The marshrutka from Toktokul to Osh leaves every morning at 7:15, but the bus timetable isn’t that precise in Central Asia. It left at 7:10 already when it got full, some even had to stand up after all the seats were occupied.
Coincidentally there was a local choir in the marshrutka. They were singing the whole trip. I am totally impressed by the traditional Kyrgyz songs. It reminds me the Kyrgyz movie I watched where girls sing their folklore songs in the mountain village.
The ride took about 8 hours and costs 440 som (~ €4.5) with a few stops in between, including a long lunch pause. It was scorching (28 degree Celsius is warm for April/May in Kyrgyzstan), the bus was totally packed and we were tired. Yet it was a fun trip, with cheerful Kyrgyz songs. On the way I saw large pieces of grasslands and a couple of shepherds with their sheeps and horses.
It starts to feel more and more like the Central Asia I thought of.
the marshruka
Nice people
