Trekking around Karakol

I wrote this in my diary on 24/8/08... it makes reasonable sense as is (often they don't!) so I'm just going to transcribe it!

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Writing the date I think I realise that the Olympics have been and gone- who knew they would come and go with such little impact (on me!)! After all these years of build up!
I am at a campsite between Altyn Arashan and Ala Kol lake... just over the Ala Kol pass. Today's walk, day 2 of the trek, was arduos- uphill nearly all the way and over at 3860m pass. At the moment it's 5:30pm and 12 degrees, the daily max/ min so far has been 31/6... 6 being at the top of the pass! (Florian had temp recording device).
I am rather exhausted! And getting ready for another cold night! The lake was amazing, a blue aqua colour you don't seem to see in Australia, it is glacial so maybe that has something to do with it? We had lunch there and afterwards the weather started to look bad- banks of clouds on the mountains and thunder rumbles, but we did not get rained on and now the tent's up it's OK if it rains a little. (which it did :) )
I was lucky to find Flo to walk with, we were sitting around outside at Yak House and we was saying how he wanted to go hiking but needed a tent, and I said I have a tent and I need a friend! and voila! We also walked with these two Czech guys (for the first two days) who are really nice.
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Altyn Arashan was really nice, an alpine valley with forest, mountain views and stream. The walk there was easy after the previous two days! There are a few hot spring sanatoium places there, and I had a hot bath in a wooden chack by the stream. It was very good after three days of walking and not changing clothes(too cold at the times of day when it is convenient to change :)) to get clean!
As I wanted to get back to Bishkek, I took a 4wd back to Karakol rather than walk down the final valley, it was the only part of the trek accessable by road, the only short cut possible to take! :)

The days spent in Bishkek were enjoyable, and after I got my Uzbek visa I took a share-taxi to Osh, an impressive 10 hour drive that goes over two mountain passes.