Our first two days in Kazakhstan would be based at a guesthouse in Saty village. From Karakol, we drove around 250 km over some terrible roads to come here. Along the way was a rest stop at Chernyy Kan'on.

Chernyy Kan'on
 

Saty village itself is not particularly attractive.

Saty village
Top left: A typical paddock - the fences were rudimentary
and several cows were out and wandering the streets.
Top right: The local mosque
Bottom left: The main road
Bottom right: Saty Hotel (guesthouse) - comfortable

The rural dwellings and paddocks reminded me of Thornleigh in the 1950's. Although the cars are more modern and most substantial structure is the local mosque. All of which Thornleigh lacked. All we had, along those lines, were four or five competing Christian churches and the Astra cinema.

Kolsai Lakes National Park is on the northern slopes of the Tian Shan Mountains that form the the border with Kyrgyzstan. So, effectively, we'd driven all the way around to the other side.

Kaindy Lake (Birch Lake) is surrounded by pine forest at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level and is famous for its origin. It was formed in 1911 due to the powerful earthquake that triggered the landslide blocked the valley by the natural dam, and the water has flooded the valley. The water of the lake is very cold, that is why the needles of the flooded trees are well preserved and clearly visible through the transparent surface of the water, and dry stems of fir trees overlook the water surface, like the masts of the submarine squadron. According to the tourist authority: "It is impossible to describe in words all this mystical splendour of the lake - it is necessary to go there and see everything with own eyes." Indeed, people come here from around the world. I met a man from Kerala in India.

Getting there is another matter. It's definitely 4-wheel-drive territory ("climb every mountain, ford every stream," I hear you sing). And then that just gets you to a car park where local drivers, in environmentally friendly vehicles, take over. 

Kaindy Lake (Birch Lake)
Defiantly off-road we bounced our way up to Lake Kaindy ("birch tree lake" or 'landslide lake')
a 400-meter-long lake, formed when an earthquake caused a landslide damming the river and drowning a birch forest
The lake now reaches depths of nearly 30 meters. The popular sites are around the drowned trees.

There is then a steep hike up to the first viewing area, followed by a similar descent to water level. For the final stretch I elected to take the van but Wendy and Chynara wanted to walk. At the car park there is a pleasant coffee shop, I reckoned I had around half an hour. So, I bought a café late and took a seat. A man, seeing my hat, said, in English: "Australian".

"Yes, from Sydney," I said.
He said, "I spent a year in Melbourne", then he added, "I was flying cows from Australia to Uzbekistan."
I was amazed. He said, "Yes cost about $1,000,000 a flight. They were heifers."
Then he told me about where he'd lived in Melbourne and how he'd got on with Australian 'cowboys'. Now he works as a guide, because the cow business was ruined by Covid-19.
Anyway, I didn't know what to think - surely flying heifers would be a ridiculous way to improve a herd. Why would anyone do that?
And it was time for girls to arrive. So, I excused myself and went out to look for them when, indeed, they promptly appeared.

That was the end of that - until we were having a meal with our friend Tony, who runs cattle. I told him the story. He said, "Oh yes I know all about that I was involved at one stage".
"Flying heifers to 3rd world countries is paid for by various international welfare agencies. Most of the heifers are pregnant and they're given to rural families who can then deliver the calf, perhaps to eat, and then they have a lactating cow, that they can continue to milk indefinitely."

So, no bullshit involved!

You can learn something new every day, sometimes in the strangest places.

It was now Sunday afternoon and our next 'must see' location was another of the Kolsai Lakes, of which there are three, often referred to as the "Pearls of the Tian Shan", all known for their turquoise waters and surrounding alpine scenery. The lakes are located at different altitudes, with the highest at 2700 meters above sea level, and are known for their unique mountain watershed and diverse flora and fauna.

I was pretty well walked out (I've subsequently discovered that my heart valve was leaking). So, after descending from the car park, a reasonable hike, I saw the wooden steps down (and up) and noticed a nice-looking restaurant.  "Time for another cup of coffee," I thought, while Wendy and Chynara elect to go down the very long staircase to the lake. But when I went into the restaurant and asked for coffee, the person in charge told me I couldn't have coffee without a meal. But, she added, I could have an alcoholic drink if I liked. So, "Yes I have a beer," I said. She showed me to a table, near the window, where I could look at the view. A non-English-speaking waiter appeared. From the menu, I pointed to a Heineken and he soon returned, holding it like a bottle of wine. He let me read the label and then he took the cap off and poured a little into my glass. I tasted it and gave him the nod to keep pouring.

His manager had led me to understand that this table was reserved but that I could sit here until the other people arrived. After about 15 minutes they did arrive. They turned out to be English speaking Russians from Moscow. Two couples, who insisted that I stay. So, making small-talk, I mentioned that I'd been to Moscow and St Petersburg and asked them what they thought of Putin. It was like asking a Democrat in the US what they thought of Trump.  I was quite surprised that they were happy to be so outspoken to a stranger. I guess the Trump and Putin are about equally popular in their respective countries.  And I know for sure that it's not always wise to say what you think about either of them. Ask Colbert and Kimmel. But he hasn't started poisoning his opponents, yet.

Kolsai Lakes
A long way down and even further (?) back up
Middle left: Wendy and Chynara - intrepid walkers

The next morning at Satay we realised that this would be our last with Chynara and our driver. I never quite got his name (mumble - you) so, I won't attempt it in writing. We were to change guide and driver in Almaty.

Our driver, Wendy, me and Chynara about to set out on our last day together.
And our trusty go-anywhere vehicle - a Toyota Sequoia V8, large SUV
It's equipped to run on LPG that's very inexpensive here.
 

Our last stop together would be Charyn Canyons, formed mostly by tectonic forces, like the Seven Bulls (above).  The canyon consists of sedimentary rocks (subsequently eroded),  thrust up from the deep ocean over the past 45 million years and still rising. Rounded (river washed) pebbles abound.

The canyon park is roughly 154 km in length and consists of 5 different canyons: the Valley of Castles (this one), the Temirlik Canyon, the Yellow Canyon, the Red Canyon and the Bestamak Canyon.  Elsewhere in the park, the Charyn River provides rafting adventures.

People who doubt the age of the Earth should come here.

Charyn Canyons
Valley of Castles