Skazka canyon

I have yet to explain what we did on Sunday during our trip to Issyk-Kul. Before swimming again in the lake, we had a walk in the absolutely stunning Skazka canyon. It is a national park near Tamga with rock formations of incredible shapes and colors.

As much as Ala-Archa looked relatively similar to the alpine landscape of Switzerland, Skazka has a completely different scenery to propose.

Leaving the main road for Skazka canyon.

Overlooking Issyk-Kul and the park entrance. 

 Because of the shapes of its eroded rocks...

...and their magical colors...

...the park is called Fairy Tale canyon in English.

An overview of the canyon.

The Chinese Wall of Skazka.

 With Asel, Arstan and Nuriza.

Issyk-Kul

Last week-end I had another opportunity to escape the heat of Bishkek. I joined Asel and two of her friends - Arstan and Nuriza - for a ride to Issyk-Kul. Surrounded by the Tian-Shan mountain range, it is by far the biggest and most famous lake of the country.

We left Bishkek by car on Friday evening. As we were approaching our destination a few hours later in the dark, I could perceive the shadows of the mountains around me illuminated by the moon, but I will have to wait for Saturday to actually see them.

We slept in a basic guesthouse in Tamga, a small town that is judiciously described in another blog as a 'village in the middle of nowhere, in a country that is already quite in the middle of nowhere as a whole'. It is said that Yuri Gagarin - the first human in space ever - once stayed here during holidays.

Saturday, we drove a few kilometers towards the mountain and hiked to one of the Barskoon Waterfall. Arstan cooked some tasty chicken Shashlik (skewered meat), and we then headed to Issyk-Kul. We alternated between swimming in the lake and laying down on the beach... until Arstan prepared the second barbecue of the day.

The XS guesthouse in Tamga.

Tamga in front of the Tian-Shan mountains. 

 First views of the 180 km long Issyk-Kul.

 Barskoön valley. The road leads to Kumtor, an open-pit gold mine at 4000 meters.

One of the Barkskoön Waterfall. 

 Near the waterfall with Arstan and Asel.

A portrait of Yuri Gagarin sculpted in the rock. 

 Arstan and his barbecue...

...cooking some chicken Shashlik.

The beach near Tamga.

Arstan trying to make us believe that it is not ready yet.

Kadzhi-Say, where we had lunch on Sunday.

The colorful landscapes of the Tian-Shan mountains. 

Some spots like Ton are rather crowded. 

On the other side of the road.

Eating in a yurt on Ton beach.

My first time in a yurt ever.

Daily routine

As you can imagine, I'm actually not hiking everyday in Ala-Archa or in some other magnificent national park. I'm primarily here to learn to speak Russian, so I go to school - the London School Of Languages and Cultures - where I get 5 hours of private lessons per day.

The London School Of Languages And Cultures.

The school is only 15 minutes away by foot from where I live. I start at 8:30 AM with 2 hours and 40 minutes of grammar, followed by a reading lesson of one hour twenty, a long break, and another one hour of conversation. With such schedule, I'm doing some solid progress!

 Baitik Baatyr, also known as Sovetskaya street. I walk everyday from here up to the school, in front of the tower.

Afterwards I have lunch either at school or at home, where I sometimes play board games with the kids - Ildar and Sanjar. I brought them as gifts Carcassonne and Pyramide d'Animaux, which they enjoy to play. Explaining the rules and playing with them in Russian is also a very good practice for me.

Playing Pyramide d'Animaux with the kids.

During the afternoon I usually go for a walk in the city during one or two hours. Now that I have seen the main sights, I just walk randomly where I haven't been yet. When coming back home, I do my homework or write this blog, and eat with my host family.

Random walk in Bishkek.

On Wednesday there is no school, but there are some optional workshops in groups about grammar and conversion during the afternoon. I regularly visit them, but unfortunately they are not very popular, so most of the time I end up alone or only with another student. Anyway I'm starting to know more and more people at school with whom I can go have a drink.

My room in the apartment.

Ala-Archa canyon

As previously said, there is not much to see in Bishkek. However the real attractions of Kyrgyzstan are not the cities, but the wonderful mountains around, including three peaks over 7000 meters.

