Exploring Osh
From Bishkek, alongside Jonathan, we made our way to the southern city of Osh via the unknown TezJet Airlines to save ourselves a 9-hour ride sardined into a marshrutka. Once in Osh, we were reunited with good friends, Annabelle & Yi, from Quebec, who we originally befriended at a Sri Lanka guesthouse in 2019.
Osh is undeniably not the most enticing place we visited while in Kyrgyzstan. It’s baking, arid and smoggy without substantial trees or allure, but it was a necessary landing pad for the five of us due to its jumping-off position to Tajikistan’s Pamir Highway….the next big adventure.
Also, there’s a lot of intrigue in Osh for several other reasons, including the fact that at more than 3000 years old, it’s one of the longest continuously inhabited cities in Central Asia, and was a key post on the Silk Road, especially for routes traversing China to India.
In addition, one of the most interesting things to visit is Sulaiman-Too, a sacred mountain in the heart of the city, which UNESCO has designated a World Heritage Site. That said, it’s also a bit offbeat with its nostalgic Sci-Fi architecture and oddity museum wedged curiously like an over-sized Handmaid’s Tale bonnet into side of the craggy rock face.
The five of us reunited on night one over a torpedo melon in our hostel kitchen, which Yi had sweetly (pun intended) pre-purchased for our arrival. Pun because this was arguably the most candied and succulent melon we’ve ever had in our lives. These are oblong and beefy like torpedos, with yellow, netted rind like cantaloupes and are sold everywhere in Central Asia during this time of year. Do not miss trying one if you head this way during the summer/early autumn months!
After we charged our batteries with syrupy natural fruit power, we were ready to climb a mountain…(or maybe for the cast of Glee.)
The bizarre bonnet museum accessorizing the side of the mountain of Sulaiman-Too will undoubtedly appeal to any Trekkie, or those with fantasies of beginning a new colony.
After paying about $1.60 for the two of us to enter the museum, we entered the interior caves, from which strings of sea pearls festooned themselves from the ceiling giving it a distinct aquarium vibe.
From here, we would encounter mismatched displays of archeological items that shared little background of what we were peering at. Many of them were religious in nature, prior to Islam, from standard Buddha…
….to creepy mannequins with robotic fingers supposedly representing Shamanism. There was also representations of structures that used to be present near the mountain, including a “Burial Building of the Fireworshippers” which speaks to the area’s long ties to Zoroastrianism.
In other peculiarities, we found a “Chilten,” which is a pitch black pit in the earth that supposedly heals people who suffer from spiritual or mental ailments. Yes…forget prozac. In this tiny crevice, people would spend 40 days without eating anything, and drinking only water in order to get rid of depression. Um. Yes, that would be some reverse psychology. Can we get the hell out of here?!
Yes, but not without first passing some macabre Neanderthals, and stuffed boars with glowering eyes…
We made it to the other side of the bonnet! The mountain overlooks a decrepit cemetery, the official Sulaiman-Too Mosque, and a sea of city that is Osh.
But, before we headed down, we checked out the diminutive Babur’s Mosque which was built at the summit in 1510 by Zahir-ud-din Muhammad Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. He often visited this mountain for prayer and mediation before embarking on his campaigns.
Off the mountain…some other things we’d see while exploring Osh included a water vending machine that looked like it crawled out of the 1970s. Hmmm….not sure we’d trust that water or those awkwardly placed “community” cups….
….a statue of “Alimbek Datka,” who was one of the most important statesmen and military leaders in 19th Century Kyrgyz history. The term “datka” was an honorary rank given by rulers to distinguished leaders, military commanders or influential politicians.
…and a city wall which felt significantly Silk Road-y.
Wandering into the standard Soviet-era amusement park, Alisher Navai…
….where the rides may be more amusing to look at, than to actually ride. Although, Annabelle ponders if it may be easier to rent a car…? And don’t forget to visit…The House of Fear. 😆
From here, we landed under the bridge, where we found the start of a Bazar Kelechek surrounded by rubble and poverty, amidst a roaring river. Still, life moved along normally as people sold discs of giant flatbreads.
It was in this area, we were able to exchange handfuls of Kyrgyz Som for Tajik Somoni in preparation for the ride ahead.
And…absolutely starving, we, along with Jonathan, reluctantly ended up in a small cafe with chicken-stuffed samsas (like samosas) and beef and potato lasagna for $5, while Annabelle & Yi fled back to the hostel frustrated to curate their own vegan meals. This diet is extremely challenging in this part of the world. And of course…on the remote parts of the Pamir…it was about to get even more difficult.
An unanticipated futuristic cross walk which rings the road overhead. Osh, and the baazar, as seen from said crosswalk.
Getting to Osh from Bishkek
To get to Osh from Bishkek, we took the obscure airline called “TezJet” which did not show up on any flight searches, only bookable direct through the airlines. The cost was $50/ticket, which we paid ourselves back for using Capital One Venture X points. Other than this, we were so excited to take Jonathan to his first lounge in Bishkek, a perk usually not available to our worldly Colombian friend. Unfortunately, it was only eligible to international flights and we were flying domestic.
So, we again tried to take him on the arriving end in Osh, which we found after endlessly searching in an outlying building not even connected to the main terminal. It was labeled the “Hall of Increased Comfort.” 🤣
However, no increased comfort would be had because it was evidently under construction and we were once again, turned away with our hope between our legs. This day of lounge busts made it feel like the “old” days of our air travel life…and we didn’t like it too much. 😆
We kind of made up for it when we arrived to the ABS Guesthouse in Osh, and realized we had a spring-loaded bed, but private bathroom again, for $23/night. No matter what, we were happy to be with friends again!
