Urungach Lake, Uzbekistan

Knowing what I know now, February is not best time to visit the Jade Lakes (aka Urungach Lakes) when ice, snow, and mud make for a painful and dangerous journey. A better time is in April, where landslides, boulders, livestock, and narcissists suffering from selfitis make for a painful and dangerous journey instead. Much later than April, we were told, the glacier water stops flowing which means stagnant, filmy water and hordes of mosquitos.

Sighing in resignation, we agreed to drive the gauntlet once more because a friend of ours really wanted to see what is probably Uzbekistan's most famous lake. And, we had to follow the advice we dish out to the kids, that in order to have a friend, you have to be a friend, especially when interests aren't aligned.

 

This particular weekend marked the end of Ramadan, which equaled extra days off, which equaled many people visiting the park. The upper and lower lakes were very much an Instagram versus reality: the sound of rushing glacier melt filling the nearly translucent blue-green lakes, the cool air and no bugs, versus the noisy diesel engines of the Lada 4x4 taxis, piles of trash, lines of impatient hikers, and people attempting to picnic along the rocky, narrow edge of the water. From bottom to top, the hike took us about 90 minutes, but the view was worth the effort of dodging Ladas gunning up the unstable terrain, dealing with the large amount of soda-drinking, must-disobey-all-rules kinds of visitors.

Reality: 4x4s and roaring engines. The driver was
filling the radiator with creek water.

IG: clarity

Reality: smoking, music, and nowhere to sit

IG: nothing but the sound of rushing water

IG: glossy, crisp, green

Reality: lines with nowhere to safely get off trail to avoid the pushy types.

Reality: Lada, Lada, everywhere. However, it was fun to watch them
navigate the tiny parking lot ala engine revving Tetris.