Kyrgyzstan > Recovering in Osh

In the morning, we get into conversation with two Czech motorcyclists at the guesthouse. They are traveling the route in the opposite direction. They have tips for us about Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia, and we share tips about Tajikistan with them. They thought the north of Mongolia was very beautiful but also warn about river crossings. They had themselves ferried across a river by a truck—the river was more than a meter deep. They take the remainder of our Tajikistani som from us. Then we set off for Osh. According to the Czechs, it’s a good road. It feels nice to be riding on smooth asphalt again. We even have to be careful not to go too fast. When an oncoming car signals, we’re unsure whether it’s for a control or just to say hello. Soon it becomes clear—it’s a checkpoint. According to the officer, we had been driving 64 where the limit was only 40.

Kyrgyzstan - The mountain road passes through a stunning landscape

We play dumb. The officer tries to explain in Russian and points at the speedometer. “Ticket, ticket.” Then he sighs and waves us on. The road passes through gently rolling hills. It’s remarkable how green the landscape is here compared with Tajikistan. Yurts are scattered throughout the scenery. In the summer months, Kyrgyz families move into the mountains, keeping the nomadic lifestyle alive to some extent. It’s a lovely sight, all those yurts along the road. The livestock moves along too. Sometimes cows walk on the road. One calf is so startled by our yellow vehicle that it almost runs into an oncoming car. It narrowly misses. Around one o’clock, we approach Osh, the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan. The city is busy with traffic. People try to overtake us on both sides, but also wave through open windows to say hello. The hotel is on the edge of the city center, a perfect place to stay for two nights. It feels good to have a proper shower and toilet in the room again. There’s also internet available. We stroll into Osh. At a restaurant with pictures of pizza, we go inside. No pizza—it’s from the previous owner. The menu still offers good options. I order a hamburger sandwich with fries; it’s been a while since I last had that. We go looking for a new camera for Milko and wander through the very large bazaar of Osh. In the evening, after dinner, as we walk back to the hotel, it starts drizzling. Rain? We haven’t had that for a while. Just as we reach the hotel, a heavy downpour begins. Time to go to sleep.