Kochkor - pleasant place!

From Song Kul, we headed towards Kochkor from the southern shore. This road is much more pleasant to drive than the one from Naryn to Song Kul. The road conditions are good, at least in dry weather, and there are no adventurous serpentine roads.

A last look at the wonderful Song Kul Lake already fills our hearts with a little nostalgia - our adventure is soon coming to an end...

Thanks to the fairly good road conditions, we arrive in Kochkor around noon. The city, with around 10,000 inhabitants, is located at an altitude of about 1,700 m. As it is located on the road to China and generally considered a popular destination for excursions, we discover countless travel agencies here.

In our next stop, the Guesthouse KindHouse, we are warmly greeted by the owner. Once again, the relief of being able to speak Russian is felt here. We are immediately asked by a Korean guest to explain what Song Kul is like. The host has two children and invites our children to come and play at his house. Our kids don't need to be told twice - they head over there in no time.

The innkeeper also has another tip for us: 30 km from here, there is an old abandoned salt mine that has been serving as a sanatorium for 25 years. It seems that many people make a pilgrimage there.

We decide to take a stroll through the bazaar first. We really like the atmosphere in this city - there is a lot going on, they are used to tourists, but everyone we meet is still friendly and interested.

At the bazaar, we have our cheapest lunch in a café: 250 Som for four drinks, piroschki for four people, and soup. Everything is delicious!

Then we drive to the salt mine in Chong Tuz. It is quite easy to find, as it is signposted. As we drive up the road from the hospital to the mine, a vehicle is coming towards us - a driver with a young woman. We are asked if we want to take a look inside the salt cave. To do this, we would have to take the young lady with us, and she would unlock it for us. So we agree! Before the entrance, we see mountains that are also white from the outside. Inside, it is very cool. Since the salt cave has been converted into a sanatorium, there are a variety of bed rooms, billiards and table tennis in the corridors, a TV room, a bar, a disco... The young lady explains that the patients have to spend 12 hours a day here, from 8 pm to 8 am. And this for six weeks at a time. It is used to treat asthma, allergies, and other respiratory diseases. Patients also come from Kazakhstan and Russia, and there are currently 48 patients in the house.

We are freezing and amazed! We then thank the young lady for the tour, pay a small donation, and take her back down to the clinic.

Back in Kochkor, we decide to take a walk and then have dinner - we are the last ones in the restaurant at 8 pm, which was previously quite busy.

In the shop next door, where we get some snacks and water, we meet two Israeli tourists who can't activate their newly purchased SIM cards. We also have a nice chat with the cashier, who also organizes tours himself, and whose sister also lives in Germany... A colorful and friendly place, Kochkor!

Back at the accommodation, we meet our roommates - Czechs who are traveling through Kyrgyzstan on foot - tomorrow they are heading to Kazakhstan. In the common room, we have tea together and play cards with them until late at night...

The next morning, the kids are playing with the owner's children again, we pack our car, and after a very warm farewell, we head to our final stop - Suusamyr!

But one thing is certain - when we return to Kyrgyzstan, Kochkor will be on our list - we really liked the location of the place and the atmosphere!