The trip hear sounds hard but in fact it was easy. Go to the bus station and walk around saying "Jalabart" and they point out the mini bus (mushrutka), pay 80som ($2) for the 2hr trip. Arrive at Jalal-abad bus station, walk around saying "Buza Korrrrgon" they point I pay 25som for the 1hr ride. Arrive at Bus station walk around saying "Arslanbub" they point. This time I gotta get a share taxi (machina) at 60som ($1.50) for the 1hr trip. Only problem is I gotta wait till the cab is full. Machina driver was a very stinky man. Im sure he has not seen the working end of a bar of soap in a long time. The machina is a Daewoo Tica, same as a Matiz, the smallest car you have ever seen and they want 4 passengers. There is no way Im getting in the back with 2 other stinky people. The drive up here was really nice. Driving through the rolling green hills in Kyrgystan farming heartland, with the mountains as a backdrop. Ocasionally there was a village or lake to break up the scenery. The weather is brilliant, Im in a T shirt. It was really relaxing after the ride up the Irkeshtam the other day. Hayat, from the CBT, met my taxi and I was taken straight to the CBT office. That saved me having to look for it. CBT (Comunity Based Tourism) has been set up all over Kyrgystan to help the locals and try to get some money into the local comunities. The locals basically rent out rooms, usually purpose built, and us tourists get to stay cheap. They average $10/night and add meals and it goes to about $12/ day. They also have resources for treking, horses, mountain climbing, skiing and guides. It is a great idea and helping locals. Im at house no10 and my host Almas, has 3 rooms. Im early in the season so I m the only one here now but the place is great. Im here for a few days and gonna have a look around. Everything is outside - the dunny (long drop squatter), the shower, the kitchen and the running water. Ive got the room down stairs next to the stables, you can smell the cow ****. The place is so rustic. The first arvo I went for a walk into town to get my bearings. Most of town, and the chaikhana's, are still closed for winter, so there is not a lot to look at. Spotted the barber doing shaves so I stepped up and asked "how much?" He said "50som" thats about $1.10 so I jumped in the chair and my new mate err Babour the barber gave me a great shave. Heaps better than those butchers in India. The town is all dirt roads except for the town square, that has some bitumen between the potholes. The place is dominated by the backdrop of the Babash-Ata mountains. There are 3 passes over the mountains to trek to the holy lakes on the other side. I plan to use none of them. Im here to see the biggest Walnut grove in the world, part of a 60,000 hectare forest, and maybe a couple of other sights. I just hung out for the rest of the arvo. Almas came home and asked me what I wanted for dinner and gave me a menu. I said just tell your mum "what ever she is cooking is fine". Then I watched her cook in in her outdoor kitchen. She did the whole lot outside and washed up at the hose near the creek just outside my room. Later Almas dad came and lit the fire in my room cos its gonna be cold tonight, although the days are beautiful and warm. I came to Arslanbob to relax and see the Walnut forest so today Im going on a mission to see the sights. They have colourful descriptive names fot the places of interest around here. Big waterfall, small waterfall, panorama and walnut forest. There is no dispute what you are gonna see. CBT dont have maps cos they want to sell me a guide. I wont be railroaded and have to keep up with someone else so I go alone. As Im about to leave Almas says "take your jacket cos it is snowing up in the mountains" That is just what I was trying to avoid cos I didnt want to carry it all day. Just after setting off, sure enough I was sweating and had to take it off, I was out of breath and my chest was burning and I wasnt even out of town. I keep asking "Panorama?" and no one knows. When I point up they all know and point out the way. As I was going up the hill some kid and his sheep sprinted past me. Well their younger than me anyway. I had a rest break then tried to keep up with them. No use. A bit further up they have stopped at a patch of grass about 1/2 the size of a footy oval. I went straight past. *******. A bit further along the path flattened out and I realised I was in the walnut grove. Just looks like a bunch of dead trees. Im a month too early, the trees are just starting to bud now. Anyway where the kid and his sheep stopped was Panorama so I went back there and got some pics. Coming back down was nearly as bad. You are on the balls of your feet all the way and jar's your knees. Next was big waterfall. I skipped small waterfall, who remembers second? Big waterfall is up in the mountains. The walk starts easier but gets tougher as you go. It is about 7km, all uphill. The weather has fined up and Im still carrying my jacket. My track became a creek for a while. Then I got above the snow line. Finally I saw it. You will have to look close at the pics to see it. I kept going until I could not go any further. I was walking in about 2 feet of snow and my feet were getting cold. I kept falling over. It is not easy to walk in soft snow. I err wrote my name in the snow, and headed back down. This treking malarky is for the poor backpackers. Next time if there is no bus Im not going. Tomorrow Im going to try to get all the way to Naryn. That will be taxi to Bazaar Korgon, bus to Jalal-abad, bus to Kazarman and bus to Naryn.