Hidden in the Mountains
I almost didn't make it here. Between a kerfuffle caused by lack of information about road conditions, and my own planning overzealousness, I was about to make the choice of not hitting this destination. But I changed my mind at the last minute. And after two days of hiking in absolutely serene surroundings in an alpine landscape, I absolutely fell in love with this place that I almost missed going to. This place was Arslanbob, a hidden village nestled in the shadow of snow-capped peaks reaching to 4000m and above.
The magic started right with the drive to Arslanbob. The sight of mountains all around as soon as I left Osh behind calmed my rattled min. The rolling green hills that seemed to stretch endlessly, dotted with a few oak trees and scattered farmsteads, reminded me of the Palouse in USA, except for the backdrop of the snow-capped Pamir range in the distance. And this blissful scenery gave me company all the way through to my destination, and erased away any second thoughts I had about my destination.
One of the biggest lessons I learnt was just to follow your gut instincts while traveling, and make the best of what you are offered. Had I not, I would have missed this beautiful vista where the afternoon sun glinted on the snow-capped peaks rising above the village, while fast-moving clouds created ever-changing lighting conditions on the grassy slopes.
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Arslanbob
Kyrgyzstan