Stage 107: From Izboskan to Kyzyl Beyit

The main road changed on today's stage. There were fewer and fewer cars, the potholes disappeared, and the surroundings became more idyllic as we went into the mountains. We were able to enjoy the ride again! Suddenly, the frustration from the failed trip to Kazarman was gone. We had some refreshing and delicious chilled kvas along the way, which was much better than kumys! The villages and shopping opportunities became less frequent as we drove. We arrived in Kurpsay in the early evening and were able to replenish our supplies. The relatively high prices indicated that this was likely the only shopping opportunity in the area. Finding a camping spot away from the main road proved to be a bit difficult. We finally found an exposed spot near the ferry to Kyzyl-Beyit, the so-called 'forgotten village' with about 300 inhabitants. To get there, you have to cross the Naryn River on a bop and then ride a donkey through the mountains for 7 km. There is no electricity there. Nowadays, some tourists apparently like to spend a night there to escape civilization. Fortunately, we didn't notice any arriving tourists at our camping spot, but we did see the small boat for crossing the Naryn. In the evening, we were still optimistic about sleeping without an outer tent to see the stars at night. However, that changed quickly when the rain and later a strong wind started. It quickly turned into a severe storm that destroyed Aman's tent pole. My tent also creaked everywhere, but it held up. To make matters worse, we were camping on gravel and couldn't secure our tents with pegs. The tents bent so much in the storm that they probably didn't lift off only because of our body weight. At times, I was seriously worried. If we had been blown off the hill, we would have probably ended up in the mud. In the middle of the Kyrgyz mountains, the power of nature was impressively demonstrated to us.