SuzyBlue goes east 2019:Kasachstan part 2, short trip to some nationalparks, 02.-07.07.

With this Kasachstan-part I sort of cherry-pick little from an amazing huge part; Kyrgystan is incredible fascinating and as I will have a visitor from Switzerland in the middle of July I will be here until beginning of August. So it's just a short "detour" to Kasachstan in order to see as much as possible of the beautiful surroundings.

After Karakol the road - again a mix of gravel and "I used to be paved centuries ago" - leads through many relaxing bends towards the border of Kasachstan. Soon I see the silhouette of two motorbikes in the distance. As I seem to drive a bit faster I approach them quite quick and realize that I know them. It's Vreni and Werner, two Swiss leaving near my home. They're on two oldtimers - a Ducati and a Condor- on their way to Mongolia/Russia. As we meet we take a short break,  sit in the grass and update each other about what we explored so far. As we have the same destination- at least for this day - we ride on together. The border crossings goes smooth and fast. The custom officers work really serious and accurate but seem to have their fun with us bikers.

After we fueled up and got some Kasachstan Tenghe we quickly driveon towards the Charyn Canyon. At the entrance to the national park the ranger tells us that it is not possible anymore to drive down to the valley with the motorbikes. After just visiting the first viewpoint we decide that we would like to go down and spend the night in the valley as the rock formations are really impressive. But to walk down the appr. 3 kilometers in full motorcycle gear and with all the luggage would be just to hard. A Polish tourist in a rented car invites us to drive down with him. I mention that I thought there would be a 4WD necessary to drive down and as soon as he sees the "road" he decides better to ask the guard at the entrance whether it is possible or not. The guard explains that it is not allowed for ANY tourist to drive down in its own vehicle. Ok... this information he could have given earlier. We beg and "flirt" with him until he organises a ranger who drives us to the ECO camp. We three rent a small bungalow and after the dinner walk through the impressive canyon. Incredible, all theses rock formations from which you could think that they're just a small windblow away from crashing down.

As Verni and Werner travel on the next day towards Russia I put up my tent and enjoy a relaxing day, walking around and taking short swims in the icecold Charyn river. Unfortunately there is quite some wind the whole day. And I just realize in the evening what that means: the whole tent (together with my clothes, my sleeping bag, etc.) is covered with fine black sand. WOW.... I just have time to clean it as good as possible until a rainstorm hits the valley. But at least that's no problem sitting in my nice litttle tent. While listening to the rain and thunder I read more about my next stop: Altyn Emel nationalpark.

The next morning it's nice and sunny again and I leave that magic valley. This time the ranger drives me just as far as to the stairs that lead outof the valley. OK, some sports never hurts, 200 steps in full motorcycle gear and with my camping stuff....phhh ;-)
I drive 200km to Basshi, a little village at the entrance of the Altyn Emel Nationalpark. I will stay there fortwo nights and have daaydtrips to the sightseeing spots. As I don't find the hotel marked on my navigation systems I ask a local man (with feet and hands as I don't speak any Russian). He waves to follow him and walks some meters to his own house. Again a family who changed some of their rooms into tourist rooms. Everything is clean, the price of course just great (including dinner and breakfast) and like that I can "help" the locals to earn some money. I still don't have found out from whatmost of the people live here as there is no industry and just little farmwork. I just get rid of my camping stuff (which means a lighter bike) and drive to see the first sightseeing spot: the singin dune. To get there I have to pass two checkpoints and ride 50km, most of it unfortunately corrigated piste. Well, it's sort of a training for Tajikistan and the Pamir. But from time to time I struggle a bit and my heartbeat jumps up. Driving 60-70kmh and having some deep gravel or sand parts ahead - slowing down would be fatal but it's a bit scary to feel the front AND the rear wheel "dancing" around somehow. But I manage to get through without fall and without a heart attack;-)

To see the huge and majestic sand dune in the middleof this vaste steppe is really amazing. The dune is 120m high and about 3km long. With the right wind and under really dry conditions you can hear it "singing".... means to hear how the dune moves - what it does all the time as the dune is still growing. Unfortunately I don't hear anything but it is impressing anyway. I walk up about a third but don't have enough power to walk to the top as it's nearly 40°C nad my hard motorcycle boots not exactly the right shoeware for walking through the sand uphill. The way back to Basshi thistime already much more confident ;-)

Back at the hostel I witness how the father strips down a goat in the middle of the backyard. With keen helping hands of his little sons. And it's not difficult to assume that the same goat will be part of my dinner sooner or later. And really a tasty one. Of course, for us westeners this way of treating meat is quite uncommon and it is also absolutely clear that the hygienic standards are somehow low (nicely said) but that's the realitiy here. The people don't have the choice to be dodgy.

The next day I drive to the other famous sightseeing of the Altyn Emel national park: the red rocks "Katatau". At the two checkpoints again the old ladies (guards) have noted by hand meticulous my datas. This time 80km of gravel and corrugated road lay ahead (one way) but meanwhile these sort of roads don't scare me off anymore. You can see the rocks already from far but it takes quite some time until you stand right in front of them. I'm absolutely on my own, no other soul out there and I enjoy the complete silence in this surreal scenery.

Before heading back to Basshi I make a short detour to a 700 year mighty willow. By hearsay it brings you luck when you whisper a wish while embrazing the trunk of the willow. Even Dshingis Khan knew that and visited the willow several times. Ofcourse I give it a try.... and will see whether it works ;-) The willow has to be supported by thick timber needles meanwhile but it is still really impressive. Around the willow and a nice little pond a Kirgise family (grandparents, father, 3 kids) lives and shows the visitors around. As I arrive exactly when they prepare to have sort of a lunch break outside in the shade of the willow I'm invited spontanousely to join them: Boorsok with homemade jam, fresh bread, fried onion rings and of course a  lot of chai. They all are really nice and as I'm unfortunately not able to talk with them I show them my journey on Polarsteps. They can hardly imagine how somebody could travel that far and that long just to see their country. They invite me to stay with them but as I have part of my luggage in Basshi I drive back - of course after having spent some time playing with the three little girls.

The next morning I start early back towards Kyrgystan. And what a surprise: on a long, straight part of the road I meet again Christian and Hilmar, the two Germans I've met already a couple of times. They are on their way to Russia/Mongolia. We talk quite a while on the side of the street until the heat gets to brutal.
Although quite a "detour" from Kyrgystan to get here I don't regret having driven here. The scenery and mainly the encounters made it worth every single kilometer.