Song Kol

The hike to Song Kol is a pretty quick and straightforward four hour walk along the dirt road. Hitching can be very hit and miss along this route as it’s one for the sheepherders and illegal fisherman and tends to see at most two cars in each direction a day. If you want to hitch-hike into Song-Kol, you’re better off going from the eastern side of the lake, where the CBT yurts are setup.

Song-Kol alpine lake, from the northern side.

I end up staying in a yurt with Nurbek (right), his friend Ailan, his wife (far right) and four month old baby that keeps me up all night (had I seen the baby earlier, I would have made a break for it.

Ailan and most people in the surrounding group of yurts are involved in the illegal fishing business. It’s no longer possible to fish commercially in Song-Kol, however they all do, paying bribes to the inspectors when they come.

 

Some of Nurbek’s horses.

A chick.

I rent Nurbek’s horse for a day and decide I’m going to circumnavigate the lake. I give up after several hours have passed, with three quarters of the lake to go.

One of Nurbek’s dogs. Every shepherd has at least three dogs that aren’t particularly welcoming of foreigners, especially on horses.

The noble steed.

A butterfly that didn’t quite make it.

Large panorama shot of Song Kol lake. Full size image is 3.5Mb 10,009 x 3,268.

I come back down the mountain in a car with Zhenoura, a woman hauling several hundred kilos of fish to Balykchy for selling illegally in the Issyk-Kol region. I spend the night at her place in Kyzart and the following morning we load up a taxi with the fish. Her plan, should we be stopped by police is to say that I am a German tourist and that she is my interpreter. Never mind the fact that she barely remembers her high school German classes and that the only phrase I know is “Das ist mein bratwurst!”.

« On the Road to Song Kol | Home | Karakol »