history and some of their findings were on display. Taraz was the place that paper making from China made it to the west.

The most interesting display for us were the carved stone figures that were discovered in farmer's fields.

We strolled through Park Lenina with its permanent fun fair rides and activities for children. Beside it was a grandstand overlooking a huge swimming pools with lots of school age competitors. We figured that the families in our hotel were here for the competitions as we saw togs and towels drying outside the units. Next to the pool was a huge football stadium.

We walked through some nicely set out gardens to the important Islamic holy sites in the city. Buses began to arrive letting worshippers into the renovated mosque. We left them to it and strolled past the mausoleum where a shroud covered the casket in the building with grills. The rest of the site was under renovation and walled off from visitors.

We bought a rock melon from a small shop on the street and the cashier was surprised to have Eengleesh customers. I don't think it is a city for western tourists but it was a good place to take a break from shared taxis and hot rides. The 300,000 peopled city was pleasant enough to get around on foot in 29 DegC .

A shashlik charcoal cooker. They can be found on the side of the streets and in playgrounds.

We found a nearby restaurant that had two parts to it. The first building had carpet up to the front door and we could see women in elegant long flowing dresses and men arriving in suits. It looked like a private party or a small wedding. The garden had lighting in the shape of a tree.

The attached second part of the place had booths with curtains and a shashlik charcoal burner at the front and we ate there. With the help of google translator we were able to order a couple of draught beers and dinner. Across from us the waitresses were readying long tables and the microphones for music. We dined quickly and left them to their noisy music.

Our last Kazak breakfast.

Next stop Bishkek, Kyrgystan

Zhabagyly, Kazakhstan

We contacted one of the guesthouse and tour companies in Aksu Zhabagyly to find out about hiking in the Nature Reserve but did not get any responses. Luckily Valeriy had a contact in Zhabagyly with a guest house and at a much more reasonable rate than the places we had tried. The bus station was not far from the hostel and Nina was teary when we said our goodbyes.

The 15 seater Mercedes Benz van took about an hour to fill up with passengers. It reminded us of our long days waiting in Africa for the vehicles to fill up. At least here, no one was expecting that we should pay for extra seats so we could leave earlier. The hot stuffy van headed off and picked up an extra person on the highway. She had to sit on a hard small padded stool in the aisle.

The fields were yellow with wheat and other cereals. Huge herds of beautiful horses grazed under the sleepy eyes of their young male herders. They are beautiful looking horses but are still wild and most have never been ridden. the horses are an investment.

Our room

Low table

Just as we wondering where we would find Galina's Guesthouse, the van pulled up and the driver signalled that we had arrived. Galina and her 24 year old daughter Tansholpan were at the gate to greet us. In no time at all lunch was on the long table set out for 10 people. Hot soup, bread, noodles with beef, a salad of tomatoes and cucumbers. After washing it down with a pot of black tea we headed off with Sholpan to the Nature Reserve museum.

The Reserve headquarters are huge and employ a lot of people in the very small village, of 3,500. A guide with a name something like Eyesol talked us through all the exhibits of birds, mammals, insects, and plants. It was a comprehensive display of what could be found in the reserve. Sholpan translated for us as Eyesol did not speak English but could understand some of the things we said. He suggested a walk to the Aksu Canyon the next day.

Galina did not speak English and left Sholpan to communicate with us. Sholpan had just completed a Master of Political Science at the university in Almaty where she lived in a student flat, and was home for her break which was lucky for us. She will graduate on July 1st. When she was young she lived with her grandmother in another city and went to a city school. As a teen she went to a Turkish Boarding School. Her English was excellent and she said it was because an elderly Scottish man came to the village when she was 7 and taught all the children English for two years. Luckily she doesn't have the hint of a Scottish accent! She says her Turkish is better than her English.

Galina and her husband own a shop in the village and work everyday. Galina was a Russian language and literature teacher. Their son is a detective living at home but working in another village. The youngest daughter is living with the grandmother while she studies for her Baccalaureate exams. She wants to be a lawyer.

