Day 83. Karakol.

My swelling continues to subside, thank you for all of the get well soon messages. I am almost back to my devilishly handsome self. 

This morning we cross the religious divide and visit a mosque which is close by. This is the dominant religion here but is not a part of the political system, at least I don’t think it is, and I don’t think most Kyrgzs are particularly devout Muslims.

The mosque was very unusual to see, a largely wooden structure, constructed without the use of nails, but designed in a strikingly Chinese style. This is the Dungan sect of Islam, quite local and quite Chinese.  We are very close to China and of course we are still on the Silk Rd so I guess it shouldn’t be such a surprise.



Unlike some if its neighbours Kyrgyzstan is not blessed with natural resources like oil and gas so it struggles a bit. There are opportunities for tourism which show signs of growth but it would take a major investment I think to make this a really viable industry. 
There is a natural beauty to this country for sure but they are the poor cousins to their neighbours to the north and south.


More planning this afternoon and trying to make “what if” contingency plans. 
It sometimes feels like we have been ducking and diving since we left NZ. We have visited 3 countries we never intended to travel to for various reasons and with the latest tensions between Pakistan and India it could make life even more interesting. 

We have now planned out the next few days which will take us to Sost in Pakistan. Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from us after about the 12th as we go into the mountains and then into China. 

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