Postcard from Bishkek

Today is the first day of Winter … in just a month’s time it will be New Year – the biggest holiday of the year.

The place basically closes down for several days  - virtually all the shops close for New Year’s Day, January 1st, even the Narodniy supermarkets which are normally open all day – every day.  (I suppose that makes them 24/7/364 rather than 24/7/365.)

Because January 7th is also a public holiday – and the week in between is bound to contain a weekend, many places for the whole week.  One of the deputies has even proposed cancelling some of the other public holidays later in the year and transferring them to this period to make it an official week long break.

Many of the hotels and restaurants have already started marketing their facilities for “Corporate Events” in the lead up to the holiday – and several will be holding special events on the evening itself.

Personally, to be honest, I am not keen on such events and I normally go to bed early and meet the New Year fast asleep … but I appreciate that most people look for an event to commemorate and celebrate the festivities.

One of the popular activities is to visit one of the resorts on Lake Issyk Kul that offer special events, (a banquet, entertainment, fireworks).

 

Back in the summer, I wrote a postcard with a number of suggested itineraries for taking such a New Year Break … here’s another:

Day 1 (24.12.2013) Bishkek

Arrive to Bishkek. Meet the driver and guide at the airport. Transfer to a hotel and Check- in.  After rest – breakfast and city tour, including Ala-Too square, Historical museum, Oak Park, Victory square. Lunch in a café. Christmas dinner at the hotel. Overnight at the hotel.

Bishkek cannot claim to be one of the major cities of the world, like London, Paris or New York.  It is, however, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan and does have a number of important and interesting buildings, monuments, parks, museums, galleries, theatres and other places worth seeing or visiting. 

Day 2 (25.12.2013) Bishkek- Ala- Archa- Bishkek

After breakfast drive to Ala-Archa national Park, 40 km from Bishkek. Enjoy the landscape and fresh air. Have lunch at the hotel in Ala-Archa. Return to Bishkek. Overnight at the hotel.

The Ala-Archa gorge has more than 10 large glaciers, more than 50 mountain peaks (with 140 classified mountaineering routes of various levels of difficulty/complexity), and 30 mountain passes. The national park is also rich in flora and fauna – with over 800 species of plants, 160 species of birds and about 170 specials of animals.  It has Marco Polo sheep, wolves, bears, lynx, boar, eagles, and snow leopards.  The hills are lined with Spruce and Juniper woods.

Day 3 (26.12.2013) Bishkek- Cholpon-Ata

After breakfast drive to the northern shore of Issyk- Kul lake. VisitBuranaTower on the way.

Visit the museum in the open air “Ruh- Ordo” in the name of Chinghiz Aitmatov, which from Kyrgyz means “spiritual place”. This place is of hundreds sweet water springs, where 5 religions of the world adjoin with each other: Islam, Orthodoxy, Buddhism, Judaism, and Catholicism. The museum is located on the only one isosceles bay of the Issyk-Kul lake. Return to the hotel by lunch. Free time after lunch.

Issyk Kul is Kyrgyzstan’s largest Lake and at about 180 km long by 70 km wide and 668 meters deep at the deepest point, (the average depth is about 300 meters), it is the world’s second largest mountain lake – and the fifth deepest lake in the world.

Day 4 (27.12.2013) Cholpon-Ata- Karakol

After breakfast drive along the northern shore of Issyk- Kul to Karakol. On the way visit the museum of Russian explorer N.M. Prezhevalskiy. City tour in Karakol, visit the orthodox church of St. Trinity, which was built in the 19th century. This is old Russian temple, where the copy of St.Trinity icon by Andrey Rublev is kept. Also visit the Muslim mosque, which was built in  1907 without a single nail. Dinner. Accommodation at the hotel.

Karakol is at the Eastern end of Lake Issyk Kul. The largest town and the administration centre of the Issyk Kul oblast, the town was founded by Russian settlers in the 1869. The name translates as “black hand”.

Day 5 (28.12.2013) Karakol- ski base

After breakfast drive to Karakol ski  base. Mountain ski base “Karakol”- is a unique ski resort. The base is located at 2300 m above sea level, on the slopes of Tian-Shan, among majestic coniferous forests. Soft climate, due to the influence of non-freezing mountainous Issyk-Kul lake, let you get maximum of pleasure from skiing. During winter period the day temperature no less -5 º C, and a lot of sunny days will let you ski and tan at the same time.  Overnight at the ski base or transfer to Karakol hotel.

Day 6 (29.12.2013) Karakol ski base

Rest on the territory of mountain ski base. More than 20 km of ski routes can meet the wishes of both experienced skier and those, who conquer the mountainous slopes for the first time. Here is the liberty for freeride lovers and for those who prefer to ski along the well-groom routes. The extension of each route is different from 400m till 3.5 km. the majority of the routes goes through the coniferous forest. It is possible to ski at any altitude. The highest point of skiing is 3040 m above sea level. Altitude drop is 740 m. The views to the closest 5000 peaks and mountainous Issyk-Kul lake are open from the panoramic top. Overnight at the ski base or transfer to Karakol hotel.

Day 7 (30.12.2013) Karakol- Jety- Oguz gorge- Karakol

Breakfast. Departure to the most picturesque place of Kyrgyzstan-  Jety-Oguz gorge. Tian –Shan spruce grows from the both sides of the gorge at the extension of almost 25 km. Jety – Oguz is famous by its red rocks, the origins of which are connected with old Kyrgyz legends. These rocks are “The Broken Heart” and “Seven Bulls”. Walking. Picnic. Return to the hotel in Karakol.

Day 8 (31.12.2013) Karakol- Cholpon-Ata

After breakfast excursion to the Grigorevskoe gorge. The ranges of Kungey and Terskey Ala-Too attract by their magnificent forest tracts of Tian-Shan spruce and Alpine meadows. Visit a small mountainous sweet water lake. Drive to the resort in Cholpon-Ata.   Preparations for the evening fest. Festal banquet. Celebration of the New Year. Competitions. Fireworks. Overnight at the resort.

Day 9 (1.01.2014) Cholpon-Ata

Free day. Rest at the lake. Overnight at the resort.

Day 10 (2.01.2014) Cholpon-Ata- Bishkek

Afternoon return to Bishkek. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 (3.01.2014) airport transfer

 

 

 

Tags: Calendar, Celestial_Mountains, Tourism