TRAVERSE Issue 46 - February 2025 | Page 188

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permanent housing was enforced .
The wonderment was short lived as I prayed that these infuriating ovine would clear a path , I needed to get to Osh , urgency was now forming somewhere in my gut .
We ’ d been making steady progress out of the mountains , Sulayman Mountain , Kyrgyzstan ’ s only UNESCO World Heritage Site , loomed on the horizon and with it Osh . A city had never looked so inviting , I ’ d be able to hang on and it seemed that refuge was near . I thought of the history of this unique city .
Osh is regarded as the oldest city of Kyrgyzstan and estimated to be over three thousand years in age meaning it could be one of the oldest in the region where it sits on the edge of Fergana Valley . It ’ s bazaar is at least two thousand years of age given that it is an important location on the trading route known as the Silk Road , in fact Sulayman Mountain is thought by many scholars to be the “ Stone Tower ” described by Claudius Ptolemy in his work Geography that suggests this is the midway point of the Silk Road . It made sense as I thought of what it meant to ride into the carpark of the Classic Hotel . A modern construction never looked so good .
My fellow riders laughed as I left my bags and ran to check in , a key was handed my way and I climbed the seven flights of stairs to my room , the effort of which had caused movement .
“ Oh my gosh !”, I ’ d cried to myself . It had happened again , the Pamir Poos , and yet I ’ d smiled at the thought of completing one of the world ’ s best rides in a region so misunderstood by most and yet considered a pleasure by others . Here , I sat alone , back where we had started , and I thought , “ oh , my g ’ Osh ”. LW
TRAVERSE was invited to explore Kyrgyzstan and surrounding countries by RusMotoTravel as part of their Pamir Highway ride . RMT are the experts in this part of the world , offering fully supported , guided tours . Make contact with RMT to see what they can offer you when exploring the Pamir Highway - rusmototravel . com
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