One of those special traveller days.

I am sat in my hotel room warm and snug looking like a local with my socks on and indoor slippers. I am all packed ready to go back to Chon Kemin tomorrow, and renew the challenge of work but today could not have been better. It was one of those days one has when travelling. I talked briefly with two guys staying in the hotel - one of whom (An Austrian specialist)  was in the area inspecting solar panel developments in the area,the other (Kyrgyz and I found out later from the agency that had developed and funded the scheme)   I then asked the owner to check taxis to get me to Jeti Olguz or the beach and she said that the two guys were heading off to the first place right now and could give me a lift.

Shortly after we left Karakol the snow came down thick and heavy and by the time their car arrived at the development they had come to look at I did not feel I could safely go onto the village so I was happy to see the solar power in work at this remote First Aid post and school.  (Apparently the agency funding it is also looking into bio mass and they have been helping to develop an apple drying project elsewhere, so lots of areas of interest addressed in one car journey). The first aid post was bare, not boiling hot, but not cold either, just functional, and for the last few months they have paid nothing for their electricity, however, the main point of the solar power and water pump is to ensure that when there is a power cut that the fridge which houses the drugs will keep going)  As the snow was now inches deep it was clear that I could not go on, and so the kind agency worker ask his driver to go on a little. We did not get to the interesting sounding sanatorium but we were able to see a famous geological feature called the 7 bulls. The area looks stunning so I was glad to have a chance to just at least peek at it.

On our way back we dropped the guide that had come with us, and I do not really know whether it was his family (as he disappeared) or just someone whose drive we had parked in, but we were invited in for chi. This is the first time I have visited someone's house, I was beginning to think I would not experience the legendary Kyrgyz hospitality, but this lovely family provided us with fresh butter and jam and bread and for the first time tea with milk.(A morning treat)  It was explained that the family provided milk to a collective of some sort and they get butter in return, and something similar happens with some of their apples, which are sent to a local press and then returned to them as juice to last the winter.. They also said that less people had been travelling through the district and as a result they had more apples left than usual so were feeding the animals them, but they were almost desperate to find a way to capitalise on their product - so followed a quick discussion on many of the possibilities. It seems that modern Bishkek Kyrgys are cooking their apples and they pay quite a lot for apples that are just being thrown away in the country so if the infrastructure of the country could be improved it would be easier for small farmers to make more of their crop.

The two men were meeting another colleague when they dropped me on the outskirts of Karakol, so I took a minibus back inot town, which to my surprise suddenly turned off and I found myself in the busiest part of the town, a huge market.  I wondered through the tiny lanes, very reminiscent of Senegal, except there I was trying to keep out of the sun and here I was trying to find it.  It was a great place to shop. I probably should have bargained, but I could not care, I was just happy to be able to feel confident enough to buy some local dried fruit (guy spoke English! so not a problem), try and buy a jumper, (no English but as in Africa phones used to note down potential price) and a pair of boots.  (Again sign language) by the time I had stumbled out of the maze and found my way back into town I was in need of a cup of tea so headed for the cafe I had used the day before.  For the first time one of the restaurants I ate in was almost full. It all looked so cosy I decided to try the food as well.   The Russian for soup is soup, so I decided to ask for this but then could not say what type of soup so they brought me the menu in English!  There is a winter and summer tourist trade here, but the presence of English in so many places here seems amazing and yet another disincentive to learn the language, however, I am sat here watching the Last Samurai in Russian as I write this pretending I am making an effort.  I go back to the Ashu with much more stuff than when I arrived and I have learned a lot more about the country and wondering the market felt a real buzz to be here so all in all a very successful mini break.  I just hope that the snow will not make the journey too challenging tomorrow. Today despite the snow it was not that cold (or was that the five layers I was wearing) but it was very slippery in places until the sun came out, so I think that ice is the greatest problem at present, and it does show I will need a lot more clothing when the weather worsens, so I am glad I was able to get a new jumper and coat on this visit.