The tale of three gorges (Blog 6)

This blog this time is mostly a video blog <- click here !

Some background:
The bus was a extremely basic, but capable, 90’s Russian vehicle. It picked us up from Karakol to take us up the Alyn Arashan gorge.

The ‘onsen’ was heated by a natural hot thermal spring, great after the hike.

The very stony and bumpy road up the gorge
The very stony and bumpy road up the gorge
View to the snow capped peak above the gorge
View to the snow capped peak above the gorge
Relaxing in the thermal spring onsen atop the gorge
Relaxing in the thermal spring onsen atop the gorge
Strikng hills on the way to the gorge
Strikng hills on the way to the gorge
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The Jet Oguz gorge, south of Issy-Kul, was an easier hike, popular for family picnics.

It rained a little last night, for the first time since we’ve been here. It has been a very hot and extraordinary dry summer in Kyrgyzstan, but despite that, the rivers still pour down with snowmelt. Suspect the water may become an increasingly important resource.

The guest house accommodation in Tamga, on the southern side of Issy-Kul ,was a delightful guesthouse with an extensive garden of fruit trees and roses.

Garden at guesthouse
Garden at guesthouse
Tampa Guesthouse
Tamga Guesthouse

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Today we walked around the Skazka canyon, under threatening grey skies with lightening over the lake. Fantastic bands of colours in the sandy hills; would be great at sunset.

group
The group
Dry riverbed
Dry riverbed
Weird sandy rock
Weird sandy rock
Greg & Ewen
Greg & Ewen
Ewen
Ewen
Playdough !
Playdough !
Multi-coloured sandy rocks
Multi-coloured sandy rocks
Ewen on peak
Ewen on peak
Jenelle with Issy-Kul behind
Jenelle with Issy-Kul behind
Ravine
Ravine
Humans can see faces in anything
Humans can see faces in anything
Slot in cliff
Slot in cliff
Multi-coloured strata again
Multi-coloured strata again
Ripples
Ripples
Sky hole
Sky hole

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A bit of a long drive back to Bishkek, and the end of our Kyrgyzstani adventure. Tomorrow Kazakhstan !

Cheers,
Bruce