Issyk-Kul~ isso-cool

My birthday was July 14 and I wanted to do something really special, so I thought that it would be great to go to Lake Issyk-Kul! Everyone says how wonderful it is and that I MUST go- so I did. My friend Tanya and I left the train station early Friday morning at 6:30. The train is the cheapest way to get there, and I would say the best way. It takes about six hours (twice as long as going by car), but I got to see much more of the Kyrgyzstan landscape and oh how beautiful it is! The train was also nice because it wasn’t crowded, you could get up and walk around if you wanted, or lay down and sleep on the beds; and since Tanya and I only got 3 hours of sleep the night before, we took advantage of that option! Upon are arrival, we found a marshruka to take us to Kosh-Kol, the area where we were going to stay. The weather was perfect- sunny with a nice breeze and the first glimpse of the lake was amazing! Turquoise waters with snow capped mountains in the background! It was truly picture perfect! Issyk-Kul is an inland sea, like the Great Lakes in the States- it is huge! When we finally reached our destination, we made our housing arrangements and waited for Ira to meet up with us, (she was in the area for a conference that ended on Friday). We stayed in a very typical Soviet style camp. We had a little house with 3 cots in it, a little end table and a stool. We went to an eating hall for our meals, and the bathrooms were down the pathway. It was nice; one doesn’t really need too much more, especially when you plan on spending all day, every day at the beach- which is what we did! We were blessed with very nice weather, sometimes it can change without notice, but it was great the whole time we were there. Besides relaxing on the beach, we also went swimming. The water was great, crystal clear, blue and refreshing with a hint of saltiness but not nearly enough to bother your eyes or leave a bad taste in your mouth like ocean water. I also got to ride a horse on the beach, sit on a camel, eat cotton candy- yes I was also surprised to see the kids walking up and down the beach with bags of cotton candy to sell! It was my birthday treat and a bit better than the option of the traditional smoked fish hanging from the bar by its eye sockets. Unfortunately the national favorite did not seem too appetizing to me, so I passed and said I’d try it another time! There was also a sailboat (yatch) that gave rides and we did not let that chance pass us up! It was one of two boats that I saw at anytime on the water. There was a smaller motor boat, one jet ski, a wind surfer, and a couple of paddle boats and that was it! It was definitely one of the best birthdays ever! It was just what I needed too, because prior to, I was feeling a little bit down about not being with family and friends and this is one of the months that I knew I would miss being home; missing out on camping, picnics, and family gatherings. So I was glad for my friends and it was not hard to see just how blessed I am here- paradise three hours away! I would definitely rate Issyk-Kul as one of THE BEST places in the world!! You should come and visit and see for yourself!