13th of December, 2022.
Hitchhiking in Kyrgyzstan.
Yes, spoilers alert in the title! I didn’t make to Tash Rabat. Where did I make then?
Early morning there are no cars taking the road to Tash Rabat.
I take a short walk to a bridge where I thought there would be some nice view. It is right at the entrance of the town. This is where I wanted to come yesterday. Nope! Not that good….
There are no bakeries or places where I could ask for food around here, or going towards outside the town. I try to ask in some houses but after a while I give up and only ask for water.
The first car to stop is a man dressed in a military costume. He is going just to an intersection, but I decide to take it anyway. He is a nice guy but I don’t remember his name.
At the intersection, I take some photos and a truck stop. There are some big cities after Tash Rabat, so many trucks are going there. I think it is my best chance of getting there.
The man driving the truck is very nice. He stops by a shop and by some cookies and Coke. I finally can eat something.
When we are almost at the exit to Tash Rabat, we pass by an accident on the road. A truck hit a herd of cows and many of them died. It is a horrible scene for me so I try not to look when we are bypassing them. How sad!
I remain by the road to Tash Rabat for quite a while. It is extremely beautiful here! It is all covered by snow, white everywhere. There are only hills, not mountains, but I still think it is gorgeous! I take some photos, make a video, and after sometime I decide to go back. It is clear to me that not many people are going to Tash Rabat, so even if I make it there, I might not be able to come back today, as I planned.
When I am back to the main road, a small truck takes that road. I don’t try to catch them. Was I wrong? Should I have tried harder? I guess I will never know…
I get in another truck back to Naryn. Unfortunately, the driver is going super slow. Many other trucks passe by us. At some moments, I even consider to ask him to stop so I could get out and try to hitchhike for a car. I really want to leave Naryn today, so I don’t need to sleep there again.
But by the time we reach Naryn is already late.
Asking a lady what is the way to Arslanbab, I figure I have to cross the whole town to get there. I know it will take more than one hour to do that, and by then, it will be down already.
I ask help for some youth, checking if they can help me to catch a bus just to cross town. The communication is a bit difficult but they are really sweet and want to help. They “put hands together”, and by contributing with one coin each, they get me in a taxi.
A man in a van tells me he can drive me a bit further outside the town. I take it.
There are a few people hitchhiking here. Many of them going to the next town where I am planning to reach today. But now is sunset already, so I decide to settle for the night. Camping?
I ask in a shop nearby for shelter. It doesn’t work.
I approach a young girl to see if she can speak English. Soon we are surrounded by young boys. She calls her mum and asks if I can come but it doesn’t work. When she explains to the boys what is going on, one of them says that he believes his mum will be OK with that. We all walk towards his home.
The place is not far but uphill. When we are almost there, Taulet’s mum, Kalmira, calls him back and when he explains to her what is going on she says I can come. We met her down the street.
They leave in a very simple house, still under construction, but warm and belonging to them. Kalmira is married to Mirlan, and they have five children: Taulet, Omar, Meimar, Rabia and little Yasmin. They are all very sweet and well behaved. I tell that to Kalmira and she is happy.
Nobody can speak English but we manage to understand each other. Through a friend of Kalmira, I manage to explain to her about myself and my travels. Kalmira works only at home, baking some pastries for selling. She bakes them at night and the house smells amazing!
After dinner and tea, we all go to sleep. The house has only two rooms. Kalmira and Mirlan sleep in a bed in the kitchen; me and all the kids sleep in the next room.
Next morning, we have breakfast and I try some of Kalmira’s pastries. They are delicious! She gives me two more for the road. How kind and generous of her! She tells me that her husband believes that I think they are too poor. I tell her that my parents, back in Brazil, never had their own house but lived on rent their entire life. She is surprised.
When I step outside this humble but warm-hearted home, the moon is still shinning in the sky (photo), and I realize that we are right under the hills and the views are great from here. Although it feels a bit scary to live under hills covered in snow. I walk further more outside Naryn, so I can hitchhike to Arslanbab. If I only knew what was to come…
10 Years Around the World 