We were running a bit low on food supplies this morning so we were not looking forward to what we thought was another 30 km of strenuous riding until we could stock up in Karaköl. Also, the plain, water soaked buckwheat which has been a staple food for us for a while now just does not provide the same amount of nourishment and energy as oats, which unfortunately are relatively expensive in this country.
Luckily, the ride to Karaköl turned out to be only 20 km and mostly down hill. Up until now we perceived the Kyrgyz people to be a lot less interactive than the Uzbeks which made us feel a bit unwelcome at times. But our brief shopping stop in Karaköl made us change our mind. On the street two different people greeted us with a warm English "welcome", the baker gave us a free third loaf of bread (when I snapped his photo he had just sold the last loaf so it is not clear in the image who this guy is) and the lady in the store where we shopped waved us to the back corner, gave us some boxes to sit on and served us coffee, bread and as much delicious, sweet, milky 5-grain porridge as we could eat. What a feast and what nice people. Such a heart and belly-warming experience.
For the rest of the day, the road wound its way through a narrow valley offering stunning views of a chain of dammed lakes. The blue water and yellow trees were such a gorgeous combination.
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