Vaella Laella

Georgia, Armenia annd the Songs of Wizards…

 

The Road leaded us to Georgia, and it was like coming to home to enter there from Azerbaijan. In azeri-border the last conversation was “sir, you have many many problems” as they were trying to get some bribes from Gabriel. In Georgia the first words were “Welcome to Georgia! Oh, you have lovely home!” - We people really have the chance to make the difference!

Washing up - day… Ossi is burning?no no, it is Kalle Kamiina, the stove heating cool days and especially evenings! 

 

Lara

In Georgia we had honour to share our home first with French girl Lara and then we had special guest for 10 days from Finland: Gabriel´s father Tapsa! This was first time anyone of our families joined us abroads and also it was his first journey outside of Scandinavia, so very special indeed.

Not only experiencing those amazing landscapes and places both in Georgia and Armenia but sharing our simple road life with everyday routines; washing dishes in church yard (growing sprouts), carry sticks and wood for our the stove, spend the evenings in the candle light… To share it all is to live in OssiBussi!

 

Those days were our pilgrimage deep into the ancient roots of these old nations… very holy and magical…

  Like here, large cave monastery called Vardzia in south Georgia… nobody knows the origin of the caves, but in 9th century it has been monastery… We could feel there has been life and wisdom inside these rocks loooong before that already!!! As Georgia and Armenia are the oldest Christian nations there is very strong history in churches and monasteries. Most attractive ones were in North Armenia Sanahin and Haghpat monasteries from years 930-950. The other one was straight from Harry Potter…as I was imaging Dumbledore and other wizards living in this “castle”, there came a monk who was exactly from that picture…

It was true time travelling to enter all these ancient places, just to sit there and breath and sense. Amazing.

   Just before Christmas ıt was time to say byebyes to Daddy…he went to snowy Finland. we to snowy Turkey…               

We did it! After all, it was just two of us as Fraser prefered to spend 30 hours on the border eh eh (hope you are fine, man, we miss you!) . So, Gabriel was driving 12 hours a day as I tried to keep him happy and prepared some happy meals :)

The most clever can see in this picture we are still three of us! Its taken near border of Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

What we saw of Turkmenistan was mostly different sorts of sands, some camels, some kids in their green school costumes, some statues of ex-leader Turkmenbashi and many pictures of him.

Travelmates

It was definitely OssiBussi’s record so far to drive this 1 500 kilometers in 3,5 days… Well done Ossi!

One day we needed for the harbour, to negotiate about getting on board with the Bus, visiting again few (14) different offices and making some tens of signatures. Must say, Gabriel had to do this also cause Turkmenistan is man’s world and they werent too much interested even on my passport… However, after many hours waiting we were happy to see this ferry arriving…may it be the one bringing us to Azerbaijan…?

Noup, it wasn’t. Ours came another day later…ha haa. But lucky we, we always have our own OssiBussi million-star-hotel-and-restaurant with us! And could invite other travellers to wait with us, stay overnight.

Wherever we are, always at home!

26th November, finally on board! Ferry left the harbour maybe 12 hours after we were in there, but no matter, we were already sleeping in our semi-freaky cabin.

Guess it was 30 hours altogether and we saw the giant flag of Azerbaijan in the middle of thick fog… We had sailed out of Central Asia.

P.S dear English speaking friends, stories of Uzbekistan are in Finnish blog, but you may see the pictures anyway! From the ossibussi -page to ossiblogi!

Salom!

 

korkea aika varmaankin pihaista jokunen sana… Viimeiset kolme viikkoa on suhahtanut Usbekistanissa. Täytyy tunnustaa että koimme jonkinasteista kulttuurishokkia tänne tullessa. Taakse jäi Kirgisian vuoret, solisevat purot, joukko ystäviä ja edessä tuntui olevan aroa ja poliisikontrolleja. Kuitenkin, jonkun päivän sopeuteltuamme, ohittelimme poliisikontrollit jo vilkutellen ja aroleireilystäkin osaa näin marraskuussa nauttia kun muistaa millainen hel…le ja tuskanhiki aavikko heinäkuussa voikaan olla (Kazakstan 2009 in memoriam).

 

Jotenkin ihmeesti onnistuimme loytamaan tiemme Usbekistanin ainoalle vuoristoalueelle jarvineen. Kauneus!

