An hour later we felt like DHL packages, rocketing along the national highway towards Karakol in a bright yellow Mercedes Sprinter. This is the model of choice for Kyrgyzstan's mashrutka bus, the workhorse of public transport. We pushed 70 and 80 miles per hour on potholed, 2 lane roads, fearing for our lives between winks of sleep on the bouncy ride. Perhaps most terrifyingly, we arrived on-time in Karakol--maybe this is how fast they all drove, all the time? The driver and other passengers did let on that anything was cause for concern.
At a highway rest stop, we tried the cheese balls that our local friend had recommended to us. More salty and sour than feta, they were quite good, and would also probably be excellent in salad.
As we arrived in Karakol, we found a hostel, then set off for a rental company to pick up tent, sleeping bag, and stove As luck would have it, the owner had stayed two hours beyond the posted closing time. He remained open to walk us through the gear and explain the route to us. As we were talking, his friend arrived from completing the very same 3 day trek, so we had updated information on trail conditions. Again, we were pleasantly surprised by their hospitality.
Our late dinner was sheshlyk-kabob, laghman-noodle soup, manty-dumplings, and spiced rice from a tented eatery near the park. Baltika 7 holds the current award for best beer here.
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