Travel, Wine & Shoes

The Five Stans Adventure exploring Turkmenistan 🇹🇲 Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 Tajikistan 🇹🇯 Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 and Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬

Today is for scenic hikes and panoramic views! After breakfast, drive along the south shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. As one of the largest lakes in the world, the lake is 178 km long and 60 km wide! On the way, stop to see Jeti-Ögüz – also known as Seven Bull Valley. From here, you’ll continue to Skazka (Fairy Tale) Canyon, where you can soak in the rich orange landscapes that blanket the area. Tonight, you’ll get the chance to stay in a yurt camp. A truly special experience, yurts have a long history in this area, used for generations by nomadic tribes. Settle in and enjoy a night under the stars!

~ Intrepid Travel ~ Five Stans Day 20

Dungan Mosque

This wooden mosque was built in 1910 without nails.

Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral

Built between 1894 and 1895, the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral is Russian Orthodox and has 6 golden onion domes.

Lake Issykul

Known as “The Pearl of the Tien Shan”, Lake Issykul is the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. It translates as “hot lake” because the lake never freezes.  It is located at an altitude of 1,608 meters above sea level and ranks seventh in the list of the deepest lakes in the world.  We made our first stop alongside the lake.

Jeti-Ögüz Valley (Seven Bull Valley)

Jety-Oguz Gorge legend retells us the story of formation of red mountain gorges called the Seven Bulls and the Broken Heart.

In the Jety-Oguz gorge, you can see unusual red rocks, reminiscent of seven bulls lying on the ground. Kyrgyz people have a legend about how they appeared.

… In ancient times, there were two warring rulers. One of them had a beautiful wife. The second ruler desired a beautiful woman and stole her from his rival. A bloody war broke out between the rulers. The husband of the beauty demanded the return of his beloved woman, otherwise, he would come and destroy the invader.

The evil khan began to think about what to do in order not to yield to the enemy. One of his relatives proposed a terrible plan. He said that a woman needs to be killed, and her body should be given to her husband because he did not say whether he wants to get his wife back dead or alive. The evil khan liked this plan. He organized seven-day festivities, killing one bull every day. When the seventh day came, the last bull was slaughtered, and the khan killed the woman with his own hands.

But evil deeds did not go unpunished, and the sword of justice was already carried over the evil ruler. At the moment when the blood of the murdered woman sprayed onto the rocks, hot streams of water poured into the valley, destroying the khan and his entourage. Since then, the gorge where the woman died is called Jety-Oguz – “Seven Bulls” … The right side of the red rock called “The broken heart” – with the shape of the heart with the vessels on it.

We went hiking in this stunning region and ate lunch surrounded by cows.

Skazka (Fairy Tale) Canyon

The Russian word “Skazka” translates to “fairy tale”.  Fairy Tale Canyon’s desert-like landscape has transformed into an array of sculptures and formations where red spires of rock rise out of the earth and into the sky.

How’s this for a camper?

Yurt Camp

I want my own yurt.  This was my favourite place in the 5 Stans ~ BarBulak Yurt Lodge.  I slept like a baby, the shower was hot and amazing, the sink & toilet was next to my yurt, food was delicious and the staff were wonderful.

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Happy Travels!

 

Kyrgyzstan