Day 48. Tuesday. July 12.

  Karakol to Tong Beach Bush Camp 30.

Distance:  129 km

Cumulative Distance: 5354 km

Time: 5 hrs 54 min

Speed:  21.7 km/hr

Feet Climbed today: 1815

Cumulative Climb: 107,187  ft 

AHR (Average Heart Rate) 115 bpm

Punctures so far: 2.     

Altitude tonight: 5316 ft.

So, started on the final furlong. A lovely scenic days cycling with no wind, plenty of sunshine and a lovely campsite.

Setting out this morning , we learned that Steve Warren (Can) who just joined us in Gorno is leaving the tour prematurely due to difficulty handling the rough terrain and frustration with traffic. Though very small of stature and not one of the strongest cyclists he had booked to cycle to Tehran (Sept 6). Disappointing.

It was a very calm morning as we set out at 6.30 through the empty streets of Karakol. When we were further north in Siberia, sunrise was earlier. Now we are at latitude 42 North and so sun rises that bit later. I had been sharing room with Grant (Can) and we had our bags down in plenty of time.

Kyrgyzstan is not the best known country in the world but is a popular choice for western travellers wanting to visit Central Asia because of the visa-free entry. Also, Pallasgreen was the host community for Kyrgyzstan during the Special Olympics on 2005. Look out for the relevant sign as you enter Pallas from either end. It is larger than Ireland and has a population of 5.6 million. It is much more democratic than the other stans and maintains good relations with China.

Even through the streets of Karakol the view behind the houses was spectacular, and that was the story for the day. Our direction for the full day was west with 4000m mountains on the left and Lake Issyk Kol on our right backed by those snow-capped mountains that were outside my window in Almaty.

Plenty of cultivated land on both sides and men out already at their jobs or in the fields.

The far side of the lake is more developed tourist-wise with resorts and hotels catering for the Russian and Kazakh market. Also Russian athletes favour its mild climate and altitude as a winter training zone. On our side it tended to be wilderness between road and lake with just a few new developments.

I cycled on my own all day today and stopped many times to just sit down,observe and enjoy. All the group did likewise and generally regard today as one of the most enjoyable days cycling since we left Russia. But met one cyclist who couldn't cope and took the cart instead!

In the second half of tomorrow's ride we’ll turn south into those snowy peaks and start the climbing to the high passes. Should be even more spectacular.

Road was paved all the way today but still very bumpy but crews were out adding a new layer. And again oncoming motorists insisted on overtaking and pushing us off onto the gravel shoulder. Robert (US and Puckane) got a nasty fright when an oncoming car lost its wheel and it came careering towards him. But missed. Not injured but shattered.

Lake Issyk Kol (meaning Hot Lake) is almost the size of the Irish Sea. It isn't particularly hot but doesn't freeze in winter despite its altitude of over 1600 metres (5280 feet). Also contributing to this is its great depth, thermal activity and being slightly salty.

In Soviet times right till 1991, Issyk Kol being off the beaten track was used to test high precision torpedoes. It is reputed to contain a mysterious jekai, a local,version of the Loch Ness monster.

Just before camp the road dropped down into Tosor, an ideal,place for a Coke stop. Some had more than Coke here indeed.

Camp tonight is right on the beach at Tong, an ideal location and so different from some of our other spots. I arrived in at 1.30 and had a lovely swim in the pleasant water. At that time the centre of the beach was crowded but now (7.30) almost all are gone and only the lapping of the waves 20 metres away as company now for the night. And behind the evening view also impresses with the clay cliffs from the time when the lake’s surface was much higher.

A lovely days cycling with something to view at all times. Alas, that’s the end of the nice easy days.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.