Seikkailua on edessäpäin: heti ensi viikon alkajaisiksi ylittyy raja OssiBussin maailmanmatkan 16.maahan, Turkmenistaniin. Sinneppä vaan ei mennäkään asustelemaan, viisumi sanoo että viidessä päivässä sisään ja ulos. Matkaa on reteet 1 500 kilsaa ja tuosta viidestä päivästä syytä varata yksi satamaan (Kaspianmeren yli paatilla Azerbaijaniin) ja puolikas rajapuuhiin… Loppuaika siispä suhataan aamusta iltaan! Luojanlykky, jostain tipahti ystäväksi skotlantilainen Fraser, joka matkallaan Iraniin lupautui kakkoskuskiksi ensipäiviksi. Tosin hän odottaa yhä viisumiaan, joten jännäämme viime hetkiin kerkiääko kaveri mukaan.. Hauskaa ehti olla viikonpäivät, kun Bussissa oli taas pikkukommuuni!

 

Fraser ja Gabriel iltateella Bussin katolla :)

Gabriel, Oktaavi Ankka ja Hulda Hanuri treenaa

Viime päivinä ollaan iloittu marraskuun huiman punaisesta auringosta ja kranaattiompuista… Silkkitien muinaisissa kaupungeissa Samarkandissa ja Bukharassa ollaan koettu Usbekistanin taikaa…

Samarkand

Synttärini kunniaksi onnistuimme ihmeesti buukkaamaan koko paikallisen kylpylan omaan kayttoomme tunniksi kymmenella eurolla! Ja parkkeeraamaan Bussin aivan Bukharan vanhan kaupungin sydameen 600-vuotisten moskeijoiden pihaan hehee..

Bukhara

Kullakin maalla on lopulta aina omat ihmeensä!

 

 

In october in Kyrgyzstan we had amazing chance to visit sweet little village school in Ornok, Naryn region. As part of OssiBussi’s Friendship School project the pupils of classes 7-9 wrote letters to a Finnish school. We also made some video greetings with these enthusiastic youngs and got to hera some of the kyrgyz traditional Manas singing!

Although we worked this time with upper grades, also others were of course curious of this colourfull guest from Europe…

The letters travel now with us aall the way to an Finnish school:) sorry, this post delivery is a bit slooow…

Here she is! BerttaJurtta, Bertta the Yurt:)  Traditional kyrgyz yurt which we set up in Kazybek and is now packed into OssiBus, ready for some travelling!

In BerttaJurtta’s first art workshop we made puppets in the remote mountain village Kazybek. Puppets wee made of the nature materials with group of family kids and neighbours, around ten kids between ages 5-15.

 

One afternoon it was time for the audience to arrive and it seemed to be great fun!

 

 

What can I tell you about past month… If I painted it into a picture, it would be amazing mountain scenery with snow tops; horses, sheeps, cows and donkeys in the valley. Here and there nomadic yurts… Looking closer you see children with red cheeks looking at you curiously eating kurut, salted joghurt balls made of horse milk. And there, you see someone rolling separator to make kaimak butter out of horse milk too. Not exactly the number one picture for vegans but over all goes the hospitality and friendliness of these mountain nomads. Wherever we went, we felt warmly welcomed. No, not only that. We felt included into the family. And thats something.

 

On the map our route included Songköl, the highest alpine lake and from there to very last villages near the border of China: Kyzyl-Too and Kazybek.

 

Family life up in the 3+ kilometers

Part I: SONG-KÖL

During our stay in Song-Köl we did few nice walks. Area is full of ancient stones, reminding amazingly lot Kappadokia in Turkey. Song-Köl is one of the most popular jailoo places (meaning summer campfor shepherds with their families and animals). One cloudy day one family came to our Bus and invited us to their yurt camp.

 

Well, it became four days stay with these beautiful people.. As there was many children around, we offred every day some art action for them, for example making instruments, painting and drawing and playing around.

 

This was the best possible way to explore life in jailoos. We got into the daily routines of the family taking care of their horses, cows, sheeps and donkeys. Children since they are walking are taking care of the animals as well.

 

Part II: KYZYL-TOO and KAZYBEK … the far end of Kyrgyzstan…

As we had dealed last year, our yurt would wait for us in Kyzyl-Too. Friend from Bishkek, Nurgul, introduced us last year to her family in these remote villages and nearby we found Bertta The Yurt too. So, Nurgul traveled once again with us there, and yes Bertha was waiting for us! The yurt with its traditional decorations was ready be packed into Bus!!

Bertta Yurt’s first set-up was in Kazybek, Nurguls home village in her sisters garden. In this simple garden of the tiny two-room clayhouse, surrounded by snowtop mountains, Bertta seemed to be in the right place at the right time.

