Song-Kul

After Ak-Say and its impressive canyon, we left the Issyk-Kul region and drove toward another beautiful lake, Song-Kul. The second biggest lake of Kyrgyzstan lies at an altitude of 3000 meters. 

Beside a few ruins that had been built by fishermen, there is no permanent infrastructure. The steppes surrounding the lake are occupied between June and September by a few herders, some yurts camp for tourists, and a lot of horses, sheep and cows. The rest of the year it is uninhabited as it get extremely cold. We spent two nights in yurts, one on the south shore and one on the north.

The lake is only reachable through some dirt roads in bad condition, or at least the upper part of them. The first part of the road we took also leads to the Torugart pass, one of the opened border with China. The Chinese actually finance and built the roads themselves so that they can send their trucks full of goods to be sell in Bishkek.

Some Chinese trucks on a brand new Chinese road.

The pass to Song-Kul (not of interest for China).

The dirt road climbs up to about 3300 meters.

At the top I was very disappointed that there was no sign with the altitude.

After crossing the pass, we finally can see the lake and the first yurts.

Our first yurt camp.

Our beds.

The camp expected 70 persons the next day. 

They had to build a few more yurts (and kill a horse to feed them).

There a many yurt camps for tourists.

We rent some horses and made a tour around the camp.

My horse always wanted to eat.

Our guide Talant demonstrating his horse riding skills.

I finally got to try kumis, the fermented mare's milk. I barely managed to finished my cup...

The water was not so cold, considering the altitude of the lake.

By the way, all the white flowers are edelweiss.

Leaving the camp and the family that runs it.

Driving to the north shore for another night.

Crossing the river that flows from the lake.

Milena was laughing each time she could see animals from the car.

Our camp on the north shore.

We were the only one without bike.

I climbed a small hill to have a scenic view over the lake and our camp.

And over the south short were we slept the day before.

I made some new friends on the way. They all three ride together on the same horse. They said they already were 5 on a single horse...

Time to sleep. With a few blankets, the nights were not too cold.

When leaving Song-Kul, we climbed a pass... and drove back on the same side.

I realized our guide brought us there only so that I can have a picture with the altitude sign.

Ak-Say canyon

Apparently in Kyrgyzstan, as soon as there are a few mountains together, they name it canyon, as in Ala-Archa or in Sokuluk. But I have always the feeling that these sites don't really deserve to be called so; they are just regular valleys! For me a canyon has to be like the Grand Canyon or like Petra, with almost vertical walls (disclaimer: I've neither been to the Grand Canyon nor Petra).

This time, we hiked through a scenic canyon that didn't usurped its name: Ak-Say, located on the south shore of the Issyk-Kul lake.

The entry is a few kilometers west from the town of Bokonbaevo. 

Milena ready to start the walk. She loves to hike on mom's back. 

I was always behind as I kept on taking pictures.

There are a few cars driving through the canyon to the beach.

I could catch up my cousin Eliane, also stopping for pictures.

Ak-Say definitely suits my own definition of a canyon.

Toward the end, I could climb on the ridge to have another point of view. 

After about one hour walk, Issyk-Kul is on sight.

We ate on the beach and swam in the lake.

The water was surprisingly warm.

Then we climbed a small hill. 

It is called the Geologist's Peak.

It is only about 100 meters elevation.

The view from the top is amazing.

Towards east.

Towards north.

Towards west.

Towards south.

Horseback games

For the first night of the tour, we stayed in the small and remote village of Karan-Dobo, in the Kemin District. The owner of our guesthouse sometimes organize traditional horseback games for their hosts. Luckily they did so during the evening we were there. 

The games consist of various competitions on horses. Even if the participants are only demonstrating for the tourists, they don't take it lightly, as one participant punched another one in the face after an animated game phase.

 Opening ceremony.

Presentation of the participants.

 The first game was udarysh, where two riders wrestle in order to unhorse each other.

Then kuz-kumai (catch the girl), played with one male and one female rider.

 The male rider get to chase the woman to (rather briefly) kiss her. In the return leg, it's the woman who follows her suitor, and whips him if she catches up!

I did not get a kiss, but fortunately no whiplash either.

The main game is ulak-tartysh, where two teams of competitors fight for a... headless goat's carcass (that you can see under the leg of the horse rider above).

 First the riders gallop past the goat's carcass trying to pick it up off the ground.

 It is followed by a chaotic brawl to get control of the goat.

 Then the team that secured the goat rushes toward the side of the other team.

And drop the carcass off in the opponent's circular goal.

Burana Tower

After a few days in Bishkek, we've started our tour around Kyrgyzstan. There are the four of us, along with our french speaking local guide Talant and our driver Dima. This configuration gives us flexibility in case we need to improvise another program if Milena does not support the altitude of the highest sights.

Our first stop is Burana Tower, a 25 meter high minaret near the city of Tokmok, around 70 km east of Bishkek. It was built during the 11th century by the Sogdians - an Iranian civilization - and then taken by the Karakhanids, the people of Turkic descent who spread Islam in Central Asia. It used to be part of the thriving city of Balasagun until an earthquake completely destroyed it 500 years ago.

During the last century, local people did not considered the tower as much more than a reserve of bricks for other construction projects. As a result, it was in danger of collapsing when the soviets renovated it at the beginning of the 1970s.

 Burana Tower in front of the Tian Shan mountains.

 It was originally about 45 meter high. The earthquake that wiped out Balasagun also destroyed its top half. 

There is an open air museum around the minaret with a collection of artifacts found in the region.

Some antique... stuff.

 A petroglyph depicting a deer hunting scene.

Turkic gravestones are sculpted with a bowl and a knife in each hand. 

The bowl to welcome friends; the knife to greet foes.  

Beside the tower, there are almost no remains of the Balasagun citadel. 

The region of Tokmok viewed from the top.

The stairway within the tower is steep, dark and narrow. 

 The four of us in front of the Burana tower.