I have done a fair bit of homework and now at least have a working understanding of the history and geography of the area. This really brings it to life. 2000 years plus of empires, invading armies, marauding tribes, competing religions, traders and camel trains and the dissemination of knowledge and inventions and trade in luxuries. I am excited and looking forward to going: imagining myself capturing photos like a National Geographic professional and swanning round, Joanna Lumley fashion, in an array of beautiful outfits picked up from the local markets. But I am also a little apprehensive about the high altitude, basic facilities and how to avoid unpalatable local delicacies without offending our hosts.

The route

Places to be visited

This is a dummy run of the app. So far I have found it not user friendly and I have wasted a lot of time ironing out the wrinkles, but keeping a journal is one of my aims so it is worth while getting it working. Time to organise some packing.

Courtyard of the Blue Mosque

This is the first wait we have had, despite the dire warning of the time taken by security checks, we have sailed through enjoying an almost empty Hagia Sophia. Having changed back to a mosque from the previous function as a bazaar, it’s entrance is now straight onto the upper level so I think \240perhaps we are denied the wonderful gaze up. It is the domes which dominate the interior of the mosques, one upon another offering support and decorative surface

Hagia Sophia Mosque

It has been a day of sensory overload really. Istanbul is a noisy city, traffic noise… car horns parping, rubber squeaking on tarmac as queues of cars edge their way up a steep hill, the ubiquitous scooters revving from every direction (no safety on the pavement), all to a backdrop of Turkish heavy beat pop music. And finally tonight the battle of the prayer callers, back and forward between the blue mosque and Hagia Sophia. As for visual overload, the bazaars are in a club of their own. The spice bazaar was beautifully colourful with piles of tea, spices, sweets etc, and hanging with dried herbs and chillies. There was charm there but not so the Grand Bazaar which was so busy, claustrophobic, and we were hassled mercilessly. No, we did not want a carpet a large painted clay urn, or false designer trainers or filigree gold jewellery in fact all we wanted to do was find the way out.

Sweets naught but nice !!!

It has been hot, or rather, humid. This has tested our energy \240Plenty of cafe stops and eventually Hugh bought a man bag so that he could divest himself of the 14 pocket coat each of which had to be filled. A very rewarding day, and we are done in !!!

Welcome sit down

Supper on a rooftop cafe, wonderful view good beer but food only ok and not what we ordered.

The HUGE advantage of this hotel is it’s situation. So handy to be able to pop back . Even better views at breakfast.

This felt a bit like a Disney queue,note the printed cloth around the front gate.

After the unpromising start the Topkapi Palace was actually very much more interesting than we had expected.. The gardens were so huge that it was reasonably easy to lose the massive crowds walking round behind a raised flag or umbrella stop. The palace was built to resemble a series of pavilions each each situated within its own courtyard, this was because the Sultan had a nomadic origin and had no wish to live in expansive cold and dusty stone buildings. The pavilions housed museum style collections of everything from precious jewels and clothes, to books and ceramics. It was the circumcision pavilion that caused Hugh to wince. The harem was gorgeous with fully tiled walls and marble bathrooms. But despite the \240decoration and assurances that harems were for protection it did feel somewhat like a gilded prison.

Ouch !

Head of the harem (ie the sultans mother) audience space.

Jewelled bottles.

We were so engrossed… and the exit let us out miles away so we actually ran to the hotel to check out, very sweaty. The whirlwind of a morning was followed by a somewhatun-sought after exciting trip to the airport. The taxi driver previously booked, failed to arrive and meanwhile whilst we were waiting, the heavens absolutely opened. There is little land in Istanbul to absorb any rain water so the old cobblestone streets and the main roads including the motorway to the airport were soon like rivers \240with fairly deep flooded areas. It was thanks to the helpful efforts of the hotel manager and a local orange taxi driver who got us to the airport on time.

The airport flight was pretty un-remarkable and it was 3 am when we arrived at Bishkek.

Not the ideal background!

