We shared our ride out of Murgab with the family running our homestay: they were visiting some relatives in Kyrgyzstan and we tagged along for the journey. The last section of the Pamir Highway, into Osh, is probably the most beautiful; the road climbs to a pass at 4655m, and then slides by lake Karakul and its eponymous village. There’s a place named Karakul in every Central Asian country — the name means “black lake” in Turkic languages. We stopped in Tajikistan’s Karakul for the mandatory round of tea, bread and yogurt, and crossed into Kyrgyzstan; at the relatives’ home there was another, much bigger round of tea, bread, yogurt, jams, snacks and fruits.
The Pamirs were now behind us. Kyrgyzstan welcomed us with rolling green hills, sprinkled copiously with shepherds’ yurts, and lots and lots of horses — you could tell immediately that you’re in a land of nomadic people. A few hours later, by darkness, we arrived in Osh.
Our hostel in Osh was in fact a small apartment on the top floor of an old Soviet block. The friendly owner, Abdul, was unable to offer us two beds so I slept on the floor. At 1:30 AM we were awoken by a strong jolt. For the next 15 seconds everything shook and creaked around us; we were experiencing an earthquake. Our location at the top of that old crumbling building did not instill a lot of confidence. Fortunately the shaking soon stopped. We went back to sleep not quite sure whether it was just a bad dream. It wasn’t; in nearby Fergana valley in Uzbekistan, at the epicenter of the quake, dozens of people were buried alive inside their houses. We were quite lucky.
The next morning we joined Abdul on a ride to Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek. It was a long and tiring ride — for some reason, and against all the familiar stereotypes, the drivers in this part of the world drive agonizingly slowly, rarely going over 60-70 kph even on a good road. After 14 hours we were in Bishkek; this was our second full day on the road, and we desperately needed a break.
And what a break Bishkek is. Relaxed and welcoming, it is certainly the most pleasant city we’ve been to since crossing the Caspian. We stayed at a newly built backpackers’ hostel, enjoying Western amenities about which we’ve all but forgotten on this continent. Kyrgyzstan is said to be the freest of the Central Asian republics, and it’s definitely in the air in Bishkek. The hostel is full of people who came for one day but are staying for three; after staying for about three days ourselves, resting and recharging, we set out on a trek in the nearby Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountain range.
July 23, 2011