Day 82,83 Sat /Sun -Surprise stay in a warm American House in Osh

Thanks! Steve, Rebecca and your lovely kids
Freeman & Vinny cute brothers Alia ,little girl still wearing pamper
Scenic garden
A statue in a quiet street

Muslim restauran in Osh
Vegetables stall in Osh Bazaar
Bread not my favarite food
Mosque in Osh opposite to Taj Mahal where we stay
Evening market full of live
Our room at Taj Mahal
Giant watermelon very sweet taste better than Malaysia & China
Majority of population in Osh is Muslim of Kyrgyzs/Uzbeks

Biscults selling openly without any seal packing
Sundry staffs

Today's spending: 178 som
Total spending to date:2083 som

Surprise! surprise! surprise! No one including me and Heather will ever thought of staying with an American family in Osh.Steve & Rebecca and their lovely 3 kids Freeman,Vinny and Alia. Steve is an English teacher in a college while Rebecca a housewife , I would like to thank them for a warm and hospitality 2 nites stay ,after a long 3 mths out here in Osh,I felt truely home away from home.Not to forget ,the unlimited use of your internet.Thanks again Steve & Rebecca!

Day 81 Jun 29 Fri - 24 hr Truck ride to Osh

Today's Distance: 6 km
By Truck: 121 km
Temp: 18 -36 c
Average Speed: 18 max:20.2
Time on Bike:20 min
Ave climb:1% max: 3%
Trip altitude:34 m max:1240m
Today's spending:565 som
Total Distance to date:5633km
Total spending to date:1905 som

The truck journey continued slowly up the mountains and down. sometimes it stop for repaired and checking for this & that but we were too tired to ask what the problem.The truck that I'm sitting,the driver' name is Shukrubach,21 yrs old,know a bit of English so I keep talking to him so that he won't feel sleepy and boring.and also for my own safety too.Heather is on another truck.The driver is earning abt 100 US dollars a mth and he said is alrdy a good pay in Kyrgyzstan.So is a good extra money for them by getting 25 US from us.Along the way,many shepherds' yurt can be seen setting up only in summer for horses,sheeps.cows as here whole area is full of grassland.We passed Saritash at 9.00am but the truck driver did not want to stop for breakfast even I requested,maybe they had their own reason.We were drop off at the roadside 6km to Osh and we met a formerly east German cyclist Stephen who has stay 2 nites in Osh.He is riding solo from Istanbul to Tibet.Taj Mahal Hotel is where we stay for 300 som each.Food hunting after clean up,a bowl of beef soup,lamb skewers and a pot of Chinese tea cost 180 som.The expenses here is rather expensive as compared to China.

Day 80 Jun 28 Thu -Irkestam Pass to Hop on Trucks to Osh

Today's Distance:18 km
Temp : 12 -24 c
Average Speed:7.2 max:46
Time on Bike:2 hr 30 min
Ave climb:5% max:13%
Trip altitude:565m max:3414m
Today's spending:1340 som
Total Distance to date:5506km
Total spending to date:1340 som

Managed to get my bikestand welded in a village town with a nice name Nura , 5km fr the Irkestan border for 100 som. In this part of the world,unlike China ,I am totally lost in communicating with the locals,as I don't know a word of Kyrgyz or Russian.So I had to used lots of sign and body langauge.The beautiful lasted for 18km and then it was gravel,potholes,uneven surface for 80km as told . We met a French couple travelling from Osh to Kashi on bus, the journey took 24hr.I can imagine how bad the road condition will be.My mind was set on hopping on to a truck to Osh,as I don't want to risk both the bike and me physically as I had to think of my bigger goal is to Paris or even London!It's not difficult to get a lift from so many trucks pilling on this road,what matters is only money! We paid 1000 som each on a 24 hr bumpy journey to Osh.We enjoyed the scenery from the seat in front with a dinner stopover at a Kyrgyz yurt. The journey to Osh continues....

Day 79 Jun 27 Wed - Wild River camp at Chiqansheng to Irkeshtam Pass in Kyrgyzstan

Today's Distance: 37 km
Temp: 25 - 32c
Average Speed:11 max:50.5
Time on Bike:3 hr 21 min
Ave climb:3% max:11%
Trip altitude:526m max:2860m
Today's spending:67.5 rmb
Total Distance to date:5367km
Total spending to date:4992 rmb

Finally after 79 days of cycling,we waved good-bye to China at the border post but not after some annoying happenings. First, the China custom was supposed to closed at 1.30pm but we arrived at 1.00pm , apparently the officers has gone for early break and reopen at 4pm,so both of us slept on the floor in an empty hall. Second,we were asked to cycled back to the custom as our passport were not stamped by the officer,so another 10km to & back!So now we entered into Kyrgyzstan,a new country and new experience for me. Our passports were checked abt 14X from the China to Kyrgyzstan borders.There were not much cycling as much times were spent waiting,checking,We were happy to find accomodation at the Kyrgyzstan border town also called Irkestan. room 80 som dinner 80 som and bought a tin of nescafe 80 som. I also exchanged leftover yuan to som. For your info, Rm 1= 10 som . Another bad news is my bikestand has fallen off and I need to get it weld back somewhere...