Last day in the walnut-fruit forests at Gava

In 1997 I undertook an expedition to collect walnut seeds from the wild walnut-fruit forests of Kyrgyzstan.

Journal entry: Saturday 4th October 1997

After yesterday’s inactivity it was good to get back to work collecting walnut seeds today.  However, I was in a bad mood after we were kept waiting for a long time this morning without an apology!  Once that we got collecting in the forest my mood improved and we had a useful day.

Tomorrow we leave for Sary-Chelek; departing Gava at about 0500.  It will be interesting to visit a new area, particularly as we are told it is less populated in the walnut-fruit forest.  I expect that our home here will seem like paradise as I have a feeling that although there is a plan to stay somewhere, no-one seems to know where this might be!  Baths here have been very frequent recently – actually every day.

Gabriel Hemery