Postcard from Bishkek

Being a tour operator, I am apparently supposed to know the country like the back of my hand.  Unfortunately, that is not exactly true.

I have been to quite a few places around Kyrgyzstan, but there are still vast stretches of the country I have yet to visit.  I have various plans for trips – some one day trips out of Bishkek, others which will take a bit longer.  The problem is finding the free time to implement these plans.  Of course, the best time to go places is when we have tourists – and so I have plenty of work in the office.

As it happens, I do get out of the office at least once a month.  It’s a business trip – upto Naryn, to work on the monthly reports from our guesthouse there – but it gives me a break, even if it is just a “there and back” trip. Whenever possible, however, I try to find time for a diversion … to take a different route, or to visit some other, neighbouring, part of the oblast.

Ever since my first to Naryn in 1998, when our guesthouse first opened, I have been struck by the sight of a transmission tower high on the ridge overlooking the town.  You can see it for miles around … as you are approaching the town and I thought that it must present a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside.  Several times I have planned to take a trip up there, but something always seems to crop up … and I have never made it.

On one occasion I was a guest at a wedding in the town.  After the ceremony it is traditional for the wedding party to “gulayet” – wander – before the reception, or wedding party.  In Bishkek they visit various monuments such as the war memorial, parks and other open spacers … in Naryn the plan was to go to the tower … and I was really excited about finally fulfilling my long held ambition … but as so often happens, everything was running late and we didn’t have time so we settled for gathering in a small valley a little way out of town instead.

Then, last month, we finally made it!

It just so happened that last month there was a lot of work to do in Naryn … lots of little jobs, all important and time consuming.  However, we managed to get them done in good time and discovered that we had some spare time … a whole morning free before we had to set off back for Bishkek.  There was quite a big group of us – eight in total – and none of us, including the locals from Naryn itself, had ever been up to the tower.  We decided to “go for it”.

We boarded the minibus and set off through the town.  Naryn is a long narrow town nestled between high rising cliffs on either side with one main street – still called Ulitsa Lenina – which runs the entire length of the town.  We drive along it, meeting each of the three trolley busses plying their way back and forth, through the main square, past the public baths and the ornate mosque, and the statue of Taaylik Baatyr, until we reach the edge of town.  We rise over the crest of the ridge at the Eastern end of the town and for the next twenty kilometers, until we reach the turn off, drive between fields which slope down from the receding hills at the side of the valley.

It would be easy to miss the turn.  Not only is there no signpost – it’s is basically just a dirt track through a gap in the hillside … and through this narrow gorge we slowly climb, and climb, and climb.  In fact our progress is slowed even further by the need to stop to take photographs … Kyrgyzstan is one those of those places where virtually every turn in the road seems open up a new photo-opportunity – and this road is no exception.

The higher we rose, however, the more the minibus began to struggle.  It wasn’t that the road was bad – in fact, for a dirt track, it was quite good.  The weather had been fine so there was no slipper mud to negotiate.  On the other hand, the slope was quite steep and the engine seemed to struggle with a lack of oxygen.

So we had to decamp and proceed on foot.  The transmission tower seemed to be tantalisingly close – but, as is the way in the mountains, every time we crested one ridge another seemed to rise up before us – between us and our target.  Although we set out in high spirits, soon members of the group began to tire and lag behind.

We had reached a point where the road zigzagged in a serpentine to climb the slope.  The others chose to take the shorter, direct, route – climbing between each loop.  I chose, on the other hand, to follow the path of road.  It meant I had to travel further – but I was able to maintain a steady, even, pace and was soon storming ahead of the others.  As I turned and looked back I noticed that what had been a group travelling as a pack had transformed itself into a single file which was stretching out – the gaps between each member of the group getting bigger and bigger.

The bus, freed of it’s load of passengers was able to proceed … slowly but surely, and I steeped of the path to let it pass … then carried on, plodding along as the path levelled out.

Finally, I was there – in the shadow of the transmission tower, the buildings housing the equipment and accommodation for the technicians.

Over the crest … and the panorama opened out … a truly fantastic view over the Naryn valley.

One by one, the others arrived –straggling and struggling – but eventually we all assembled at the top and congratulated each other.

Down below, the town itself lay at our feet.  Was it was possible to make out our hotel … I think so – I like to claim so.  We tried to make out other landmarks – the road to Bishkek, to Son Kul, where was Issyk Kul, the At Bashi mountain range.

Of course, no such expedition is complete without a toast, and Vladimir managed to produce a bottle of Cinzano – not vodka – but no-one, was complaining, least of all me.

Although we had made it … I have to admit that this was not the highest point of the ridge overlooking the town … to the right of us was an even higher summit … but no path to the top, so it would have been quite a climb to ascend up there.  It appears that, technically, a permit is needed to visit the site, but not for the higher peak.  Fortunately, the engineers were content with our explanation as to who we were and why we were there.  “Next time, however, it would be better to get a permit.”

Apart from the view there was more: … the sense of achievement, both ours and that of those who had transported materials and equipment and constructed the installation; and the fact that we had arrived at just the right time to experience the blooming wild flowers.

Finally, we climbed back into the minibus.  Fortunately there was less stress on the engine for the descent than when climbing.

Another stop en-route at a yurt to “top up” with Khoumis – real khoumis produced by shepherds in their remote yurt camp.  In turns out that they are acquaintances of Asya, our accountant in Naryn and we agree to take some stuff down the mountain, to their relatives, for them.

Finally: back to the hotel for a light, late, lunch and the return journey to Bishkek, with a slightly burning sensation as my skin starts to turn red … next time – “wear a hat!”

Tags: Expat, Naryn, Trips