From Karakol to Kochkor

From Karakol, we journeyed five hours back west to the town of Kochkor, where we would stay for two nights before beginning our journey to Song Kul. To get there, we passed through some stunning terrain, parts of it reminiscent of the American Southwest, while other bits were indistinguishable to any beautiful place we’ve been before.

To get to Kochkor from Karakol,, we took a marshrutka ($4/each) four hours back along the only slightly bone-rattling north side of Issyk-Kul to the town of Balykchy, which our tongues tripped over on several occasions, and then took a shared taxi ($3.50) to Kochkor where we landed softly at the terrific Guesthouse Malika. 

One of the scenes we saw along the way almost reminded us of scenes of Africa. In fact, if you look closely in the water, it almost appears as though elephants are sashaying across the stunning oasis. Pretty sure it was horses though! 🤣

This felt just like our home in Nevada to us! One beautiful view after another! 

Crammed into the back of our shared taxi, full of people with amusing headgear…we felt a bit envious. 😆 The marshrutkas leave about hourly from Karakol for Balykchy, but only once they are full. When you arrive to Balykchy, you park in a lot on the side of the road which seems to be where the marshrutkas congregate. Here, you will probably be approached for a shared taxi to Kochkor, which is basically a fun-size mini van instead of a super-sized full van. We paid 300 som/person, down from 400, which we think was a bit inflated. 

We arrived to Guesthouse Malika, which was wedged between a magnificent splotch of snow-capped peaks and a concrete block mini-factory, which surprisingly wasn’t too noisy.

Our purple-plastered room for $22/night had two extra-long beds perfect for Dutchies and Germans…and couples (like us) who have passed our married 10+ years mark. 🤣

It offered a phenomenal view, a shared bathroom, and a kitchen…

…where we’d be served our complimentary best and biggest breakfasts in the Stan’s thus far…an omelet, cheese, veggie salad, bread/jam and tea. So delightful! This guesthouse was such a great value we decided to return after our trip to Song Kul. 

Mandy with Saltanat, our jolly breakfast maker and hostess at Melika Guesthouse. 

Around Kochkor

Like for many other backpackers, Kochkor is the services town that sandwiched our Song Kul excursion, two nights before…and one night after. It’s a comfortable enough destination, ringed by mountains in every direction, and with a dry and dusty overlay, reminding us of places we’ve visited in rural Bolivia. 

While there we visited an NGO Women made artisan souvenir shop next to CBT Kochkor. It was bursting with colorful products, which we’d love to snap up…if we had a place to put them. These included vibrant walls loaded with handmade rugs, which are actually often used for construction on the inside of yurts.

What we perhaps enjoyed the most in Kochkor, however, was simply wandering… stumbling upon magnificent cemeteries (see below), as well as ravishing mountain scenery. 

The streets of Kochkor…often crowned with snow-capped peaks.

We even found a repurposed water tower which seems to be a perfect marriage of vintage Soviet meets Singapore! 

Why do I suddenly feel like I’m in a cartoon?

The main thoroughfare of Kochkor. It offered basic services like restaurants, supermarkets and tourist information. 

Some of the food we had in Kochkor….We finally broke down and had pizza, along with eggplant salad, and beer at Pizzeria Syrduu for $14. The other meal at Cafe Bayan was Ashlyn-Fu and Boso Lagman for $6. It was also served with some of the worst service we’ve had in years. 🤣 Clearly, you pay significantly more for good service and international cuisine (like pizza)!!

It’s berry season in Kochkor!! Two small bags of raspberries and strawberries for $1 total! 😋

If you’re looking for other fruits, you can find it at the Alma Store. Alma, as a reminder, means Apple so we thought this was quite comical. 🤣

A dapper Kyrgyz gentleman.

Police Squad! Lada edition.

A tiny mosque with simple accents. It was the first time we audibly witnessed the call to prayer in Kyrgyzstan. Even though 90% of the population is Muslim, they are quite discreet and courteous about the noise level, unlike other countries we’ve visited.

Semiz Bel Muslim Cemetery…WOW!

As you journey into Kochkor, tucked into the edge of the mountains, one can bear witness to an exceptional and arresting final resting place for many…a seemingly untouched City of the Departed, known as the Semiz Bel Muslim Cemetery. This miniature Islamic village of elaborate tombs and maze-like pathways is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and even more captivating, we caught it with an ethereal glow at Golden Hour.

This historic Muslim cemetery has a striking mix of local styles, which blend Kyrgyz, Islam and Soviet influence in one place….not surprising given its place as a nomadic crossroads. Some tombs magnificently resemble monuments like the Taj Mahal, some adobe mausolea with domes/turrets, some Soviet-era black granite portrait headstones, and a plethora of Islamic crescents.

Others reflect Kyrgyz nomadic heritage with caged yurts dropped over tombstones.

Many families build small mausoleum-like walls around a plot, sometimes decorated with towers, arches, or wrought-iron fences. As in most Muslim regions, bodies are oriented so the deceased faces Mecca.

We loved the way the domes contrasted the mountains in the distance. It’s common for graves in Kyrgyzstan to not be in neat rows, but clustered in family groups, forming labyrinth-like communities. 

Also in the cemetery one can find burial mounds, which is the way Turkic and Scythian nomads buried their dead in earthen mounds. (Pre-Islam).

And to add some Soviet flavor in the 20th Century,black granite gravestones, often with etched portraits became common.

To get there, walk directly east on the main road from Kochkor’s center about 30 minutes. No matter which way you wander, you’ll undoubtedly see something unique…