February 27th, 2025

The weather wasn’t too hot when we got to the lake in the afternoon. The sun was playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds, popping out here and there to say hi. Oh, and this is my second official stop in Kyrgyzstan! We had a bunch of stops along the road because sometimes the views were just amazing.

I’m feeling a bit sleepy after chowing down on a bunch of food at the restaurant Jack took us to. I’ll fill you in on all the tasty details in another post, but honestly, everything I tried was incredible—I loved it all! Usually, I’m not a big fan of new foods right off the bat, but this time was different. Seriously, amazing food, stunning views, and awesome people—that’s what my whole trip in Central Asia was all about!

Getting out of the car, I seriously had no clue where we were headed. On this trip, I’m just kinda going with the flow with Joey, Karl, and Irving. I trust them completely about the plan. So, as we hop out, I ask Joey, who’s sitting in the back with me, where we are. He tells me we’re going to Issyk Kul—and I’m like, cool! I’ve heard of that; I did a little Googling before we left.

In my lab office in Hong Kong, I’m checking out the map, looking at the landscapes, and taking a peek at the geographical features (just the typical scientist stuff for planning field research). I saw we’re going to visit a big lake that looks like it’s nestled right in the heart of the Asian continent. I’m really excited about the chance to explore this place! Must be amazing!

I hopped out of the car, super excited to check out the lake. The air was fresh—it was definitely a good day!

We took a nice walk from the car stop to the lake. It’s a huge lake, and yeah, it was a bit windy, making the shore kinda wave a little. On the far side, there were these awesome snow-capped mountains standing tall, keeping an eye on the lake below. The water was reflecting the sky’s colors, but honestly, at that moment, it looked kinda greyer and dull. I can only imagine how cool it must look in summer when the sky’s all blue—bet this lake shows off some stunning colors then!

The guys—Joey, Karl, and Irving—were snapping photos while Jack and Anuar were getting the drone ready to fly. Joey wanted to get some epic drone shots of the lakes. Meanwhile, I was just chilling, checking out the sands and rocks. There were tons of shells along the lakeshore, super tempting to grab one for a keepsake, but I figured it’s not the smartest move, so I just enjoyed them while they were there. The little waves at the shore felt kinda icy as they rolled in; it must get freezing at night. On the sandy beach by the lake, there were some umbrellas, maybe for summer, and at that moment, it was just us there—really exclusive, which made me feel a bit special.

GET TO KNOW ISSYK-KUL LAKE
So, part of checking out a new spot is getting to know the place, right? You wanna see, learn, admire, and totally fall in love with it!

If you zoom in on Google Earth or Google Maps and check out Central Asia, you’ll spot this massive body of water just chilling in the middle of the continent. Believe it or not, this lake is actually the seventh-deepest in the world! Just think about it—the mysterious depths hold endless possibilities for what kind of life could be hanging out down there. It gets pretty dark too, where sunlight can’t even reach! Issyk-Kul Lake, sitting at 668 meters deep, is perfectly tucked away in the Tian Shan mountain range. And let’s not forget about Lake Baikal—the deepest, oldest, and biggest lake in the world at a whopping 1,620 meters in Siberia, Russia which is almost three times deeper than Issyk-Kul!

In Asia, Issyk-Kul Lake is the fifth largest lake around, covering about 6,236 km², trailing behind the Caspian Sea (which takes the top spot), Lake Baikal in Siberia (second place), Lake Balkhash (third), and Lake Taymyr (fourth). When you look at the depths, the Caspian Sea is a throwback to the ancient Tethys Ocean, just like the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Its deepest spots are more oceanic than continental crust, so geographers usually label it as a gigantic endorheic salt lake. Over in Kyrgyzstan, they call it Ysyk-köl, which means “hot lake,” since it stays warm and never freezes in the winter.

Issyk-Kul is the second biggest high-altitude lake after Lake Titicaca, and it’s a real hotspot for migratory birds! I did a quick dive into what this lake’s all about and realized it’s not just important for biodiversity; it’s also got loads of economic and cultural value too! read more here https://www.ilec.or.jp/wp-content/uploads/pub/13_Lake_Issyk-Kul_27February2006.pdf

Note:

“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footsteps, kill nothing but time”

Always keep this in mind, just be a respectful visitor! 🙂 – Chornelia

GALLERY:

Chillin’ by the lake, the skies were kind of boring and gray (when I was there), but honestly, this lake is still pretty awesome just the way it is.

Cruising around in Anuar’s car is a blast!

I’m completely obsessed with these trees! They’ve got this vibe that says, “Yeah, I’m gorgeous, even without my leaves!” It’s like they’re having a bit of a fashion emergency, but honestly, I think they look awesome anyway!