Then Jordan....
Then me.
Me with Bernie and our local guide Sasha on a beautiful lake.
Wednesday, May 7th.
First thing today Jordan had the driver stop at the beautiful Central Mosque we saw yesterday as we entered the city. The sunni muslim mosque was constructed between 2012-18 and was financed by Turkey. It is a copy of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque and can hold ten thousand people. Then we left the city on a scenic drive to the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, a beautiful lake set between two snow capped mountain ranges. The lake ranks as the tenth largest lake in the world by volume and is 3% saline lake. It is the second largest alpine lake behind only Lake Titicaca in Peru. It defies the elements, remaining unfrozen throughout the year despite the frigid winters, hence its name, which translates to "warm lake" in Kyrgyz. We arrived at the Kar-Ven resort, our hotel in the early afternoon and checked into our accommodation. We had some free time and John and I decided to check out the outdoor pool. Although the day was sunny it was cooler than Bishkek because of the moderation effect of the lake. When we got to the pool we found it empty, the same with the waterpark and its slides. So we walked along the path to the beach where we found the pier that went out into the lake. The whole place was very artificial, the sand was imported as just under the water at the shoreline it was all pebbles. The resort was well manicured and after talking to our local guide, Sasha she confirmed what I suspected that this was part resort, part time-share and part privately owned. As we drove along the lake's coastline, we arrived at the town of Cholpon-Ata where we began our exploration with a visit to the petroglyphs located above the town. These ancient etchings, dating back between 1,900 and 2,800 years, offer a glimpse into the lives of the Saka-Usun peoples who inhabited this area before the arrival of the Kyrgyz. The petroglyphs depict a variety of scenes, including animals such as wolves and deer, and the hunters who pursued them. These detailed carvings provide a tangible connection to the region's distant past, offering insights into the cultural practices, beliefs, and daily life of its ancient inhabitants. To delve deeper into the region's history and culture, we visited a small regional museum that showcases a collection of artifacts and ethnological displays that offer a glimpse into the diverse heritage of the area, highlighting the unique traditions, customs, and artistic expressions of its people. After that we met up with the group and the bus and drove to a small harbour where we boarded a boat for a ride out onto the lake. Jordan had bought some drinks and snacks so we could have a party on our last full day as a group (tomorrow the Stans tour ends and 6 people leave). We had an opportunity to swim off the boat into the very cool 12-15 degree lake. Only John and I joined Jordan, the rest were content to stay on board. We had fun and a few drinks before going back to shore where we went to the resort’s restaurant for dinner. This was bizarre in that it was a group of tables set in a semi circular configuration facing a stage with a screen projecting scenes from Central Asia and two women singing Karaoke pop tunes. Some people danced but I found a ping pong table and Sasha and I played for a half hour before she swapped out for John and then he swapped out for Jordan. It was lots of fun. They also had three pool tables and a three lane bowling alley, although we didn’t use any of them. Then back to the room for the night.
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