We stopped at the local market (pouring rain maketh not for a lovely shopping experience). We foraged for the next four meals and then said goodbye to Kara-kol and our really, REALLY NICE hotel.
A six hour drive-we've heard that before...:-)-lay ahead. However, before leaving civilization we did make a few more stops-a real grocery store for peanut butter and coffee beans (no luck), post office to mail cards, liquor store for MORE vodka, and back to the hotel for one last REAL toilet moment!
We headed north through the Kara-kol Valley and then west skirting Ysyk-kol lake and the Tian Shan mountains to our right. . These beauties are part of the Himalayas. We are now only a few hundred miles from the Tibetan plateau and we will be there...in about a week.
This mountain range rises to 25,000 feet and is really amazing in size and scope. Watching them jut abruptly from the flat plains was stunning!
Just before lunch we stopped at a few lake vendors and bought smoked salmon, rainbow trout, and caviar. We also got a jar of pickled mushrooms and a bottle of raspberry liquor. The fresh salmon caviar was a plus. All of that came to a grand total of $25. We'll be eating good tonight.
We found a spot for lunch by the lake before heading up into the mountains and had a grand lunch. We traveled through first, a desert canyon, and then through lush grassy mountains until reaching our campsite.
We set up camp together for the last time as a large gruop amd my team was on charge of dinner. A 2 oz portion of Smoked salmon on a canapés with a Dijon mustatd dressing, served on cucumber and fresh rye bread with a tangy fig balsamic vinegar topping. Next was a generous portion of fresh salmon caviar served on a lightly baked shortbread biscuit. Second course was a hearty eggplant and tomato stew served over tasty egg pasta. Dessert was a chocolate covered biscuit (cookie) coveted with sesme and poppie seeds and accompanied by Krygyi cognac. Now this is camping!.
We ended the night with another roaring campfire and several rounds of "I love you, man" fueled by vodka and a genuine appreciation for the amazing camaraderie of our group!
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