They have delivered books to a mountain town called Naryn, which is close to the Chinese border, and a town named Osh. They had a chance to visit the beautiful and immense Issyk Kul Lake, which is 80 miles in length, and excitedly rode twice on a Ferris wheel. A couple of Peace Corps Volunteers have asked the Odyssey for advice on putting together a summer mountain biking camp for their Kyrgyz students. The students are interested in riding along the Old Silk Road which leads to China. This is something that hasn't been done before especially since few mountain bikes exist in that country.
Most bikes there are Chinese or Russian and old.
The goal of the project is to let students experience the freedom of mountain biking, to learn more of Kyrgyzstan history, and to see some of their beautiful mountainous country. This in a sense is a cultural exchange between us and them. In order for the PCVs to accomplish this project they will need bike donations which should be in good riding conditions, helmets, T-shirts, waterbottles, and camping gear. They have written to several bike companies and are hoping for some promising responses. They have already gotten a few donations, and are inviting anyone to come as an exchange from the US to help as a sponsor.