We are in Kyrgyzstan and enjoying our first outing to Ala-Archa National Park... Just stunning: huge jagged snow covered mountain tops; glaciers glinting in the snow; slopes covered in trees of different shapes and colours many starting to show their orange autumn shades, and a rushing glacial mountain river.

This walk in the very warm sunshine hard stimulated an appetite and Beka our guide took us to local restaurant on the edge of town with a huge menu and chance to try some of the local foods such as deep-fried bread (like doughnuts) spiced aubergine and chinese cucumber which looked like a huge segmented snake and of course ubiquitous green tea.

Arriving back in Bishkek we were briefly shown around the city. This city is modelled on Soviet style but it would be totally unfair to describe it as brutal. The whole city is a grid of such openness, cleanly modelled buildings, trees, statues, and boulevards that it is a joy to walk around. Young people seem smartly dressed even though they still get hollered at by the police for playing ball games in the public squares.

Their one hour turn of immobile century duty.

This evening we just opted for a coffee and a patisserie at Paul’s. Looking at the many mothers and babies who filled the café, I \240was struck by the fact that in the modern world people are behaving so similarly everywhere. It could be absolutely untrue from what we have seen in the capital city to describe Bishkek as under-developed in any way. The city has however not thrown off it’s Russian mantle and not only looks like a very green and pleasant Russian city but Russian is the official language. There are obviously very strong ties with Russia, our guide has been involved in a lot of youth education exercises between two countries.

Our \240car which we had presumed would be a beaten up Russian Jeep actually turns out to be a Toyota Fortuna V8, \240which is far more up market than our car at home so it’s very nice being driven around in our own luxury taxi, but we would prefer that the driver didn’t read his phone when he was driving!

Stop of the morning was Burano Tower a minorette from an 11th century trade hub town, surrounded by stones with smiley faces. But the surprising thing was the long conversation I had with the director of the museum whose husband an architect had found most of the items . \240Obviously pretty fervently nationalistic, she felt that the history had been manipulated by Russian authors, but the most cutting was her remark about \240Genghis Khan: a journalist asked Putin what he thought of Genghis Khan, he smiled and denied that his existence saying it was a complete myth. Too close for comfort!

A \240long drive through pretty desolate grey villages and small towns shanty built lots of breezeblock and corrugated metal. It was the tiny flashes of colour that we looked out for. \240Watermelons stacked by the side of the road variegated green and pink, rows of red chillies drying on the washing lines, tiled bus shelters in patterned floral picture, a \240boy in school uniform on a donkey and a very long fence winding through the countryside made from side panels of ship containers, rather like a rather rigid striped scarf.

We were promised a lovely lunch we expected it to be by the side of the lake… no way it was a motorway cafe with a boxing strength booth just outside the front

Easy to please !

Into the mountains but they were like mining spoil \240tips,. The rain started slowly at first, then heavy . The roads worsened. So what did we need… karaoke ! And the guide whipped out her portable machine and got going on Kyrgyz folk songs.

Finally the temperature was dropping considerably as we drove higher. It was down at minus one so the rain had turned to snow. Magic, this makes those otherwise mundane Hills look quite quite magnificent. We started to see herdsmen on horseback coralling the sheep, horses, and cows down from the higher pasture. We descended to the lake Song-Kul, and the mountains looked beautiful, heavily dusted with snow and the clouds had peeled away to reveal what was likely to be a lovely sunset. A bit of a Hello Mother Father moment.

Camp is very obviously a tourist camp not a stay with a nomad stop. \240But they are very much more luxurious inside than I had expected. You never quite know what to expect but nobody tells you quite what to expect either.

It’s freezing cold here.

Watching the sheep

It was quite a grand affair with 20 riders and horses. It mattered to the teams who won. 10 riders were on the pitch at any one time… and a number of canine groupies got the under every one’s feet. It involved racing to pick up the goat and then riding to put it in the goal before other riders and horses tackled. It was good fun and really good for photos (the iPhone wasn’t great for this so I’m pleased I brought my Canon camera).

A curtain call for the winners

Learning at a young age.

