Karakol

we wake to a cool breeze and birds chirping in our delightful guest house.  We are ringed by mountains and surrounded by flowers.  We sit for a communal table filled with fresh berries, baked goods and are served porrige, a fried egg, blinis and a fried cheese curd.  Delicious.  We set out for quick photo shoots at the wooden Russian Orthodox Church and Himalayan Temple like mosque, then it's off to the Nikolai Przthevalsky museum honoring a great Russian explorer.  The grounds are beautiful and we visit a statue honoring him as well as his grave site before climbing through a hole in the fence for a sweeping panoramic view of the surrounding countryside with the lake in the distance.  We step inside the museum and it's like a Russian Explorer's club, circa 1860. Blue silk walls, photos ring the room that contains a giant globe and one wall has map showing the routes of his expeditions.  A guide gives us a very detailed overview of his life.  We then begin the drive to kochkar via the lake that caused the border delay yesterday. A few hours into the ride. We stop and head to a rocky beach.  I dip my toes while others opt to swim.  Eat a picnic lunch which is fine except for the ants.  Head back in the van and stop to see a yurt making display.  We are taken through all the steps. From carving the wood, to shaping the posts. We give some assistance attaching the beams, then watch as the outside layers are added.  Our yurt builders are champions at the nomadic life world games.  We finish up and head to our homestay, passing a group of camels running by us.  We arrive at the delightful homestayRead more