Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a country dominated by massive mountain ranges, glaciers, gorges and ice blue lakes. It is about twice the size of the island of Newfoundland.
The 5.2 million population is made up roughly eighty ethnic groups: the principle ethnicity's being Kirghiz (66%), Uzbek (14%) and Russian (10%).
The photo above is in downtown Bishkek, the nation's capital. It is a congenial city of 900.000 inhabitants, not near as cosmopolitan as Almaty nor near as rich. The cost of living dropped dramatically for us.

We found a great little restaurant whose specialty was rabbit. Simon indulging in the house special!
Caine and Adam awaiting a meal.
Monica and a new young friend. He made a special drink for her, on the house. The people, as has been for most of the trip, were kind and hospitable.
Bishkek fast food hamburger joint and the adverts in Cyrillic.
Getting ready to leave the capital, outside the Sakura Guesthouse. The owner is an expat. Japanese fellow married to a local lady. Excellent place to stay!
Leaving Bishkek for Central Kyrgyzstan's mountainous heart in the Tian Shan (Celestial Mountains in Chinese) Range. The well paved road leads to Lake Issyk-Kol, the second largest alpine lake in the world.
Rest stop on the way up.
Tasty corn on the cob. shishkabob, bread and salad.
We turned off the main paved highway for a 50 km. ride over a dirt road to Lake Song-Kol.
Up over the Kalmak-Ashuu Pass and into the lake basin.
Lake Song-Kol at 3016 meters is one of the loveliest spots in Central Kyrgyzstan. All around it are lush pastures favoured by nomadic herders, who spend the summer here with their animals.
Visitors are welcome, and it's a sublime place to camp for a couple of days.
Monica and a new friend.
Kids and their donkey. The older people spoke a little Russian, the young not so much.
Packing up.
The boy just sat in the saddle and watched.

Yurts at the side of the lake on the way out. Simon drove over to check on directions. They had been indulging in that popular Russian cultural import, drinking vodka, and were drunk as skunks.
The view onwards from the top of Moldo Ashuu Pass at an altitude of 3200 meters.
Quite a spectacular ride, with 33 switchbacks to be navigated! The photo is from the top of the pass looking out at the route down before us.
Stopped for a break in the next valley. Monica and Frank pictured.
In the village of Jangy Talap looking for gasoline. There were no gas stations in the town, but we were able to buy some from one of the locals.
We next inquired about a restaurant and were promptly invited into a home to join a christening party celebrating the arrival of a new baby.
Over another pass, people at the side of the road.
Bridge over the Narin River, east of the town of Kazarman. The countryside was more arid in this area.
Simon and Monica enjoying supper at our guesthouse in Kazarman.
On the road to Jalalabad the next morning. Still no pavement, but spectacular country!
The final big up, before the Fergana Valley.
Monica near the top staying to the right. No guardrails here! Parts of the road had been gouged away by rain water run off. The route was so degraded in sections that we seriously questioned whether we were really on the right road.
Simon at the top, 3100 meters, on the Kazarman-Jalalabad highway.
More of the road. There was next to no traffic.
Approaching the Fergana Valley.
The Fergana Valley, the breadbasket of Central Asia. Rich farmland, lots of sunflowers, and of course, warmer.
This part of Kyrgyzstan is less Russified then the north. The people in the south are more observant of Muslim doctrine than their cousins in other parts of the country. Still the face coverings such as the one in the photo were not the rule.
Family leaving the market, Jalalabad.
Pretty traditional dresses.
A man offering a traditional greeting with his right hand held over his heart. What a nice gesture! Many times people would do this when we passed them at the side of the road on the highway.
Kirghiz man wearing a traditional felt hat.
Market scene, Jalalabad. It was melon season and they were delicious!
Nuts and dried fruit.
Russian style dental work.
Herbs and spices.
Chewing tobacco salesman. I tried some, and it was potent stuff!
Lady in a tea shop.
Foxy lady in a tea shop.
The owner of our home stay. She of course was fluent in Russian, the working language.
Monica at rest in their room after a long ride.
Lenin is still an important figure in the "Stans", as in Russia. Statues are common.
A month before we arrived in Kyrgyzstan there were ethnic riots in the Jalalabad-Osh area of the south. Many buildings were burned out. The conflict was between the Uzbeks and the Kirghiz. They were of a economic nature, pitting the majority Kirghiz against the minority Uzbeks and their businesses. It had settled down by the time we arrived and they were cleaning up. Curfew had just been lifted the day we arrived.
Pictured above is a hotel burned out during the troubles.
Cool biker dude, Joseph, grandson of the guesthouse owner.
We next left for the nearby city of Osh, and the Pamir Highway.