2017/09/04

Day 37: Song Kul - Camping

The campground in Song-Kul is really wonderful: great views, horses and other grazing animals. It was not too cold in the night, slept well and long. For breakfast there is a rest from the dinner and a coffee. Life here must be hard here, comparable probably to the life of the Senners in the Alps in Europe.

All day the route continues on gravel roads through impressive landscapes, across three passes. It's a big positive surprise for me. But I can't do it to Osh today, I'm far from it. I do many photo stops today. Really great ride. Landscape sometimes it reminds of the Alps.

I meet numerous cyclists, but not a single biker. A Swiss couple stayed on a pass at 3,400 m for the nights and teills me, it was quite cold there. Two Germans lost a third man. With a broken bicycle, he had to go to Bishkek for a repair - everything that is broken or lost, can only be repaired or found in Bishkek. At some point I do not stop chatting - but all my respect for the performance of these cyclists!

In the evening, I have to search for a place for the night quite a while, then I find a small steep path through a fruit plantation, but at some point I have to turn around, not easy, and then I'm nearly stuck and heat up the clutch to smell and I'm a little bit stressed. Finally, however, I find an even spot where I can build up my tent and then spend a good night there.

I don't like to cook anymore this evening, and besides, the grass here is very dry and I do not want to cause a bush fire. So I just have some bread and some dates.