Izzyk Kul is the world’s second highest alpine lake after Lake Titicaca. It is slightly salty and never freezes. The lake is fed by 80 streams but it has no outlet. It is 60 km x 170 km and 700 m deep. And it is really beautiful.
We spent 4 nights at different towns as we drove around the lake. Snowy peaks formed the background wherever we looked including Karakol Mountain at 5216 m. In the town of Kochkor we visited a felting workshop and had a demonstration of the technique they are using. We passed many large road-side sculptures of wild sheep, snow leopard, ibex, eagle, and deer, erected during Soviet times to emphasise the protected status of each animal. We celebrated Barney’s birthday with dinner and a current cake at Luba’s guest house in the village of Tamga. During a stop at the animal market in the village of Kyzyl Suu I was asked the question I’m sure many local people have wondered...“why you take pictures of animals?”
We visited the Prezhwalski Museum, investigated Scythian burial mounds dating from 8th century BC, wandered through a field of petroglyphs, and swam in the lake. We also visited the Burana Tower built in the 11th century and roamed a nearby grassland full of standing ‘balbals’ – stone markers erected as battle monuments by the Turkic tribes from the 6th to 10th centuries AD.
We spent our last two nights back in Bishkek before flying back to Tashkent for one night and the end of the tour. We loved Kyrgyzstan – its people, landscape, food and horses. Perhaps a nice long horseback trip next time.
Photos from our travels around Lake Issyk Kul...
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| Around Lake Issyk Kul |
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