04. September 2026
Day 121: Kyrgyzstan
Overview
Driving duration: 4:14 h
Distance: 197 km
Avg Speed: 47 km/h
Start: Issyk Kul
End: Charyn Canyon
Night Location: 43°20'2" N 79°11'24" E
Kyrgyzstan
Time to say goodbye, at least to Kyrgyzstan. After nearly thirty days in the country and endless beautiful memories, it was time to head back towards Kazakhstan. This also meant saying goodbye to Ulla and Juerg, after nearly 2 months of traveling together. They are heading home faster.
In the morning we started with a run and then a quick swim, before we packed up and started the drive towards the border. On the way we filled up water and stocked up on food. Besides that it was quite uneventful. Right at the border it started to really rain and we were soaked from standing outside for a couple of minutes getting our passes stamped. Overall the border was super relaxed and took maybe 15 minutes total.
We did a quick stop in Kegen, which had a bit of a strange small town feeling. Apparently you can get insurance there, but all of the offices were closed. Now we stand at the top of the canyon with an amazing view.
Pictures