Sholpan told us she is engaged to marry in October. Her father has built a new barn and houses his horses there beside the main house. The horses will pay for the wedding as it is customary to invite neighbours, friends and families and there could be up to 500 people attending her wedding. On the wedding day her family will start the celebrations and then at midnight the grooms family will arrive. Her family will give her clothes for four seasons as a gift. She also wants a car as she has been learning to drive. Being the eldest she has to marry first. Her brother also wants to marry and he has to wait for her. His wife will live with Galina and she will help set up a cafe along side the shop and work there. Sholpan will live in Almaty and look for work in January.

The family are fasting for Ramadan and eat at 9.30 at night. They wake at 3.30am and eat breakfast and then return to sleep.

Every car in Zabagyly is a taxi, so we hired Sholpan's dad's Lexus to take us the 25 km drive to the start of the walk down to the 300m deep Aksu Canyon. He slept in the car while we hiked off. Galina gave us a lunch box with potatoes and chicken, tomato and cucumber, and fried bread. It feels so awkward when they do not eat too.

The mountains met the Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan borders. There was a bit of snow on the tops but we were baking hot on the way back with temperatures over 30 DegC. The trail was very narrow and horses had dislodged the round stones so it was a slow ascent.

We walked all the way down!





There were lots of wild flowers and Eyesol pointed out the ones used for medicine and Sholpan explained what they were used for.

We disturbed dozens of kinds of grasshoppers- green, red, brown, yellow. It was only good luck that we never swallowed one.

A huge poisonous spider.


The butterflies were small but also plentiful. An eagle soared above the canyon as we started to leave and the sky darkened and we heard thunder and lightning. When we reached the top huge cold rain drops fell for a few minutes. John laughed at me taking my feather jacket but it protected my hot sweaty back from the cold wind and rain. it took us an hour down to the water and two hours back up the steep trail.

The next day we rested and did some laundry which dried quickly in the 30 Deg+ day. We walked about the village which has some good facilities. There is a new preschool and a school. The hospital looked well maintained and busy. Children were having skipping races in the dusty streets. Every house seemed to have an orchard of apples, walnuts, apricots, peaches, grapes, cherries, raspberries and mulberries.

Haymaking was in full swing on the outskirts of the town and it was being cut and transported by some pretty old but efficient machinery. Sholpan said that many people in the village do different labouring jobs to get money and their shop operates on a debt system. People pay when they get money. She said there are also people who don't want to work and they live off the money that the government gives them for each child they have. There were lots of things about village life here that reminded me of village life in my home town in NZ.

Lena, from Germany arrived also referred by Nina in Shymkent. She joined us to walk to the Kshi Kaindy Cataract. We used Sholpan's uncle's vehicle to get to the start of the walk. It was a good 3 hour walk uphill and a pretty fast 1 1/2 hour walk back. We met a Kazak man and his guide on horses who had stayed overnight in the reserve. We called into the refuge on the way back and filled up our drink bottles with water from the snow melt which was pleasantly cooling.

 Rain gauge

On the edge of the park was a lodge for tourists. It stood out with its mown lawns and swimming pool. A yurt nearby was available for hire and a Swiss registered van was parked in the camping area.
A short walk from the lodge was a picnic spot with a covered seating area, charcoal shashlik fire and swimming hole in the river. Sholpan thought it would be a perfect place for a wedding.



We enjoyed chatting with Lena who had quit her job in Berlin after a year. She was visiting places of historical interest and liked to sketch her experiences. Sholpan's dad offered to take us to visit some caves outside the reserve.

We arrived at a hole in the ground in the middle of a field and wondered what we were in for. The first part felt like it was a mine with a concrete floor. Eventually it lead to a huge cave. Sadly people had broken off some of the stalactites and carved names in others. The place was littered with bits of cotton that had been used to make torches. Plastic drink bottles were strewn along the path and it was in a sad state. We disturbed a couple of bats in the Crying Cave and even Sholpan was upset by how the locals had treated the place.

Crystals and damaged stalactites

On the drive back we passed lots of trucks carrying ore from the small open cast mines. A poultry factory where Sholpan's dad had once worked was closed and a few other factory buildings were crumbling from neglect.

We had an informative time with the family and learnt about their lives, plans for the future and saw the changes to the house and as they extended and renovated their business.

Main house to left and guest wing on right protected from the snow

The interesting ceiling in the entry.

Next stop Taraz.