Majembeni was tiny considering how many children are there each day. It consisted of 3 blocks of classrooms — all of which had fallen into disrepair — with dirty and sometimes broken windows, and walls whose paint was in desperate need of some love. Precious was keen for us to paint the outside of the school buildings, in the hope that it would make the place somewhere that the children were proud of.
Over the next few days we did this, in the absence of the students who would return on Monday. When this was finished we painted the walls in the school colours of cream and blue. At night we ate and camped at Shewula Mountain Camp — a tourism venture set up and run by members of the Shewula community. Here we enjoyed every night incredible views of the sunset over the Lobumbo mountains — and, one night a huge fire in the flatlands which we were told was dead sugar cane the main agricultural staple of the country crops being burned.
On our second night at the camp we were treated to a traditional Swazi meal and a cultural dance by teenagers from the surrounding area. On our penultimate day on the project it was my day as team leader — a role we rotated throughout the group on each day of our trip. Precious was keen for us to teach some lessons to the children and we thought this would be a fantastic thing to do — so I asked her the obvious questions.
- European Metropolitan Housing Markets (Advances in Spatial Science)?
- Théâtre coréen contemporain, anthologie (Scènes coréennes) (French Edition)?
- World Challenge 2018: Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan?
How many classes shall we go to? What would you like us to teach them? Majembeni was teaming with people, all curious and excited because we had appeared and their school buildings had changed. Strangely enough many of them were cheering for us! It was a great example of how sport can bridge gaps and bring people with vastly different lives together. I left Shewula far more optimistic than I had thought I would be. I had met some of the most underprivileged people in the world and yet everyone we met was welcoming, grateful for what they had and, especially with the children, incredibly content with life.
We moved on to the second stage of the expedition — two days at Hlane Royal National Park. There are two game parks in Swaziland. During our brief stay we saw some incredible sights. My highlight was coming across a small group of lions and instead of taking the road leading away, our driver Sonny Boy took the one leading straight towards them! We ended up mere feet from a young male lion, and the carcass of an impala was visible behind him - totally surreal.
From Hlane we moved to our final phase — the trek. For this we journeyed to the south of the country to another mountainous area called the Ngwenpisi Gorge. Ala Kol Lake stretches from east to west for 2. Depending on the light, the water regular changes its colour. It can be emerald green, turquoise green with reflections of white clouds, light green or dark grey, even black.
During the ascent we enjoy wonderful views of the lake as the main range comes into view across the wide valley of Keldike with picturesque landscapes, flocks of sheep and herds of goats. Later the trail will bring us into a forest again as we descend into Arashan Valley. Enjoy picturesque Arashan Gorge with its magnificent mountain side alpine meadows rich in fir-trees against a backdrop of the mighty Palatka m This afternoon we can enjoy a swim in hot springs.
Today we journey by road to Karakol, a small administrative center of the Issy Kul region, situated on the southern bank of the lake. Drive 30 km, 1 h. Today we set off for the north shore of Issyk Kul Lake. Drive km, h asphalt road. Today we drive back to Bishkek. Drive km, hrs, - m asphalt road. Along the way we will visit the ruins of Burana Tower near Tokmok city as well as Turkic ancient tombs. The trip will conclude after breakfast today, with a group transfer to the airport.
Drive 30 km, 1 hr, asphalt road.
The Silk Route Expedition | World Challenge
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Glacial lake in the Celestial Mountains. Amazing Son Kul Lake in it's vast beauty. Taking a break in a picturesque gorge in the Celestial Mountains. Beautiful mountain views from a valley carpeted with wild flowers. Crossing over Karakol River. Share this trip with a friend Facebook Twitter Email. Adventure Finder Find your dream adventure.
Costa Rica Cuba Guatemala. Canada Mexico United States. Adventure Touring Boat Based: The celestial Tian Shan Mountains take up much of the small republic of Kyrgyzstan and provide a stunning landscape of eternal snows and alpine meadows.
On a moderate trek physical activity will generally not exceed eight hours in a day. On a moderate adventure the physical activity is sustained and travelers should be comfortable with occasional rough terrain.
At any stage of a moderate trek you can expect long steep climbs and descents and a wide range of weather conditions. An example of an average day on moderate trek could include several ascents and descents of metres or more, level ground is rare in the mountains. To prepare for a moderate trek you should begin training at least three months before your departure. As a benchmark, an hour of aerobic exercise three times per week would be considered a minimum requirement.
The best preparation is bushwalking involving relatively steep ascents and descents. If you can manage a couple of valley floor to ridgeline ascents per bushwalk, albeit with stops along the way, you know you can cope with a moderately graded trek. Speed is not important, stamina, confidence and rhythm are. Day 1 Arrive Bishkek.
World Challenge
Day 2 Bishkek sightseeing. Day 3 Transfer to Son-Kul Lake. Day 4 Son-Kul Lake.