About 40 km south of the capital, there is the Ala-Too range and its national park, the Ala Archa canyon. I have been hiking there last week-end, which also allowed me to temporarily escape the heat of Bishkek.

 Heading to Ala-Archa.

The entry of the park.

Kyrgyzstan is sometimes called the "Switzerland of Central Asia".

 On the way to the Ratsek hut.

My guide Artem and the Peak Korona behind him. With an elevation of 4860 meters, it is already more than what the Alps have to offer.

 The Ratsek hut at about 3350 meters. It serves as a base camp for the mountaineers climbing the peaks around.

 Saturday afternoon it starts to rain in Ala-Archa. In Bishkek the sun is still shining.

Sunday, again in the park, with another guide, on another route. 

The bridges are rather rudimentary. 

 I had to come in Kyrgyzstan to see my first edelweiss in the wild...

... and my first yaks!

Bishkek

The capital city of the Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek, was founded in 1878. Being a relatively new city, there are not many sights to see. Most of the buildings are designed with a typical soviet architecture, and all the streets are perpendicular.

Anyway I feel at home here. People are warm and friendly, I can find everything I need, and I'm making progress with my Russian.

Ala-Too Square, the center of the city. A statue of Lenin used to dominate the place, but they moved it just behind in 2003.

Freedom Square and its World War II monument.

The State Philharmonic Hall.

 The view from my room on the 8th floor. As you can see, the Ala-Too mountain range is not far away from Bishkek.

The city is very green. There are trees in much of the streets, and lot of parks where children can play. Here Oak Park on Erkindik Avenue.

 Drivers usually stop for pedestrians when a crosswalk does not have traffic lights.

The weather forecast for the next few days: dry and hot.

Orozo Ait

For the next few weeks, I'm living in a host family in Bishkek. There is Asel, who speaks very good German; her brother that I actually didn't met yet because he's currently working far away; and his wife Naziria with their two young children.

On Sunday - my first day here - Asel brought me to the Osh Bazaar, a huge market where you can buy absolutely anything: groceries, spices, shoes, clothes, electronic devices, toys, etc.

Osh Bazaar

I've read that it is a known place for corrupted policemen to check the passport of foreigners and trying to extort money from them. However being with a local person, it is very unlikely that I get any problem. Beside that there are many Russian people in Bishkek; as long as I don't walk with my camera around the neck or with a huge backpack, I guess I just look like a plain local Russian.

Osh Bazaar

During the afternoon, she invited my at her (other) brother's who lives in a house in the south neighborhood of Bishkek. She said 'maybe there will be some food, maybe not'. Now you have to know that last Sunday in Kyrgyzstan was the so called Orozo Ait, a holiday marking the last day of the Ramadan. And to celebrate the end of the fast, they eat. A lot. And of course guests are expected to do so too.

But I didn't fasted during the last month, I ate the whole time! I'm just not that hungry... Anyway, I asked Asel what is considered as acceptable behavior, and she explained it would be rude not to eat anything, but trying a few things without finishing them is alright.

Afterwards we were having a drink with Asel and her sister-in-law, when the later received an invitation from a friend to 'have a cup of tea'. So we all went there and ate some more...

The family of Asel's brother.

The friend of the brother's family and Asel.

'...to have a cup of tea.'

Welcome to Kyrgyzstan

After some months of preparations consisting mainly of:
- Refreshing my Russian - I know about 500-600 words now.
- Learning how to ride a horse, as it apparently is a must here.
- Getting all the recommended vaccines for a long stay in Kyrgyzstan, that is 5 visits to the doctor! (et dorénavant je ne crains plus même les chauve-souris enragées).
I eventually took the plane and arrived yesterday in Bishkek, the capital city of the Kyrgyz Republic. A driver picked me up and drove me to my host family, where I will stay the next few weeks.

Stopover in Moscow during the night. At 3 o'clock the sun is already rising.

 Manas airport. It was raining when I landed, but with 30°C it already dried while I was waiting for my luggage and crossing the border.

 The cracked windshield along with the cows on the highway already remind me that I'm not in Switzerland any more.

Welcome to Бишкек (Bishkek). We have here 4 hours of time difference with Central European Time.