2017/09/01

Day 34: Charyn River Canyon - Djety Oguz Valley

The day starts wonderful with breakfast and wide panoramic view over the canyon.

Then I ride to the border to Kyrgyzstan. A tiny border post in the middle of nowhere. The border crossing takes about 15 minutes and is the fastest so far. I had the impression that the backpackers were controlled more intensively. 

The landscape changes immediately. Hills, yurts, horses, jagged peaks in the background. The gravel road into the direction of Karakol is leading uphill and downhill, some parts a quite challenging to ride.

In Karakol I get some money from an ATM first. In front of a supermarket I realize two motorcycles known to me - Lee and Veronika, whom we had met in Mongolia on the way from Khovd to Ulaangom. We're happy to meet each other again and we decide to continue together. First I'm getting a SIM card and some food for the next few days.

They want to visit a valley, about 30 km ahead. The valley is along a river, which still has quite a lot of water - in the mountains there's still some snow. There are many tourists in the valley, both domestic and foreign. We decide for a place for camping and I'm looking a bit further up the valley, to check the surrounding. Unfortunately bike falls down again - it's not well balanced and falls over the side stand when I'm already a few meters off the bike!

A short time later, I want to take a photo, and realize that the camera is gone. Shock. So I'm first returning to the place, where the bike was falling down, nothing. Together with Lee I'm riding back all the way offroad to the place where I last took a photo - nothing.

The fact that the camera is lost is quite inexplicable, because the two have always been after me and haven't seen anything. We are searching for quite a long time, but nothing. Frustration! Not only the pictures of the day are gone, but I also will need a new camera - There are a lot of highlights ahead! And a new camera I probably can only get in the capital, in Bishkek - a decent detour. Such a crap. 

We cook together, I'm responsible for the tomato sauce with the rest of a Russian sausage, Veronica does the salad and noodles. The two have already been on the road since January, lived in Australia for several years and do not know yet whether to go to England or even to Canada. For dinner, they got some wine! Very nice evening!