The ancient Russian troop transport rumbled and creaked as it trundled up the Ak-Baital Pass, a breath-taking (literally) 4,655 meters above sea level. After several stops to let the engine cool, we crested the top and a cheer rose from the border guards in the back. The young soldier next to me gave me a thumbs up. “Okay?” …
Kyrgyzstan
Danger in No Man’s Land
Setting out from the Kyrgyz border post at Bor Dobo, I had a decent idea of the distance (15+ km) between me and the Tajik border. I assumed that I would be able to catch a ride, but figured I could hike the difference if none came along. From the start, the scenery was stunning. After …
Sary Tash to the Tajik Border
We dropped down over Taldyk Pass and the tiny town of Sary Tash lay spread out before us at the base of the mountain. When my pre-arranged taxi ride from Osh, Kyrgyzstan to Murghab, Tajikistan fell through (the driver decided he didn’t feel like driving on a holiday after all), I had a few minutes …
Holy Greek Nuts, Arslanbob!
The legend goes something like this… Arslanbob-Ata, a disciple of the Prophet Mohamed, embarked on an ambitiously vague quest to find a ‘heavenly place on Earth’. That journey led him east to a small valley in what is now Kyrgyzstan. Finding the place beautiful, but lacking vegetation, he beseeched the Prophet for assistance. He was given …
A Dose of Friendship in Arslanbob
“Come, join us!” my host’s friend beckoned, pointing to the colorful cushion across from his 3 year old grandson. I sat where he’d indicated, next to my host. Both men had grey hair frosted with white, just about their only similar feature. My host wore a taqiyah, while his friend sported an old-fashioned fedora. “We …
The Natural Beauty of Arslanbob
It being my first full day in Arslanbob (the mad dash there from Bishkek and an evening of delicious food not counting), I had two desires: to hike and to relax in the massive walnut grove Arslanbob is famous for. In one day, I planned to accomplish both of those. I stopped at the local …
Hiking through Ala Archa
After a wonderful day of hiking up Kashka-Suu, I met with the Trekking Union again to make the journey out to Ala Archa National Park. Named for the juniper trees (archa in Kyrgyz) found throughout, it is one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen. Like the day before, we started early. After another …
That Time I Bought a Ural
It was 31 years old and looked it, a heinous shade of blue with beefy tires and two dinky seats. It was a 1983 Ural with a sidecar and I was in love. I’ve been planning this trip for over a year. What started out as a motorcycle trip across China into Kyrgyzstan morphed into …
Hiking through Kashka-Suu
I first read about the Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan in my Lonely Planet Guide to Central Asia. A small organization, their goal is to promote adventure tourism, trekking, and the enjoyment of the outdoors. Naturally, I was eager to give them a try. I signed up for two hikes: one to Kashka-Suu and the other to …
Walking Around Bishkek
When I first walked through Bishkek, I was exhausted. Over 20 hours of sitting on planes and trying to get comfortable in airports, followed by about 2 hours of wandering around the city and getting hopelessly lost with my 15+ kg bag on my back made for a sleepy, spaced out traveler. So, it wasn’t …