Kyrgyzstan - Central Asia - page 276

Issyk-Köl A bus leaves at 8.50am for Karakol
(400som).
Song-Köl Kubat Tour (p281) offers an interest-
ing two-day loop for 3500som going out one
way and returning another (or alternatively
dropping you in Kochkor).
Kazarman In summer shared taxis (800som)
reputedly leave from the bazaar at around 8am
once or twice a week. Hiring a full taxi costs
around 5000som. Buses now only run as far as
Baetov, departing 8am (150som).
Tash Rabat Only possible by charter taxi. CBT
(p281) charges 3400som return per car, Kubat
asks 2500som. Either include a stop at Koshoy
Korgon.
Kashgar (China) see p310.

Naryn with red cliffs all around and plenty
of hiking opportunities. The village matri-
arch can arrange horses. With your own
transport it's possible to continue north-
east and then swing west to follow the
Kara-Kujur Valley back to Sary-Bulak and
the main Naryn-Kochkor road.
CBT (p281) arranges homestays at
Lehol, and Shepherd's¨Life ( % 077-701 3747;
[e-mail]; Pionerskaya) has a
summer yurtstay at Ardakty Jailoo.

Naryn to Jalal-Abad
Beware. Although maps show a road
across Kyrgyzstan between Jalal-Abad and
Naryn, the central cross-mountain section
of the road is an unpaved, seasonal affair
with barely two vehicles an hour passing
through, even in summer. It can become
impassable after mudslides and closes al-
together from October to late June. Most
travellers coming this way break the jour-
ney in Kazarman, a service town for the
recently re-started Makhmal open-cast
gold mine. If you're coming from Song-Köl,
there's a very attractive link route across
the Moldo Ashuu Pass via 33 switchbacks.
A few kilometres after Kurtka (Jangy Talap;
homestay available), turn right to find the
Kazarman road. You've gone too far if you
cross the river bridge (just north of the
Naryn-Baetov road west of Ak-Tal).

Around Naryn
CBT (p281) can give you the low-down on a
range of trips around Naryn, including yurt-
stays in the Ardaktuu Valley, and Tyor Jailoo
in the Eki-Naryn Valley. With one day's no-
tice, it can organise multi-day horse treks.
Most horse trips start from Kurtka (Jangy
Talap) or Eki-Naryn. Ask them about visits
to the Tian Shan deer nursery at Irii-Suu
(great for kids) and day trips up the Ak-Tam
Valley to see petroglyphs.
Possible excursions include:
¨ Eki-Naryn to Bokonbayevo: Six days by
horse, via Jiluu Suu.
¨ Kurtka (Jangy Talap) to Song-Köl:
Two days by horse, or three days by foot.
Starting from Kurtka (Jangy Talap) village,
west of Naryn to Song-Köl's southern
shore, overnighting in yurts (July and
August) or tents.
¨ Naryn State Reserve: 2½ days by horse
or 4½ days by foot. Transport by car to the
state reserve then you follow the Big Naryn
River to Karakalka village, overnighting
with the ranger or staying in tents. It
is possible to arrange transport or trek
independently to Barskoön from Karakalka.

Kazarman Казарман

% 3738 / POP 15,000 / ELEV 1230M
Don't be put off by Kazarman's grungy
concrete centre - a semi-circular fan of
dreary four-storey prefabricated apartment
blocks ranged round a Soviet-era culture
centre (Dom Kulturi). Away from these
eyesores, the town's setting is an attrac-
tive, wide, mountain-edged valley. Around
20 minutes' walk north of Dom Kulturi, a
series of sandy riverside cliffs are best ap-
preciated from the Kara-Suu bridge. For a
brilliant overview of the poplar punctuated
townscape and soaring backdrop, head in
the opposite direction and climb the low,
flat cemetery hill at the southern end of
Mambetjanov.
The main Naryn-Jalal-Abad through
road (Kojaliev) is paralleled a block to the
south by Kadyrkulova (with two homestays)
and four blocks north by the town's main
drag, Jeenaliev (formerly Mira). These are
linked by the part road, part footpath Mam-

East of Naryn
The scenic Kichi (Little) Naryn Valley
stretches to the northeast of Naryn and of-
fers plenty of opportunities for exploration.
About 12km along the road is Salkyn Tör,
a scenic canyon that makes a great picnic
spot and is a popular weekend hang-out for
people from Naryn.
About 42km out of Naryn (400som by
taxi) is the attractive little town of Eki-