Bertta the Yurt found a lovely spot for first set up in Kazybek. This is garden where we stayed as guests two weeks with the Bus and Yurt. Simple but beautiful!/ Tassa pihapiirissa asuimme jurttinemme kaksi viikkoa. Viisihenkinen perhe asuu tuota pienta savitaloa.

As did we. This place felt really like home, once again we were taken as family members, taken good care. Parents of the family are dump-and-deaf but for us it was more easy communication by hands than trying to put our kyrgyz words together!

 Bertta the Yurt had its first art workshops: puppet theater about which we tell you later. Also,  In the yurt we had the Kino Evening as well: the whole selection of our 8mm movie cartoons was showed and liked.

All in all: Berttta the Yurt works well in its purpose of being the heart of the different kinds of art actions for kids and young ones.

  Mountain weather is unpredictable: Bertta got snow decoration and freezing days tooThose days it was also the end of the muslim fasting month Ramadan. Even its not really followed in Kyrgyzstan, they love to celebrate its ending… Every family made borsoks which is type of salty bakery (pikkuleipa) offered with different jams and butters and chai of course. If you dont do this, it´s considered shameful. Who can afford it, sacrifices sheep on this day, and it is offered to guests in real nomad style, all parts of it. And on this day it is a tradition to visit neighbours, to walk from house to house and be offered this same menu in every place.

 

Celebration “table” = borsok borsok and borsok

 PHUU. Yes, me and Gabriel visited nine houses on that day, drank nine cups of black chai and ate borsok in too many houses. The sheep we didnt touch of course but Nurgul got to eat the sheep eyes, because its always fed to person with glasses, hoping it will help.

 We stayed great two weeks in Rasuls and Zhanyls (Nurguls sister) family. Deeply thankful of our time there.  

Our family:)

Feels like having been in the very heart of Kyrgyzstan, got introduced with all its traditions nd most of all: we got to share the everyday life,  as it is with all its joys and sorrows. This became also kind of the turning point of our journey: it was the very last stop before riving back to Bishkek and getting ready for our journey back to Europe… Well, its going to be looong way, but direction is there however!!

So, after seven days full-day cleaning operation in the Bus, it was aall fresh and clean and we were most ready to head off the city to the nearby mountains (Ala-Archa region)… Freash air and such tasty spring water…. apricotes, rasberries, apples, pears… perfect timing to eat straight from the bushes and trees. As raw foodists its really the beauty to collect what the nature has to give. By the way this time it has been quite exciting to sit into Kyrgyz family table… sorry to say No no no Njet njet njet to all the offerings… But Kyrgyz food rarely has anything to offer for us - except the abundance outside -yam!!

examples of the gifts of the dacha (mountain gottage of our friends)

Abdibek was staying at the Alpine Fund dacha, cutting grass and taking care of the place + offering apricotes :)

And this is new in the Ossi Magic Bus — blendering amaziiiing smoothies, taking electrity from motor:) So, when its time about to stop, berries and fruits to blender, one minute and muah ready to enjoyyy!

We feel so happy and empowered to be back on the Road again, Ossi seems to be also eager to the travelling… Tha dream is to drive towards Song-Kol -the picturesque mountain lake in 3 500 meters… lets see how up there we get with bus and when is the time to move to more old-fashioned transport…

Sukkelasti sujui saapuminen Kirgisiaan; ensin Pietarista Almatyyn junaillen ja sielta minibussilla rajan yli ja Bishkekiin. Kaikkia kivoja enkeleita pitkin matkaa: ensin Jukka ja Leena Lahdessa, sitten Tuija Pietarissa, Vladimir Almatyssa ja sitten Frieder Bishkekissa. Eli joka mutkassa joku apukasi jakamaan kantamuksia ja tekemaan kaikesta huisin helppoa!!

Pietari - Almaty juna lahtokuopissaan

Almatyssa CouchSurfing isantamme Vladimir nouti meidat juna-asemalta ja matkalla kysyi etta niin, tekos meinasitte sinne Kirgisiaan? Jep. No, mennaanko sitten tekemaan viisumit samantien? ooo, joo, mikas siina:) Junassa juuri 87 tuntia kolkutelleina putkahdettiin suoraan Kirgisian konsulaattiin, joskaan eihan ne jonot koskaan nopeita ole, joten silla tovin kun mina laksin jo Almatyn kotiimme vetamaan nokoset Gabriel tehtaili meille viisumit. Suitsait samana paivana. EIka ihan mitka tahansa vaan business - viisumit, hah. Kuulemma virkailija oli niita oikein tarjonnut kun oli kuullut etta haluamme oleskella maassa kuukautta pidempaan. Aiemmin turistiviisumin pidennys oli ihan helppoa vaan ei enaa, joten siksi parempi tulla business-henkiloina maahan. Oolrait.

