Some photos from my final dip in Kyrgyzstan’s famous “warm” (but actually frigid most of the time, nippy on the best days) lake, Issyk Kul. I’m getting a bit emotional thinking about it.
It wasn’t a trip I was most excited to take. It was peak season, we were going without the most solid reservations for a place to stay, and we were leaving Saturday morning (early, to take the train) and coming back Sunday night. With our impending move, I thought, “Maybe it would be better if I sit at home and make lists of things I might want to think about doing in order to prepare for moving.”
Right, that’s dumb. Luckily, I went and I’m thankful for it. I spent quality time with close friends and now I get to say that I dipped my little boy in both sides of the lake. That’s an achievement, right? I’m sure he’ll get his award on our way out.
The water was calm and the shore we were on had a convenient strip of sand that allowed us to walk comfortably past the large rocks at the shoreline. Considering how much time we spent on trains and in cars to get to that spot, in a teeny-tiny, one-cafe type of touristy town call Bulan Soguttu, I took every possible opportunity to just wade out into the lake and soak in as much of it as I could.
I stood in the water, up to my shoulders, until it became too cold. This is it, I thought. This is my last chance.
Thanks for your inspiring photos and reflections on life here in Kyrgyzstan. Have followed your blog for over a year and will truly miss it! Best of luck in Belgium. Jannie