Coloured mountains

Our homestay hostess provided us with a sunstantial and tasty breakfast of crepes , 2 with stuffing of cottage cheese and jusai (a kind of spinach grass). Yogurt, homemade and apricot jam.

We went to the shop to get enough provisions for 2 picnic lunches supermarket. Found chapattis with jusai in them, and more cheese,
and fruit - plus vodka and tonics. We got the expensive stuff-$2.

Set off on a long day's drive on the road through wild mountains of the Inner Tien Shan, heading west. We stopped at a Muslim cemetery outside a village for photos. We drove through the Suusamyr valley, rising from 2000-3200m between dramatic ridges of Kyrgyz and Talas Ala-Too which stretches 155km on very rough un-tarred road, which had not been maintained since soviet times. . Later we stopped by the river for lunch where we could enjoy the view of the coloured mountains, a bit like NW Argentine. We saw white water rafters coming down - a long scary drop.

Later we stopped at a village to look at a big stone a strong man called Kojumkol carried - beside the stone was a memorial yurt thing to his friend and inside his enormous hand print. The structure was falling down so we were allowed in one at a time by Olga who put her hand by his, to show how huge he was. Also he built a school for the village and there was a memorial to him nearby.

We drove on to reach a decent tarred road at last - then took a side track to the "resort" we were to stay at as the Motel on the itinerary had been too bad to send us there. We were on the road till 5. The "resort" was little chalets and metal huts one of which advertised massage and spa treatments. We had our communal meal at a long table in a dining hall, just our group as it is end of season, being so remote and high. We had to pay 1035 som for dinner of cabbage slaw, potato and cabbage stew, dry bread, biscuits, green tea and sweets. Kevin brought out the $1 vodka to share out. I restrained myself to a few sips - don't want to wake up blind!

The chalet was though our neighbour's had a mouse visiting. A heater was on when we arrived - it had been gloriously sunny all day but there was a cold wind by evening.

There's a lot of long drives due to the poor roads but Olga finds interesting places to stop.