Kyrgyzstan has very centrally organized transport facilities. For each village one can get to the capital Bishkek easily. However, it can be a problem to get to the next town. I was exposed to exactly that kind of problem, when I wanted to leave Naryn for Kazarman. Locals take the ten hour detour via Bishkek to have a modest priced trip between Naryn and Kazarman. This was not an option for me.
Luckily, the CBT office in Naryn had the necessary contacts that I could climb into a car coming from Bishkek. I had to wait four hours, but I only paid the Bishkek-Kazarman price and did not have to hire a taxi alone.
The road to Kazarman goes almost exclusively over gravel roads. About 200 km driving distance take between 4.5 and 6 hours. Not only the mountainous terrain and poor road surface prevent a faster speed, but also cows, horses and sheep, leaving the road in some cases only very slowly.
After 4.5 hours I reached Kazarman. There, I stayed at the English teacher of the town. I received a nice welcome, got good food and in the next morning she called to the bus station for me. If someone wanted to go to Jalalabad from Kazarman, they would show up at the bus station beween 7 and 9 o’clock in the morning, otherwise I would have to rent the car alone.
Shortly after 9 o’clock, the driver picked me up. Unfortunately, no one else wanted to go Jalalabad. What surprised me more though was that the driver pulled up in a conventional Russian car instead of a four-wheel drive. My guidebook had insisted that the route is only possible using four-wheel drive vehicles. With a queasy feeling I got into the car.
One can compare the road from Jalalabad to Kazarman to footsteps in deep snow. As long as you move around in the footsteps rapid and easy progress is possible. However, if you get off track you have a problem. On this road the problem is usually a very steep slope, the fastest way to the valley below. The driver managed to keep the car on the narrow street and through the small creeks that regularly crossed it. After about four hours of driving I reached Jalalabad without any complication.
In Jalalabad, I stayed in a CBT home stay with a friendly family. In the evening I went to a restaurant. I was glad to find a traditional Kyrgyz dish on the menu. In addition I wanted to eat something healthy, so I ordered a salad. I had no desire to torment me again with the Cyrillic menu, so I just pointed at a mid-priced salad in the menu. When my salad was served, I had to say goodbye to the idea of eating something healthy. I ordered a very mayonnaise-laden potato salad.
Luckily, the CBT office in Naryn had the necessary contacts that I could climb into a car coming from Bishkek. I had to wait four hours, but I only paid the Bishkek-Kazarman price and did not have to hire a taxi alone.
The road to Kazarman goes almost exclusively over gravel roads. About 200 km driving distance take between 4.5 and 6 hours. Not only the mountainous terrain and poor road surface prevent a faster speed, but also cows, horses and sheep, leaving the road in some cases only very slowly.
After 4.5 hours I reached Kazarman. There, I stayed at the English teacher of the town. I received a nice welcome, got good food and in the next morning she called to the bus station for me. If someone wanted to go to Jalalabad from Kazarman, they would show up at the bus station beween 7 and 9 o’clock in the morning, otherwise I would have to rent the car alone.
Shortly after 9 o’clock, the driver picked me up. Unfortunately, no one else wanted to go Jalalabad. What surprised me more though was that the driver pulled up in a conventional Russian car instead of a four-wheel drive. My guidebook had insisted that the route is only possible using four-wheel drive vehicles. With a queasy feeling I got into the car.
One can compare the road from Jalalabad to Kazarman to footsteps in deep snow. As long as you move around in the footsteps rapid and easy progress is possible. However, if you get off track you have a problem. On this road the problem is usually a very steep slope, the fastest way to the valley below. The driver managed to keep the car on the narrow street and through the small creeks that regularly crossed it. After about four hours of driving I reached Jalalabad without any complication.
In Jalalabad, I stayed in a CBT home stay with a friendly family. In the evening I went to a restaurant. I was glad to find a traditional Kyrgyz dish on the menu. In addition I wanted to eat something healthy, so I ordered a salad. I had no desire to torment me again with the Cyrillic menu, so I just pointed at a mid-priced salad in the menu. When my salad was served, I had to say goodbye to the idea of eating something healthy. I ordered a very mayonnaise-laden potato salad.
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