After a longer stop in Bishkek, it is time to move onwards towards China. While in Bishkek, I was able to catch up with my blog and videos. Here is the latest instalment of my videos – a very beautiful, and hard section from Bukhara to Bishkek. Here I cycle through the hot desert, and the barren high altitude plains of the Pamirs. A real highlight of the trip.
Archive for the ‘Cycling’ Category
Day 170. 66km. Kara Balta – Bishkek
Posted: October 20, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Bishkek, Cycling, Kara Balta, Kyrgyzstan
No photos today. Just a hot straight, boring road along the plains to Bishkek. Now its time for a well earned rest, staying at the touring cyclists’ hangout – the AT Guesthouse.
Day 169. 89km. Just before the 2nd big pass – Kara Balta
Posted: October 19, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Just before the 2nd big pass, Kara Balta, Kyrgyzstan
I come out of the tunnel at around 3200m and start my descent. I pull up at the first curve and my jaw drops. It’s incredible. Jagged, rich red mammoth mountains, rising at almost impossible angles. The road winds its way out of sight, and far, far below – almost out of eye-sight – between the two mountain precipices – it appears. That is where I’m going.
The road down to Bishkek
Climbing up steep passes, 4km/h is the norm. If it is steeper, it is still 4km/h. This pass was 1000m in about 10km, and so it was much quicker to climb than the other pass (which took 60km to climb its 2000+ metres). Also, it was quite satisfying, as you could see the whole climb from the beginning – winding its way up the steep wall of mountains. Sitting at the top, I could follow the curves with my eye, reliving every pedal-stroke.
The view back over yurt valley
The potholed, unventilated tunnel, is well known amongst cyclists. Some sneak through it (although it is not allowed). I was quite happy to take a lift through it, to emerge all ready to descend at the other end.
The road down to Bishkek
The road down to Bishkek
The descent was not too rapid as there was a gale-force wind howling up the valley, which abated when I reached the plain. And, my, the plains were hot. Any plans of pushing on to Bishkek were abandoned as I sat, looking outside at the heat, from an air-conditioned service station.
Day 168. 83km. Valley camp – Just before the 2nd big pass
Posted: October 18, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Just before the 2nd big pass, Kyrgyzstan, Valley camp
Cycling down yurt valley – wide rolling, grassy hills between two distant ridges of snowy mountains. Horses as far as the eye can see. And kymys (fermented mare milk) sales direct from the yurt. And inside the yurt I look up and see the Kyrgyzstan flag – the arches at the top adorning every roof.
Yurt roof
There was nothing else to eat. In Kyrgyzstan I have grown used to shops selling Snickers. Invited into several different yurts, I got offered kymys (which I can barely drink out of politeness), bread and cream (that is good), and cubes of lamb fat (which is not bad either). I passed on the little lamb foot poking up at me from the plate. Grandma was dismembering an animal (a lamb, I think), removing different organs when I entered. Later I saw it all hanging out in the sun in a big netting (to protect it from the flies) on what looked like a clothes-line.
Meat hanging out to dry
Central to every yurt is its kymys container. One was in the form of a big barrel with a long-handled ladle. Another was a big pouch made from leather. Poking out the top was a wooden stick, which was to be pumped up and down to make the kymys fizzy before serving.
Kymys holder
All the people are lovely, very welcoming, and very happy. They are all here in Yurt Valley for the summer before returning to their village of Talas for the winter.
Yurt friends
Yurt school
Kymys sales
And then I reached it. A service station. With everything a service station has in the west. Cold drinks. Chocolates. Chips. A comfortable modern chair and table. I blush as I breathe a sigh of relief and sink into the seat. I binge on things I maybe shouldn’t. Sometimes it’s all just too foreign.
Service station
I’m camped behind a little ridge, not visible from the road. This place is well known for bikes being stolen. All cyclists camp near here at the base of the road that climbs 1100m in 10km. I hope my spot is hidden enough.
Day 167. 58km. Toktogul – Valley camp
Posted: October 17, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Kyrgyzstan, Toktogul, Valley camp
When the climb is over 2200m (about the height of Mt Kosiosko – the highest mountain in Australia), it takes some time. Gastroniza sleeps, bee stings, icy river swims, watching milk being separated. And the ever uphill crawl. Still not at the summit yet.
Honey
Still hot for the most part (until I reached high enough), the day was punctuated by stops at some of the many many restaurants, usually followed by a sleep. I’m still never hungry, but I know I must eat. I force things down, and hope the lack of appetite is due to the heat.
When I wasn’t passing a restaurant, I was passing people selling honey. And where there’s honey, there are bees. One stung me – my first ever bee sting. For a few minutes I was worrying – what if I am allergic. It turns out I am spectacularly not allergic to bee stings.
