A Bumpy Ride to Karokol

Karakol is a town on the East end of Issyk Kul (Lake). I just read that is used to be called Przhevalsk (damn Soviets). It is the jumping off point for extended hikes to Ala kul lake and the surrounding areas. There are some great day trips including hot springs (which I was all for). An interesting side note about the town and the surrounding area. About 10 years ago you would be hard pressed to find a guesthouse let alone a hostel or hotel, and the few restaurants in town were not what you would call "tourist friendly." USAID, you remember them, well they saw the potential to and to revive the area. Here we are now and it is not a "boom town" but the hiking is a huge draw to the "off the beaten path crowd", and it is increasing every year.

The challenge at hand, getting there from Bishkek. Now, it is not difficult in any sense of the word, it is just the road to get there runs on the North Side of the Lake and it is under construction (see above comments about growth) and a ride of 3-4 hours now takes up to 7 and I was warned it is bumpy as fuck. Big Deal right. They nothing about the Karakoram Highway Islamabad to Gilgit! Bring on the marshrutka!

A marshrutka pit stop

Not too crowded today

Bump bump bump and yes, it took 7 hours to go the 400 KM. Interestingly enough, I had picked a few towns that I wanted to stop at along the North route. The madness of the road and watching people try and flag down a ride in the mayhem made me just sit back and enjoy the rollercoaster I was on. It was the right choice.

I, well we, as I was still traveling the Kaori and Robert, booked into the Nest Hostel which did not seem like much when we go there but it worked out great. It was active with hikers coming and going. Those going were sorting their gear, those returning where moaning about how difficult it was. It was quite amusing. As I said there were some day trips to plan, but this town was also worth exploring. First things first, the famous Ashlan-fu as I was pretty hungry.

The "cold noodles of Karakol" refer to Ashlan-fu, a traditional Dungan noodle dish that is a famous specialty of the city. It features two types of noodles—thick wheat noodles and thinner starch noodles—served in a cold, tangy, and spicy vinegar-based broth with a garlic flavor. The dish is a popular refreshing meal, especially in warm weather, and its ingredients reflect the Dungan community's Chinese roots. - Wiki

Motivating sigh at the hostel

Ashlan-fu  I had two bowls

This is not the pretties of towns, but I like coming to a town that is a bit gritty and growing. There is an old Russian Orthodox Church that has survived war and purges. It is made completely of wook and no metal nails of any type were used. The Holy Trinity Church was worth a short visit and even though it said no photos, well I am going to Christian Hell.

There is a mosque but I was all mosqued out. I did find a bar called Pinta (no website) on the first day and the beer was cold, cheap and the staff was friendly. Overall a great vibe. Quite a few travelers to chat with as well. So in the end a trip to Karakol was worth the bumpity bump bump. Now it was time to get my day tripping on.