Photos

Silkroad travels: Kyrgyzstan

A view from the outskirts of Sary Tash on the Kyzyl-Suu valley and the Chong-Alay Kirkasy (= Trans Alay mountains) from the North. We are at 3'140 m asl. The Alay kirkasy is in our back. To the right you see Pik Lenina (7'134 m asl.) from the North. Pik Lenina has now be renamed Qullai Sina in memory of the eminent Persian scientist from Bukhara (Ali Abu Sina was born in 980, he is known as Avicenna in Europe).

The traditional Silk road branch from the fertile Fergana valley to China follows the river Kyzyl-Suu to the East and up the Irkestam pass to the Chinese border. The road is despite an ever increasing truck traffic in lousy shape as you will notice in the pictures to come. China offers road construction in Central Asia and is paid in various ways for such services, the importation of ore into China being one of them.

With the future improved Silk road, new international agreements and and new customs facilities will result a massive exchange of goods by trucks from Turkey to Bejing and beyond: interesting days ahead for truckers but not for cyclists!