Day 86 - Following the mosquito attacks last night, we faced a night of rain in our camp. After drying everything in the much-appreciated morning sun, we made our way to the local restaurant in Kyzyl-Oi for breakfast. We've been outdoors for several days now, and it's starting to show. A timid smile was still possible, but only after a few cups of coffee. Time to hit the road towards Bishkek.
Day 86 and 87 - Here are some shots from our journey driving from Kyzyl-Oi to Bishkek. The road was mostly compressed dirt, often wet from the rain last night, but still drivable fast. Along the route, we passed through villages like Komjokul that still exude that Soviet vibe. If we didn’t know we were in Kyrgyzstan, we might think we were riding through villages along the Kolyma Highway, aka the Road of Bones, somewhere in Siberia on our way to Magadan. In fact, that could inspire a new trip! Meanwhile, we hit the pavement again as we ride over the Too-Ashuu pass towards Bishkek. We check into a hostel here, enjoy a couple of beers, take a shower, and decide to stay for a day before starting our final leg along Issy-Kul lake on our way to Kazakhstan.
Day 89 - Getting out of bed can be a challenge sometimes, especially when the bed is as cozy as the ones we experienced in the hostel in Balykchy. Our ride has been quite uneventful - well, aside from the fact that I was pulled over for speeding by a mobile police patrol… - but we made our way to Balykchy and decided to call it a night early as the rain began to fall, and we definitely didn’t want to set up our tents in the wet weather. We have not had rain since probably Armenia. I woke up early to go grab some of the first croissants and yogurt we’ve had in what feels like forever. Once Gion finally got out of bed, we enjoyed our breakfast and prepared to ride along the southern edge of Issyk Kul lake.
