Beyond Lake Issyk Köl

N41’49E75’23 (Kyrgyzstan), 19.06.2013

Today we made it, we left Bishkek finally! At 08:50 we arrived at the mechanic workshop with the team from Land Rover Almaty, and soon afterwards the Evoque was getting its final check. The front brakes got fixed, the rest we were told was OK and good to go. So we packed, took a picture with team Almaty and team Bishkek, fuelled up and left town. The first hour we drove on a bigger road and could speed up. Then the ascent into the mountains began and the road got worse. At lunchtime we finally saw it, lake Issyk Köl, one of the 10 biggest lakes and the second highest mountain lake in the world! What a sight, the deep blue lake with its turquoise borders in front of an endless mountain range covered in snow.

One More Day to Wait

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 18.06.2013

We are so rested and recovered by now that we can probably drive from here to Delhi, India, without stops. This morning we were anxious to get back on the road, and started packing in the morning to check out and leave after breakfast. Since we had two days to get to the border, we skipped the “06:00 wake up and speed packing” program and took it a bit easier. Then at 10:15 my phone rings.

Resurrection

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 17.06.2013

Over the weekend we had made all kinds of plans B, C and D, researched solutions, routes, options. We had stayed in touch with friends that helped, contacted people that we hoped could help us to save our journey by getting the car going. And today was our all out fight to fix the situation and save this journey!

Stranded

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 16.06.2013

An update for all those that don’t follow us on Facebook: we are still in Bishkek, and the Range Rover does not start. The guys at the car repair couldn’t fix the car on thursday afternoon, friday and saturday morning. We spent almost two days trying to find solutions, in a workshop where the air is filled with oil and diesel fumes and European and Russian pop songs of the eighties and nineties play merciless all day long. 

Breakdown in Bishkek

Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), 13.06.2013

This morning started very slow at 06:00, admiring the lake and hills around the tent, with an espresso and some reading about our next destinations. China, Pakistan, here we come! After the Pamir Highway, the Karakoram Highway is the next challenge waiting for us. We left at 11:30, with a short drive to Bishkek on the agenda for today. The road went around a part of the lake and then into the mountains. Temperature went down to 9 degrees, the sky filled with clouds. The good tar road takes you easily to almost 3000m, in the green valleys local shepherds have pitched their yurts, sheep, cows and horses are fat around here, on the side of the street you can buy yogurt and cheese balls.