No, jotain enkelityoskentelya tapahtui rajallakin, koska siina vaiheessa kun bussikuski komensi kaikkia ottamaan kapsakkinsa ja kavelemaan tullin lapi, me otimme n.1/3 tavaroistamme ja loput siis matkasivat kiltisti bussin kyydissa kenenkaan liiemmin utelematta. Ohlalaa, taalla ollaan, ihana Kirgisia!!! Taksi suoraan Frieder ystavan luo, joka yha taalla asustaa, joskin viimeisia viikkoja ennen Saksaan paluutaan. Kiva fiilis kulkea tuttuja katuja ja tavata jokunen tuttavainen Friederin luona. JA samalla sydanalassa kutku… NO< enta se Ossi…joko mentas…? Frieder tiesikin paremmin, missa Bussi tana paivana asuu, silla talven aikana meidan poissaollessamme sita jouduttiin siirtamaan alkuperaisesta parkistaan Asemovin perheen pihasta (koska Bussin paikalle he pystyttavat aina kevaisin jurtan). ELi samana saapumisiltana viela suuri seikkailu Bishkekin kapuungin halki, pysahdys Matthewn ja Shirinin luona, skotlantilais-kirgisialainen perhe, joilla oli yhta sun toista omaisuuttamme jemmassa mukaanlukien Bussin avaimet ja Gabrielin ajokortti (jota jokunen kerta Suomessa kaivattiin). Kylla vain, sielta ne varaston sopukoista (tosin tomeraakin tomeramman isoaidin toimesta uudesta paikasta) ne loytyivat!

KOTIII!!!

Ja JOO, siella se Bussi seista tonotti vartioidulla parkkialueella parin rekan valissa, pressut tuulessa aukikiertyneina, mutta ihan hyvassa jamassa. Kolmikymppinen Mirbek perheineen asustaa parkkialueen laidassa tienaten elantonsa siella pysakoivilta.

Parkkipaikan kasvatit

Kliks Bussin ovi auki ja kotia ihmettelemaan. Fiilis on kenties vahan sama kun tulis talven yli tyhjana olleelle kesamokille taikka jotenkin viela ennemmin kuin palais piiiiiitkan ajan jalkeen johonkin paikkaan, jossa on joskus asunut ja johon liittyy paljon muistoja. Niin tuttua ja samalla vahan etaista. Kaikessa tuoksuu ajankulku ja kaiken paalla on tomuinen pinta. No, ei se viela mitaan, heti ensimmainen silmays antoi myos ymmartaa , etta kuluneen kahdeksan kuukauden aikana Bussi ei suinkaan ole ollut yksinainen. Kaikkialla oli silppua; styrox-silppua, muovisilppua, paperisilppua, villasilppua, yrttisilppua ja….hiirenpapanoita, tuhottomasti.

OssiBussin talvitovereina on ollut joukko siimahantia, jotka heti toisella silmayksella nahden saatikka kaapin ovia auottuamme olivat viritelleet silppuisia pesiaan yhteen sun toiseen lampoiseen paikkaan.

Kaytannossa koko bussi oli kokenut Hiirivallankumouksen, ei ole soppea, missa hiirulaiset eivat olisi kulkeneet ja silpunneet taikka papanoineet. Voihan papana.

Luojanlykky, etta taalla Bishkekissa meilla on sen verran mukavasti kavereita, ettei tarvinnut ajatellakaan jaavansa yopymaan Bussiin. Nyt siivoamme Bussia semmosta kaheksantuntista tyopaivaa, taitaa olla neljas paiva menossa? Kaikki mika ei ole pureskeltu puhki, tarvitsee pesukonetta, tiskiharjaa taikka tamppausta. Hommaa piisaa.

“Laittasko tan?”

Naapurin kylpyamme oli tarpeen

Parkkipaikan jokapaivaiset piknik hetket juur siina metrin levyisella varjovyohykkeella…

Tuleepahan kaytya lapi kaikki Bussin parivuotisen taipaleen aikana sinne kertyneet parinkymmenne eri matkalaisen jaamistot :) puoliksi syodyt sukat ja halkijyystetyt hammastahnatuubit. Mukavimpina kaikki ne sykkyraiset silppukollaasit, johon hiirulainen on koonnut kaikkea mahdollista yrteista villalanganpatkiin ja vahan Eestikruunuja sekaan.

