Driving from Taldyk village (nowhere near the Taldyk Pass) towards Osh, we were delighted to see a sign saying “Bishkek 655 kms” and we turned right, glad that we didn’t have to get lost in Osh again. The road was very busy as far as Ungen, and only slightly less busy as far as Jalalabad. We could have stayed on the major road and avoided Jalalabad but, like a prat, I asked the way to Jalalabad rather than Bishkek, and got lost in it. Eventually got on the main road after wasting 30 minutes of our lives.
From Jalalabad, the road passes to Shamaldy-Su through some fertile farmland which is a major melon-growing centre. There were literally hundreds of stalls with huge piles of water melons and honeydew types, with small honeydews being sold in red sacks. We had already bought 2 kilos of apricots for 40 pence.
From Shamaldy-Su, the road turns north-east up the valley of the Naryn river through an increasingly deep and narrow gorge. We passed the major Tashkumyr hydro station before reaching Karakol where many of the people seemed drunk or half-soaked. However it had an ATM and we got some dosh, which is just as well because the filling stations don’t take cards. 60 litres cost me £25. After climbing a big pass, we descended to eventually reach the Toktogul reservoir and had a meal of eggs and sausages at a truckers caff. We spent the night in its carpark with a violent thunderstorm outside. The wind rocked the van, the lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled but somehow we managed to have a good nights sleep.
