Lake Köl Suu

Cold morning at Kol Suu

The alarm clock in the morning it's not particularly hot, so that we had to remove ice from the tank that contains the water for the sink and replace it with some other lukewarm water to wash my face.

Riding towards Lake Köl Suu

After some hesitation, we agree to cover the route from the yurt camp to Köl Suu Lake by horse instead of on foot. We traditionally enjoy hiking and, especially in these days, where there are many hours spent driving, we would not mind taking another trip after yesterday's. However, we need to return for lunch, and it seems that there is more travel than elevation change. In this case, the activity of horseback riding becomes convenient, and also interesting, as the only previous experience was on horseback in Mongolia, but then it was just a pony for a leisurely ride. In fact, I feel a bit uncomfortable, not only because of the lack of rhythm between the horse's gait and my own movements. When we start following narrow paths where the animal has to place one foot in front of the other, and there is a void underneath, this feeling is further aggravated by being confined and sitting high up. This makes me feel vulnerable in terms of maneuverability: that is, if he were to fall for me, it would be difficult not to follow him, with the resulting risk of being crushed. However, it's still an interesting experience, allowing you to look around, and today it really is worth it: the sky is a stunning blue. the icy peaks shine under the first sun and the plains They seem to reflect the yellow of the sun, with the stream playfully skipping between the stones. The advantage here is that no bridges are needed to cross this watercourse, which is about twenty centimeters deep; the horse can easily ford it without any problems.

The blue of the Köl Suu and returning to Eki Naryn

Before the lake, the climb becomes steeper and I find it more difficult to ride than if I were walking. It's almost over, and when we pass the final stretch, we reach... lakeside paradise It opens before us. High mountains create dizzying walls of granite that extend deep into the pastel blue lake It is 12 km long and winds through this canyon; we see the first part, but we are already more than satisfied. We climb to gain a dominant position and wait for the shadow cast by one of the walls to recede, allowing a brighter shade of blue to come into view. The color of the water probably resembles only Lake Louise and Moraine Lake in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It is difficult to get tired of looking at this surface that appears so solid and dense. With unchanged apprehension, we ride back down and repeat the same mix of paths, dirt roads, and crossings. At 12:30, we're at the camp for lunch and then we continue on the same 125 km we traveled yesterday. on a dirt road…passing through passport control and experiencing a critical moment when the van stopped downhill: on one side there was only the cliff, but fortunately the vehicle restarted after several attempts. We also noticed that one of the tires seemed flat, so at the first town we went to have it checked by a tire repair shop recommended by a young shepherd whom we had given a ride to: he fixed it and for the moment we were safe. We arrived again in Naryn, with its barracks, some mosques, dust, and wandering souls; in another 40 km we reached Eki Naryn, or rather just before. Here we stayed at a surprising guesthouse: it had no sign and was difficult to find even for our driver, who could barely get directions from the owner; we found ourselves in a new environment that opened in mid-August, where even the doors of the rooms did not have locks. The answer was simple and disarming: they weren't needed, there were no thieves here. We were in a provincial setting, so the two cooks wore veils and the owner had a dominant attitude towards them. The style was simple, reflecting traditional architecture with walls made of mortar and straw, rather than ropes instead of handles, and plenty of wood around. As in yurts, at the entrance we removed our shoes to replace them with felt slippers provided. We ate well and met some travelers with the help of a friendly local guide, exchanging information and receiving useful travel tips. It seems that the Tosor Pass is closed due to the poor road conditions after recent rain, an information that we had already received yesterday and which will force us to take a detour tomorrow. But for tonight it's nice to chat in English and learn some interesting facts and current events about the country we are visiting. We fall asleep not just counting sheep, but also reviewing in our minds the many horses that descended into the Ak-Say Valley to stop in front of the barriers, waiting to be picked up and taken to their winter homes.