Today started with us saying farewell to our guide Oksana as we boarded a flight to Osh. After a nail-biting one-hour flight we arrived to be met by our new guide and his 2 student guides.

Osh is the oldest city in Kyrgyzstan (estimated to be over 3000 years old) and the second largest in the country. The town is situated at the crossroads of the ancient trading routes that became known as the Silk Road - halfway between China and Europe.

Our first stop was at a local bread bakery where we learned about preparing the dough, shaping and decorating the circular loaves which are then cooked in a tandyr oven. Known as lepyoshka we saw these loaves for sale on almost every street corner in the city.

A visit to Craftsmen Street which is one of the oldest streets of Osh. This is where local craftsmen of varying trades — from leather to handmade knives and other metal works — set up workshops. We visited the workshop of Zakir Aka who has been making handmade knives for almost 60 years. These handmade knives would make a great gift for friends or family members who love to cook and several of our group made a few purchases. We also went to the workshop where the tandyr ovens are made. Everything is done by hand which looked like hard yakka to me!!

The age of the city can be judged by the rock drawings and inscriptions found on the northern slope of the four-headed Suleiman Mountain. This mountain is located in the centre of Osh and is a unique historical and architectural monument. The site is still a popular place for local Muslims, with stairs leading up to the highest peak with a small mosque originally built in 1510. Named after the Biblical and Qur'anic Prophet Solomon, this towering mountain has served for millennia as a sacred location for Zoroastrianism, Shamanism, and Islam. Built into one of the caves on the side of the mountain is the most unique museum in Kyrgyzstan, the Sulaiman Too National Historical and Archaeological Museum. Unfortunately for us, it was closed for "deep cleaning" - whatever that meant!! Although the fascinating petroglyphs at Sulaiman-Too Mountain date the settlement to the Bronze Age, the city truly gained renown as an oasis of welcome and exchange along the Great Silk Road. It was so hot as we climbed the mountain.....well some of us did while others elected to take the bus around to the pickup point. The view of the city from the top is definitely worth the climb. I am not sure what was worse on my knees - going up or going down the uneven ground!!.

Tonight we were welcomed into the home of a local family to learn all the tricks to cooking plov. This traditional Kyrgyz dish typically combines rice, meat, carrots, onions, and garlic. It is prepared in a qazan — a large, cast-iron cauldron—over an open fire. The name "plov" is related to "pilaf," a name which English speakers are generally familiar with. However, while "pilaf" usually refers to a light, mostly-vegetable dish, plov is much more hearty. What we did not realize is that this process was going to take about 3 hours and we were starving. We had stopped at a shop on the way and purchased some beer but that was long gone before the food was ready!! However, once cooked it was a delicious meal and we headed back to the hotel with very full stomachs.