Och and Lagacé
After entering Kyrgyzstan from the south, I head to Osh, where a single email will bring me a lot of new friends.
Kyrgyzstan is generally lower in altitude than Tajikistan, where I'm from. But it is crossed by several mountain ranges. So that gives me a few more good quality passes on the way. I'm starting to get used to it though!
One of the Kyrgyz passes, with its many streamers.
Waste
I notice on my way that there is more waste than in previous countries. By dint of crossing different territories, I was however able to notice certain things about pollution. When the inhabitants are too poor to consume, there is little waste. For example, it is extremely difficult to find garbage cans in Tajikistan, but since people consume very few new products, they are enough. Most of the time, they actually burn all their garbage themselves.
On the other end of the spectrum, a very wealthy country like Canada has a huge consumer machine in place, and huge dumps to go with it. Everything is in place to ensure that families can get rid of their tons of waste.
But in the many countries that fall between these two extremes, consumption is sometimes a new wealth, and it is not yet clear how to get rid of it. People are also less aware of the consequences, and I have been frustrated many times to see adults and children throw their bottles and other trash out the window or directly on the floor.
I noticed the same thing with cigarettes, which are found in greater quantities in these developing countries. People have more money to buy "that luxury", and there are not yet really big government campaigns dealing with the risks associated with it.
The Kyrgyz road
Either way, it feels good to ride on good quality asphalt. It goes up and down a lot, and it's cold, but nothing can take away the joy of riding on a flat surface with a view of the mountains.
Camping under an electric highway.
A shy donkey on the side of the road.
View from my tent
Marret, who ran after me for two kilometers.
The Kyrgyz Plateau is approximately 1 m above sea level, and most passes are over 000 m. It's easy to see the difference altitude has on temperature when I start my day with two coats and end up riding shorts a few thousand meters lower.
During a long climb, I realize that a child is running after me trying to catch up with me. I stop and give him cookies while he catches his breath and we trade.
Children are for me another example of the more advanced development of the country. Some shout at me Hello tourist rather than simply Hello. A single English word that gives a clue to the prosperity and education of the region, in addition to its openness to the world.
Oh
I will soon arrive at Oh, nicknamed the capital of the south. The second largest city in the country, it has been found there for more than 3 years. Being located very close to the border with Uzbekistan, and separated from the rest of Kyrgyzstan by several mountains to the north, a third of the population of Osh is of Uzbek nationality.
As I approach the city, the contrast is stark with my last months on the road. The houses are getting a little richer, some of them even in beige bricks, looking a bit like Eastern Europe. If you're not too impressed with a brick house, think I've only seen rammed earth buildings for weeks!
We can also only note the omnipresence of horses. They are in herds in the fields, in trucks to be transported, and everywhere on the road with their rider.
Lagacé's article
I already know that I want to rest a day or two in Osh. I will stay there for four days, but without much rest.
When I arrived, I decided to write to columnist Patrick Lagacé, from La Presse, about my adventure. Considering her busy schedule, I only ask her for a few tips on how to present my story to more people. To my surprise, he answers me very quickly, and we will do an interview in the following days. Then, his column of October 1, entitled Apples, Snickers and Kyrgyzstan, appears in La Presse, and you are then thousands to discover me.
3rd place in the regional library reading competition. Text and photo by Patrick Lagacé!
Perhaps Mr. Lagacé wrote to me again in memory of his time at the local newspaper in my region at the start of his career, perhaps he also liked my cycling adventure. In any case, I owe him a debt of gratitude and cannot thank him enough for his beautiful pen.
So many of you wrote to me that it took me weeks to get back to you all. Each of your posts gave me more encouragement to continue, and many were very touching.
I also realized that many of you dreamed of adventures as much as I did. I've written it before and will say it for a long time: don't wait to make your dreams or projects come true, whatever they are. We don't know what life has in store for us and it moves much faster than we think.
As far as I'm concerned, life soon has new passes and snow in store for me. On the road to Bishkek which I will resume in my next chapter. And unlike life, I move much slower than I think!