It was however only a small section of a 300km off road drive, through mountains passes and along the valleys. We said goodbye to our stay by the Lake, beautiful blue skies and not a ripple on the water but no where near as beautiful as it had been snow covered. Up into the high passes past the genuine yurts, families tending livestock.

Up through the grass covered steppes to the peaks, golden eagles flying overhead, the mountains looked magnificent and pristine before you noticed the scar on the landscape. At first glance it could be mistaken for paddy field terraces but not on a closer look. It took a long time to lose the huge lorries with their roughly hewn and barely covered coal and the dust was pretty relentless.

Along the river , passing through villages where farmers on horseback portrayed it as the only way to travel. Along a flat valley where yurts and old caravans reminded me of gypsy life. We had now joined the equivalent to the M1 but more like a wide country road, on which we ascended and then descended between high sandstone cliffs , to reach our destination.

The lunch spot was dreadful the guide Beka (I don’t forget her name) ate a plate of stewed lamb, all sorts including stomach and other bits which needed a vet to identify. Dad had a coke! The driver was nowhere to be seen… the company’s instruction to use this cafe... but he had gone to eat elsewhere. I did explain that we were not prepared to pay for our own food in places like this again !!! Supper was a deep fried trout cut transversely, very difficult to dissect and some one week old bread. I needed a muesli bar when back in the room.

Cage in the centre !!

Another day of taking a little rough with the smooth. So tried our first Kyrgyz beer, 11 pc !!! But like barley wine 😝 which we drank in the middle of a river in a not so guilded cage.

Bee hives set in fruit orchard

The walk round the lakes at Sary-Celek has been truly amazing. High Rocky Mountains around green coloured lakes. Set among alpine type meadows and groups of pine trees. Pretty cows wonder through the old fruit and walnut forest and crab apples were falling regularly round us. I was minded of chicken licken thinking that the sky was falling in!!

Mountains from high vantage point

This holiday is not super organised and it took the driver quite a while to decide where we would walk… 8 hours walk… too much… 1 hour walk… not enough. In the end he downloaded a map and we agreed on the 4-5 hrs (actually took 5). It was hot and sunny and very up and down, in fact we were quite exhausted by the end. Hugh could not manage a Julie Andrew’s dance on a particularly lovely high meadow. As we trod a smell of tyme, rosemary and lavender surrounded us. We saw no other walkers at all, all day just a few locals on horseback

This is an UNESCO biosphere. There are 7 lakes here and we walked past 6 of them. Feeling very pleased with our efforts but glad the heavy exercise is behind us.

Time for a warm beer, European this time. We found the in the supermarket, there can’t be much call for them here as they were covered in dust! This was the same supermarket where Hugh demolished the Pepsi display… Cheers.

Lots of horses being transported uncovered in the back of a truck.

A bride and bridesmaid enjoying their wedding meal in a dirty, roadside cafe at the overlook for the hydropower plant

Babies carried everywhere.

Grandfather’s sitting with their babies on their knees for hours, occasionally getting up for a leg stretch.

Proud rucksack carrying students in the local white felt hats bearing their school badge.

Local women, the majority in coordinated or matching dresses, trousers and scarves.

These are just some of the things we have observed in the past couple of days.

We arrived at our destination and thought there had been a mistake. First impressions do matter. Having traversed a health and safety nightmare of a bridge, the garden was pretty but the guest annexe (total separation from the family) is peppered with house commands in block capitals. It looks like the beer will have to stay in the car!

I do not feel comfortable in this guest house or town really. It is very Muslim and our guide noted that it was more like Afghanistan than Kyrgyzstan. The women in the village centre are fully covered. Whenever you see a local woman they are working, carrying shopping and working \240in the fields . Even in this guesthouse the women have never stopped, doing the washing next to an outside tap, repotting plants in the garden or cooking. They don’t look happy at all, rather accepting and ground down. The men just swan around making any contact with the guests and directing us on how we should behave in the room. I’m surprised how cross I feel about these attitudes.

