30th September 2002. For an hour and a half the truck crawls up a rough track alongside a fast flowing river up the Altyn-Arashan valley. The sides are steep and interspersed with conifers and pasture. At last we drive over a crest and the valley suddenly broadens out. The river sparkles as it flows through… Continue reading Altyn-Arashan

27th September 2002. The centre of Karakol looks like a frontier town in a Western film. Long, low wooden buildings with covered walkways in front line one dusty street but turn around and there is a massive shopping mall faced with brown stone and topped with metallic silver decorations that catch the sun. We roam… Continue reading Karakol