Last Thursday we visited Lake Issyk Kul
This huge and very beautiful lake is a couple of hours from the capital, Bishkek, in northeastern Kyrgyzstan. Situated in the northern Tien Shan mountain range, it is
one of the largest mountain lakes in the world.
Its name (from the Kyrgyz word for "hot lake") refers to the fact that
it doesn't freeze during the winter.
At the beginning of our journey, not far from the city, the farmland beside the road was picturesque and productive. Mountains always in the background. I asked our director one day if there is anywhere in Kyrgyzstan where one cannot see mountains. He thought not.
This is their biggest tourist route and so tourists are catered for all along the road. In these traditional Yurts there was a wide range of Kurut for sale.
Kurut is hard dried balls of fermented milk or milk curds. I haven't acquired the taste for kurut yet and probably never will. I don't thnk I could bring myself to put another piece into my mouth. It is extremely salty and very weird but would be great if you were dying from starvation in a harsh climate - as some nomads might be.
I was quite impressed with the colours and shapes of the kurut here. It really looks quite appetising, don't you think?
As we went deeper into the mountains and closer to the lake, the landscape changed and was quite arid. I was pretty happy about the clouds that day, from a photographic point of view.
In the villages we went through along the way, I was taken with the pretty and simple little houses on the roadside.
. . . and apricots. It's summer and apricots seem to be everywhere and certainly on the road to Issysk Kul.
They are purchased by the bucketful and our bucket was 200c (Kyrgyz som).
That's about $4. In Australia I firmly believe that it is not possilbe
to buy apricots from a supermarket that taste like real apricots. These
tasted VERY real.
We enjoyed spending time with our host director and his family for the day at the very beautiful Lake Issyk Kul
and then headed home via some more stunning Kyrgyz scenery. . . .
and some sweet corn on the roadside at dusk, as you do!
'The corn lady' was such a happy person and wanted her photo taken lots. . .
. . . especially with an Australian. We are pretty unusual and popular here in Kyrgyzstan.
And how could I say 'No' to a photo of this guy?!
The storm brewing behind the mountains on the homeward journey was dramatic.
We were home late and tired after a great day out as tourists.
At the beginning of our journey, not far from the city, the farmland beside the road was picturesque and productive. Mountains always in the background. I asked our director one day if there is anywhere in Kyrgyzstan where one cannot see mountains. He thought not.
This is their biggest tourist route and so tourists are catered for all along the road. In these traditional Yurts there was a wide range of Kurut for sale.
Kurut is hard dried balls of fermented milk or milk curds. I haven't acquired the taste for kurut yet and probably never will. I don't thnk I could bring myself to put another piece into my mouth. It is extremely salty and very weird but would be great if you were dying from starvation in a harsh climate - as some nomads might be.
I was quite impressed with the colours and shapes of the kurut here. It really looks quite appetising, don't you think?
As we went deeper into the mountains and closer to the lake, the landscape changed and was quite arid. I was pretty happy about the clouds that day, from a photographic point of view.
In the villages we went through along the way, I was taken with the pretty and simple little houses on the roadside.
Also along the roadside, food was available for sale - mostly dried fish (from the lake). . .
. . . and apricots. It's summer and apricots seem to be everywhere and certainly on the road to Issysk Kul.
Because this country is land-locked they have no ocean - this is as good as it gets for them. And it is very beautiful. The sand is as fine and clean as our best beaches in Australia, the water is clean and clear and at least 18⁰C, but there is no tide. They have no concept of tide. Isn't worldview interesting?
We enjoyed spending time with our host director and his family for the day at the very beautiful Lake Issyk Kul
and then headed home via some more stunning Kyrgyz scenery. . . .
and some sweet corn on the roadside at dusk, as you do!
'The corn lady' was such a happy person and wanted her photo taken lots. . .
. . . especially with an Australian. We are pretty unusual and popular here in Kyrgyzstan.
And how could I say 'No' to a photo of this guy?!
The storm brewing behind the mountains on the homeward journey was dramatic.
We were home late and tired after a great day out as tourists.
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