The highlight of this stop is advertised as a waterfall, you’d think it was Niagra falls the way they have bigged it up as a tourist attraction. Less water than Rydal Falls.

Things always look better photographed through plastic flowers.

Just sat down to write the journal do you like the chairs provided? It is however better than sitting on the floor.

Enjoyed supper in a room off the garden, sat on the floor, not that easy.

We waited outside the house for the car to arrive, a knocked about green ex-Russian military jeep open at the back. \240We piled in ready for our adventure, an off road trip to the high waterfall. All going fine until halfway up a hill a terminal ratttle and total loss of power warned us that this trip was not going to be incident free. A litre of oil and more water… No good so we returned to town… backwards… freewheeling.🤪

We waited by the side of the road, amused by the antics of some small boys and a donkey. It’s \240not good for little boys to try taiquando kicks at the long suffering animal

After another attempt to start we all agreed the jeep was dead, but this job was too good for the driver to throw away and he was very eager to please so he borrowed a friends jeep slightly less beaten up and we started again. This drive made Kenya drives seem like tarmac cruising, (video to follow separately) . Quite a white knuckle ride. I felt we were driving on the Korakorum Pass, quite splendid and such a beautiful morning. We reached the waterfall, a lovely spot, but to add to the tourist attraction also a fountain!! Which provided bit of a paradise for cows.

We explored a bit on foot, took some photos walked along a canyon before returning to top up the petrol, siphoned from the dead jeep, and went off to the walnut forest. The nuts weren’t ready for harvest yet and whilst some were on the ground I wouldn’t say that the trees were laden, rather old and worn out. After all they do say that they have been there since the time of Alexander the Great.

There was also a chance for people watching, it was a national celebration day and the children were in their best school clothes. We briefly stopped at the market before returning back in a taxi.

A pleasant lunch in the pavilion looking onto the rose garden. A record… they managed 4 different carbohydrates in a meal, rice, buckwheat, potatoes and pasta !! Mein-host only addresses conversation to Hugh, he has 1 son and \2405 daughters and a sister in law. This is the position you don’t want, all the caring responsibilities land on your shoulders. The daughters all went to university and became teachers, Beka was pretty sceptical about considering they would have had restricted choice.

They are a well to do family but they still have cow dung spread out in the garden for winter fires . Talking of fires the sister in law is currently chopping the wood for the cooking fire .

The archeological highlights of the area I would describe as low key, i.e. not much there! But neither are there many people either. A highlight was the tomb of the second son of Ghengis Khan .

The sacred mountain in Osh bore a cave where I am not sure who lived what must have been a hermit’s life. From this place a treatment of fasting with no food for 40 days was advised as a treatment for depression it also helps living in a cave. Yes, we saw the hole in the side of the mountain and carried on walking to reach Babur’s house. It had been later visited they say by Mohammed and so had been converted into a mosque. Hundreds of steps in a temperature of over 30 and they wouldn’t even let me in 😡

Look carefully and you can see a hole !!!

A visit to Osh market was a lovely glimpse into the culinary ingredients of this culture. Wonderful fruits and vegetables from local farms, this is a very fertile region. Such a choice of different rice and herbs and bread stacked high. The local meat specialities were less appetising: horse meat sausage; tongues; lites i.e. lung and trachea and sheep fat (the sheep round here have very bulbous bottoms with fat pads), just like a camel hump. We also had a good look at the women’s fashion!!

Pleased to be back in an hotel, with a fridge for the left over beer. We will go out for a final meal together and we can choose what to eat. Our guide Beka is a very nice and friendly person. But she is a terrible guide and has imparted very little information other than what was in the itinerary. Her life as a mother struggling to care for 3 sons 15, 13 & 11 on her own has kept us amused and sympathetic. She left them on their own and she \240is constantly on the phone to them as they have locked themselves out of the house, sorted themselves to travel to Russia for a taiquando competition, attended the hospital only to have varicose veins diagnosed and been told they needed removal immediately, and complained incessantly. Beka has been attentive to our needs and has helped iron out a few wrinkles.