Миллион алых роз

Often in Kyrgyzstan it would be easy to forget we are not in Europe. However when it comes to the pure European tradition, such as as drinking or hitchhiking, people here don't really know what it is or how to do. And we realize then, we are far from home.

Forget about the easy rides of last summer, hitchhiking in Iceland. In fact, people here expect to be paid for the ride. We had very hard time explaining them what is hitchhiking. And even after explaining, the reaction was like : "So... How much can you give?". We finally gave up on a free ride and started bargaining a price with drivers. Eventually we managed to get a fair price and a car to Osh.

We didn't do this ride for Osh itself, but rather for the road through Kyrgyzstan that was reputated for its landscapes. And we were not disappointed. Old Russian chanson on the radio, we could contemplate the beauties of Kyrgyzstan by the windshield for more than 13 hours. We definitly got the slowest driver of Kyrgyzstan. Maybe of all Central Asia. But the view was gorgeous. Up to snowy highs where rare locals sell honey and kymyz (a sort of kefir made from mare's milk) and huge ravens draw circles in the sky over the most unspoiled snow. Down to some valleys where horses run in the wild, shepherds gather livestock (mmh... shashlik!), kids race on donkeys... Time by time a handwritten sign shows "Gasoil" and points to a private yard. On the way we passed by Toktogul lake, a large mountain lake in a unreal blue color.

Osh is a city at the border with Uzbekistan. Much smaller than Bishkek, less russified also (we could finally hear people conversing in Kyrgyz and in Uzbek). The main site there is Suleiman Too, a muslim pilgrimage site on a rocky hill in the very center of the city. This hill makes a pretty park where to have a walk, with high caves where to climb. But the first thing that caught our attention in Osh was a huge statue of Lenin (at the end of Lenin street!) welcoming us in town.

One evening, going out for diner, we ended up in a kind of salle des fêtes/tautas nams. There we met old Uzbeks celebrating what seemed to be a marriage anniversary. Ladies were singing Raimonds Pauls' Миллион алых роз on karaoke and we were soon invited to dance with them.

The way back could have been quick. This time we ended up with the fastest (and most dangerous) drivers of the country. However we got caught in a snow storm on the pass in Ala-Too mountain range, about 100 km before Bishkek and had to remain immobile for about 10 hours.

On a totally different matter, we have some news to share with you guys. First it seems we won't be able to finish this trip as we intended, driving back home on the transsiberian railway. We saw our visa application to Russia being refused. At the embassy we were told to go to our home countries, apply for visa there and come back in Kyrgyzstan. Great. Positive point : we now have more time to explore and enjoy Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Then you can expect us to be back in Latvia. Here comes the date : May the 6th, 2015.