Tales from the Fringes

Nine times out of ten a dangerous incompatibility with the sun is a serious burden when travelling. This time however, it would prove to be the recipe for discovery.

It was our final full day in Karakol, a popular town for mountain treks in northern Kyrgyzstan, and my travel partner and I were pooped. The previous few days had seen us embark on an arduous mountain trek and as a result our limbs were begging for a more leisurely itinerary for our final day in town.

The trek had seen me catch the sun so the day’s strolling was led by a conscious effort on my behalf to stick to the shade at all costs. Walking in the opposite direction to the town centre, it wasn’t long before we had a marker to aim for: the faded pink stone entrance of a park, and beyond it, a short boulevard draped in the welcoming shadows of a modest tree canopy.

Safely within the cool interior of the park, our attention was immediately stolen by a slightly hidden but recognisable shape in the distance. As we walked closer, the circular skeleton of a Ferris wheel slowly revealed itself, as did a host of amusement rides, last seen on a 1950s seaside boardwalk. In my quest for shade, we had stumbled across a Soviet amusement park of yesteryear and the clunking mechanical chorus and enthusiastic children’s laughter suggested it was far from abandoned.

The park itself was fascinating. Occupying a dusty plot no bigger than half a football field, it housed a tantalizing mixture of old and new. In the thin spindly shadow of the Ferris wheel was a ‘rollercoaster’ of sorts, with a central mechanical arm to push trucks around a bumpy circular track. Swing boats neighboured a carousal, with a bouncy castle, shooting alley, climbing frame, refreshment kiosk and ‘9D Cinema’ (a mysterious caravan that was sadly out of order) thrown in for good measure. All had seen better days, with their own personal clinks, clanks and clunks. The park’s faded colour scheme, resembled a photograph taken on expired film.

Walking around, it was impossible to hide a childish smile of excitement. Smiles proved equally infectious among the children and their grandparent chaperones. For the first time on our trip, we were spared the inquisitive stares we had previously been subjected to as foreigners, with those in attendance far too engrossed in fun at its purest.

Surprisingly we felt no need to test out the rides, we merely sat in the shade, watching the scenes unfold in front of us like a moment lost in time.