The Best of the Bazaars! #8

 18 Aug 2022

The biking and the hiking finished, I have just a few days to fill. The morning started out pouring rain and after a few minutes in my highly patterned in shades of brown hotel room, I decided I needed to go for a walk. The Main Bazaar in Karakol is made of rows and stacks of shipping containers.

Sometimes there is roofing between, and sometimes colorful fabric. I was hoping for some dry wanderings, but instead I jumped from puddle to puddle and tried to avoid waterfalls coming off the roofs. If I needed buckets, knock off athletic shoes, head scarfs, prayer books, backpacks, baby clothes, or raw meat, I would have been set. 

I stopped for fried noodles with meat and veggies in an alley way, excellent. Then to the supermarket to get food for the 6 hour marshrutka ride to Bishkek. I bought lobster flavored potato chips, not so excellent. I found a coffee shop, full of tourists and found two English books, I decided to leave the Danielle Steele romance novel for the next next traveler.

A quick stop at the beautiful Russian Orthodox Church in town, dating back to 1895, then back to the hotel.

The 6 hour bus ride back to Bishkek went quickly. I chatted to the lady next to me, she showed me pictures of her children, I showed her pictures of my dogs. Somehow we talked for a couple hours even though she didn't speak a word of English.

I had a few things that I wanted to do in Bishkek, mainly go to the Osh Bazaar where you can find anything. I walked for hours, quickly through huge cuts of meat and men with bloody aprons, slowly through fragrant dried fruits and spices. It's a maze of tightly packed clothing stalls, housewares, and traditional clothing. 

I found a money exchange to convert my extra som back to dollars. In one month, with food, guesthouses, and travel, I spent just under $250, making it more cost effective to be traveling in Kyrgyzstan than to be staying at home. 

The very last thing I wanted to do was get a haircut. With some easy charades and a stylist who looked extremely bored throughout the whole process, I walked out the door with the cleanest hair I've had all trip. Back at the hotel I wrestled with my bags to get ready to leave in the morning. 

This was the most physically challenging trip I've ever done, but worth every pedal stroke and push uphill. I'm already plotting my next bike pack adventure... As soon as I find another bike. 

Kyrgyzstan, I would do it all over again in a heart beat, I will miss you!!