Zhabagyly

24 may 2012

I have spent the last few days camping at the Ruslan's homestay further up in the mountains at the edge of the nature reserve

I've hiked for miles up around the mountain gulleys and across the valley steppe. The air is really fresh and the scenery absolutely stunning. The sun comes up at 6am and it's light right through until 8ish so you are outside all day. There are valleys full of tulips - the small yellow ones carpet the valley sides and the deep red ones are still around in the lower areas. I have met many goat herders on my walks. They ride horses in these lower mountain areas and are rounding up the goats for shearing. I spent one lunchtime enjoying tea with three guys and finding out about their routes. We shared a range of food and the necessary swig of vodka before they joined the younger lads to shear the goats. Whole coats were being cut from the animals - a skillful and careful job which these guys do so quickly.

On the last day, I walked with an American lady and a guide into the reserve to spot ibex. We spotted two males high up on the cliffs above the path where we walked and two mothers with babies deep down within a ravine. On the way back, we saw a red badger race across the path. The guide told us this was a rare sighting and immediately texted its location to the rangers. The reserve was a riot of colour and natural life. The spring flowers were everywhere and bird life in abundance. Some snow still lay on the ground higher up on the mountain tops and further up the river that we followed. It was a great opportunity to learn about and see this unspoilt part of Kazakhstan and will be very hard to leave.

A dutch couple arrived in their car today having driven across Central Asia from Holland. They will be turning back soon and are about at the end of their journey east.