09 Jun 11: Naryn - Karakol , Kyrgyzstan

Marshrutka. The first time after Georgia. But this mode of transport here is better with a Mercedes mini-bus and a great driver Islam. He was happy to pose in front of his vehicle before we started off.

Stop at some yurts to drink horse’s milk (not us) and buy some kurut (dried horse cheese). Lunch at Balykchy and now heading to Lake Issyk-Kul which is already visible. It is the second highest lake in the world after Titicaca. All sorts of stories about it. Kyrgyz secret about a “Loch Ness” monster. But it was a secret held for a long time by the Russians until the end of 19^th century when all people poured down here to have their little dacha. Russians tested precision torpedoes in it.