Into Kyrgystan, mountain country!

Fergana to Osh was a short ride, made a little longer by going to a border crossing that wasn't actually open. A short detour to the open border and the quickest crossing yet. The Kyrgyz were not really interested in the bike; no import papers to lose. A day spent in Osh (noting the increasing Chinese influence), drinking beer and eating pizza (just like the locals), and then it was into the mountains north to Bishkek. I set off alone, but Chris caught me up later in the day as I managed to take the longer, slower road out of Osh. Once out of the valley, the climb into the mountains was beautiful. Good quality tarmac, 95 octane petrol (!), and light traffic made for a great 2 days of riding. Broke the trip up by overnighting in Toktogul, by a stunning lake. 2 high passes the next day brought us to Bishkek, capital of Kyrgystan.

Soundtrack: Yes - Close To The Edge