Day 71. Toktogul - Bishkek

This morning we bid farewell to Jason and Kurien. We couldn’t have wished for better travel companions through the testing Pamir region. Heaps of fun and memories that will endure. Hopefully we’ll meet again.

So Darby and Joan set off for Bishkek. And what a treat it was. Up up up and over a mountain range, very scenic with a lovely fast flowing river for company and beautiful mountain scenery. The air is cool and clear a welcome relief.

Our high point is 3200m and its a little cool but not enough for another layer.

Mark leaving a Ka Pai kiwi sticker

The green meadows up high and on our decent are dotted with yurts and many grazing animals, horses, sheep, cows and goats. It is picture postcard stuff (again yawn). Not as dramatic as previous days but very very nice.

The roads are generally very good and the standard of driving equally as good as other nearby countries (appalling). We descended for a while and then plateaued and the scene stayed much the same. Summer shepherds minding their animals, green meadows and laughing and waving children.

We then climbed again quite steeply this time and arrived at the summit tunnel, reasonably well lit but the road surface was rough. Two narrow lanes allows for 2 way car traffic but trucks are controlled by traffic lights.

The greenery has gone, just bare rock faces which are quite crumbly, it must be a full time job to keep these roads clear. Once through the tunnel the descent was abrupt, switchback after switchback had us in an incredibly narrow and twisting canyon for about 20km’s.

There was a fast flowing stream beside us and just enough room for the road and then these massive, broken cliffs on each side just dwarfed us.

Finally we emerged into the plains and said goodbye to this wonderful scenery and also to the cool temperatures.
There was about 80km’s to go to Bishkek so we thought only an hour or so, no problem. The roads became extremely busy and then we entered 50km of roadworks. Ahhhhh.
They seem to dig up about 80km of road and the begin to seal from one end. So people driving like imbeciles, some of them must have been on drugs, dust and diesel fumes everywhere, in the end I thought F it.
So lane splitting with the best if them, lights on high beam and finger on the air horn. I couldn’t quite foot it with the taxi vans and one particularly crazy fully loaded water truck, but felt I acquitted myself well.
Not sure what the co-pilot was thinking as radio silence was maintained.
Finally arrived in Bishkek, the hotel  is nice, it has a pool and good beer and wifi and only a bit over budget. All in all a very satisfying way to spend the last day that I am 62.

Robyn's kind of town

After walking a few kms to find an ATM so we could eat and pay the hotel bill, we found a really nice place to eat.

Happy birthday Mark for the 28th (tomorrow)