Bee sting
As I got higher, the number of yurts increased. As the sun was getting lower, I was looking for a nice spot to set up my tent – all the nice spots are taken up by yurts.. ☺ So I asked if I could camp near a yurt on the river. Of course. I even got shown how to separate milk into cream and the rest. And some kymys – fermented mare’s milk.
Day 166. 115km. Karakol – Toktogul
Posted: October 16, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan, Toktogul
The world is a different place when you are well. The climbs are not long, the heat is not stifling, and the views are lovely. I skirted the Toktogul lake from on high, admiring its blue waters with a backdrop of rugged, dry, chalky mountains.
Toktogul lake
As Will had warned me, the road was not flat. I’m not sure why, but the road constantly went into the hills behind the lake, rising and falling, but affording beautiful views. By myself, I went at my own speed, and started at my own time – 6am. I have confirmed that I am a morning person. ☺
Morning
Day 165. 66km. Tashkumyr – Karakol
Posted: October 15, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Karakol, Kyrgyzstan, Tashkumyr
Will gets his nourishment from chocolate, chips and energy drinks. Oh. And eggs. Fruit is a big no-no, and most other healthy things. But I am the one with diahorrea – again. I have lost all shame. Emergency toilet stops on the side of the road with no place to hide from the traffic – no worries. I can shit anywhere – and do.
The view over the dam
Today was up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down. We climbed above the dam wall, and then skirted the dam between 100 and 200m above the water. All in the blazing sun. It was beautiful, but, feeling sick, it seemed relentless – every 12% climb followed by a 12% drop.
Roadside restaurants popped up at 17km and then again at 55km. With no shade, we pushed on until about 4 to the one at 55km, at which point I flopped into the sofa, took some antibiotics, slept, and visited the toilet.
View from the toilet
Tomorrow is another rest day. Kim and Will left – being on a tight schedule, but not before demolishing 8 eggs each.
8 eggs each
Day 164. 77km. Kochkor Ata – Tashkumyr
Posted: October 14, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Kochkor Ata, Kyrgyzstan, Tashkumyr
At altitude I lost my appetite. Today I lost my appetite due to the heat. The contrast in climate is spectacular. Today was back to the ritual of having a 3 hour afternoon sleep. For the heat, and relief from the boredom of the straight road through hot farmland.
Afternoon sleep
We cycled through melon land today. Everyone was selling watermelons, and some were also selling rock melons. Often there were stretches of road with sellers on both sides, sleeping on couch sofas unter the trees or under little verandah lean-tos.
We are now in the mountains again – at least there are mountains around us, and we will climb slowly now following the valley. I’m looking forward to gaining some altitude and losing some heat.
Day 163. 159km. Osh – Kochkor Ata
Posted: October 13, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Kochkor Ata, Kyrgyzstan, Osh
‘On top of the price of the room you will have to pay for the shower.’
That was OK.
‘Oh. And it costs extra to store the bikes.’
This was after we had unpacked and already agreed on the price.
We left, and now find ourself sleeping on a couch outside in an expensive holiday resort for rich Russians. The universe provided a strange place to sleep tonight.
Sunset
Will and Kim had left Osh a day earlier, and stayed overnight 55km from Osh. I thought I could try to catch them – I like cycling with them. The weather was fine for that, and the scenery was boring. Endless fields and farms. I put my head down and cycled. 130km out of Osh I caught them. We can now cycle together to Bishkek.
Watermelons
Day 162. 98km. Kizil Korgon – Osh
Posted: October 12, 2015 in Cycling, KyrgyzstanTags: Cycling, Kizil Korgon, Kyrgyzstan, Osh
Last night I visited the toilet (different rocks near the tent) five times. Today was a blur – feeling awful, struggling up a steep 800m climb, regularly diving into the bushes on the side of the road for a shit. Exhausted, I collapsed into the sofa at the guesthouse in Osh. Now I can take the antibiotics.
Looking down the high pass
I need a break. Osh – the 2nd biggest city in Kyrgyzstan seemed like a good place to have it. And, at about 1000m altitude, its just a short ride downhill. This morning I didn’t feel well, but, I could surely manage the last pass before Osh, and then roll down the hill. I didn’t want a rest day in a tent with nothing nice to eat. Checking the information on the antibiotic pills, I discovered that they make you very light sensitive. Ah! That’s why I got burnt in Uzbekistan! Today would have to be ridden without antibiotics.
Now at lower altitudes, it is hotter. And the pass before Osh is a monster climb (on an excellent road) up about 800m (very steep). Well, that completely took it out of me, and at the top I was a dribbling mess. There was a restaurant at the top (a luxury) with meat, bread and tea on offer. I couldn’t stomach that, and so just had a few sips of tea.
Already 16:00, we sprinted the last 60km downhill into Osh. Thankfully there was little headwind today, and we were able to make haste. Two or three toilet stops, some stomach pills, and some volcanic ash powder later, we arrived, where I took a luxury single room, took my antibiotics, and went to bed.
arctic-cycler.com 