Tassa nayte eraastakin pesasta luovasta yrtteja yhdistellen:)

Hupiakin ovat tarjonneet muun muassa kuljettamalla Tiibetilainen Kirja Elamasta ja Kuolemasta takakansi hiirenhammaskuvioinnein loytyi astiakaapista. Onkohan Muumiperheella tammoista kun ne heraa talviunilta ja kaikenmaailman homssut ja vilijonkat on ryystanyt niitten kupeista?? :)

Onnekkaasti koko kuorma perilla :)))) hiirista viis!

Heipähei…

kaikille niille, jotka ovat täällä käyneet ihmettelemässä, että mitähän näille kulkureille sittemmin tapahtui: OssiBussi on viettänyt uneliaan alkuvuoden yhä Kirgiisivuorten syleilyssä, kun me pyörähdimme Intian jälkeen Haitille avustamaan metsän jälleenistutuksessa. Sieltä tulimme pienelle Suomi-vierailulle ja oi, se onkin ollut tarpeellista metsähengitystä ja laineenliplatusta sekä ihmisrakasvirtaa… Kiitos kaikille hyvistä hetkistä, hienoista retkistä, nauruista ja lauluista.

Jotenkin ihmeellisesti oomme onnistuneet sulkemaan mielemme edessä siintävältä uudelta pitkältä ja tuntemattomalta matkalta ja keskittymään kulloiseenkin hetkeen. Jossain sielunsopukoissa on kuitenkin jo tovin asunut tieto uudesta matkasta Kirgisiaan. Kirgisiaan, jonka kansa on viimeisen puolen vuoden aikana kärsinyt ja tutissut etnisissä mellakoissaan. Kauniin kauniista Kirgisiasta on välittynyt mediassa verisiä kuvia… Etenkin Osh-kaupungin ympäristöstä sadat ja tuhannet ja sadattuhannet ihmiset ovat menettäneet kotinsa ja paenneet Uzbekistaniin.

Meidän polkumme (minä ja Gabriel) tulee kulkemaan junalla halki Venäjän ja Kazakstanin (95 tuntia junassa, juhuu!), ensin Almatyyn. Sieltä saanemme kirgiisiviisumit ja niin ollen OssiBussia jälleennäkemään elokuussa! Ja jos OssiBussi onnellisesti siellä hyrisee, uudet seikkailut alkakoon!! Lastenkulttuurin värikäs lähettiläs valmiina uusiin retkiin… mitä ikinä maailmankaikkeus parhaaksi tarjoilee..

Huomenna siis junaan kaikkien rinkkojen, reppujen ja kapsäkkien kera… Bussille paljon tuliaisia; on lasikuitukittiä, sivupeilejä ja kiinnityshihnoja, ruuvia, mutteria ja työkaluja. Onpa sitten vielä itukaukaloa, siementä ja papua joka lähtöön ja sitten vielä kuvauskalustoa yllinkyllin, kaikkineen koko komeus 120 kiloa. Ensipysäkki Pietariin, (Tuija joo voit alkaa voimistelemaan hauistasi) ja sitten kohti Almatya…

Ja tänne nyt siis jatkuu päivitykset taas tämän taukoilun jälkeen, kiitos että kuljet kanssamme, jaat tätä Matkaa. Uskomatonta, miten arvokasta se onkaan; tietää miten jokunen ihminen myötäelää ja tukee suurta retkeämme.

Huimaa!

for those who have been wondering what happened to those Bus people… here we are… on the way back to the Bus and Kyrgyzstan!!! OssiBussi spent a silent (?) winter under the tarps in Kyrgyzstan while we volunteered in India and Haiti for amazing reforestation project Sadhana Forest. After hard work it was even more amazing to arrive for some summer months to Finland to collect some light and berries for every little cell of our bodies :)

And now, fresh and new start towards Central Asia .. last days we have packed back bags and small bags and then some bigger bags, alltogether 120 kilos, all sorts of necessary stuff for ossi … With all this luggagew we will take the train from St Petersburg to Almaty (90 hot hours coming I guess), waiting there the Kyrgyz visa and wishing to be in reunion with Ossi the Happy Bus in August…. MAy the new adventures begin!! We shall from now on update the best (or some) parts of it here, thanks for walking with us… Love and shine, lets make the path Beautifull…