Bike trip in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - Part 3

Starting from the capital Bishkek, I cycled east for three days before reaching Issyk-Kul Lake. Its geo-thermally heated waters create a special microclimate, especially in winter when the waters of the lake do not freeze, making it a popular winter training ground for Russian athletes.

The mild climate, fresh air and backdrop of snow-topped mountains mean the lake is popular among Khazakh and Russian tourists during summer, with numerous sanatoria and vacation homes along its shores.

I spent a week cycling around the lake, which is more than eight times the size of Singapore, hopping from one homestay to another along its shore.

Here, a rest day stop in the lake resort town of Cholpon Ata provided an interesting side trip to a field of glacier boulders. A sacrificial site for Saka priests between the eighth century BC to first century AD, it is now known for the petroglyphs from the late Bronze Age. The most striking petroglyph shows long-horned ibex being hunted with tame snow leopards.