Day 24

In a country that consists of so many superlatives it's difficult to pick out a best moment of our day when every corner you turn offers a new photo.

Would it be waking up and having breakfast served in a magnificently decorated yurt by Turdubek Ailchiev's family courtesy of Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism (CBT).

Would it be the climb out of Talas into the snowline of the rugged mountains and over the Otmok Pass (3330m).

It could well be the decent on the other side and being raced by two boys on horseback.

The highlight could have been seeing a Young Kyrgy family in their summer Jailoo (pasture). The husband holding the mares whilst his wife milked them with the young children playing in the background. Tom and Ben asked if it was ok to give the children some sweets and toys and we were immediately invited into the yurt for kumys (Fermented mares milk.) The yurt is the bedroom, kitchen, the lounge, dining room and meat curing room all in one. Once inside sitting on sheepskin rugs we were introduced to the whole family and offered kumys (think fizzy, salty, watery, alcoholic yoghurt), flatbread and yoghurt for dipping. The Kyrgyz people are renowned for their hospitality and we were experiencing it first hand. Language was no real barrier we had a good conversation for half hour or so. We drew around the childrens hands on a 'handprint' for the car and the grandmother tried her best at drawing a yurt which caused her daughter and the rest of us to descend into hysterics. On leaving we gave them some gifts of fresh vegetables. A truly magical experience.

Maybe the best bit was driving in pouring rain down the main Osh to Bishkek road in the lush wide mountain pasture filled with hundreds of yurts with horsemen tending their horses, sheep and cows. They were constantly crossing the road and bringing our conspicuous convoy to a halt every few miles but we get nothing but smiles and waves from the horsemen. One boy of about 10 was wrestling with a foal stopping it from running into the road.

The amazing changing landscape of the Suusamyr valley will stick in our mind for a long while. Raging torrents of water, velvety rounded green and brown hills, Huge technicoloured scree slopes with the reds browns, yellows and purples lit up in the afternoon sun. All encompassing walls of snow capped mountains rising like walls in front of us.

Whatever our individual best moments are – mix a bit of Kyrgyz hospitality with one of the most amazing landscapes on earth and the memories will go on for a long time to come…