more populated areas where the roads
were all bitumen except for a side
road to reach our next destination at
Charyn Canyon. Whilst it does not
compare to the USA’s Grand Canyon it
is certainly worth a visit and has great
natural formations.
On departure Anton just could not
determine what was preventing one
DR650 from starting which resulted in
that bike being carried back to Almaty
on a frame affixed to the rear of the
support vehicle.
We were back in Almaty quite early
in the day allowing ample time before
joining up for a ride celebration din-
ner where riders were presented with
certificates and other small gifts.
I was at the airport by 3 am next
morning leaving friends old and new
to their own travel. I had renewed my
friendships with some riders and cre-
ated new ones. Although tough to de-
part from friends, I always say that if
you don’t go away then you can’t come
back, and I reckon I will be back ... RL
at the quantity of goods on offer.
Getting to Issyk Kul Lake provided
roads of varying surface. Although
the surface was listed as bitumen in
many areas it was quite broken up
and the last few kilometres to our
lakeside accommodation was on sand
and gravel. With little traffic this was
a great ride. As soon as the lake came
into view one could not help but be in
awe of what appeared to be an inland
sea. At 1,608 metres altitude this lake
is one of the highest mountain lakes
and is the second largest saline lake in
the world. A length of 182 kilometres
and a width of 37 kilometres it has an
area of 6,236 square kilometres with
beautiful sandy beaches. The lake is
frequently called "The Pearl of Central
Asia" and is among the main tourist
highlights of Kyrgyzstan.
This is where the Kyrgz people
come for their “seaside” holidays. The
soviets had built many resorts beside
the lake all of which were in ruin and
needed bulldozing as they were an
eyesore.
This was where I opted for the back
seat of the Toyota but had ridden all of
the exciting terrain so I was a happy
camper.
We headed back to Kazakhstan, to
TRAVERSE 82
When it comes to riding there's very little
that Ray hasn't done; he loves jumping on tour
bikes and exploring the world, or his own bike
and exploring his home.
Ray's often spoken about his age meaning
that he needs to stop riding, we don't think
it will happen, he just has way too much to
explore ...