Tamchy

The aryk (channelled stream) that brings water frae the muntains tae the veelage

Apples ripen in September in veelagers' yards

Tamchy (Kyrgyz: Тамчы; Roushie: Тамчы, earlier Тамчи) is a veelage in the Issyk Kul Destrict o the Issyk Kul Province o Kyrgyzstan. The name uised tae be transcribed intae Inglis as Tamchi, an some local road signs hae it, surprisingly, as Tamczy.

Tamchy is locatit on the north shore o Lake Issyk Kul, atween Balykchy an Cholpon Ata on heich-gate A363. Tae the wast is Kosh Kol.

Natural environment

The veelage stretches for a couple kilometers alang the shore o a bay formed bi promontories at Kosh Kol (tae the wast) an Choktal (tae the east). A gently raisin desert plain stretches for mair nor ten kilometers north o the veelage, towards the fuithills o the muntain range that separates Issyk Kul basin frae the Kemin Valley farther north. Remote snaw-covered muntain tops can be seen frae the veelage, an, on a clear day, ane can see the Tian Shan muntains athort the lake tae the sooth.

A creek flows frae the muntains tae the shore, bringin fresh water tae the veelage. Alang hintle o its course, the creek is airtificially reroutit (an thus locally kent as an aryk) tae run no alang the bottom o ravines an gulches, but on a heich grund, so that it is possible tae divert water frae it for irrigation. Housomeivver, as the amount o water in the creek is quite limited, anerlie a few square kilometers o land aroond the veelage is actually irrigatit. Veelage hooses are aften surroondit bi orchards, apples an walnuts being local favorites.

Tamchy is ane o the popular family beach vacation destinations on Issyk Kul's north shore. Hintle less developed an mair law-key than Cholpon Ata, it is popular wi baith the Bishkek middle class an budget travellers frae as far away as central Roushie an Siberie. Unlike its wastren neighbor, Kosh Kol, Tamchy wis spared the lairge-scale resort development durin the Soviet era, an its hospitality industry consists maistly o smawer, family-run guesthooses.

Transportation

Tamchy is locatit on the heich-gate that runs alang the north shore o Issyk Kul, an is served bi passenger vans an buses operatin on Bishkek-Balykchy-Cholpon Ata-Karakol route.

The Tamchy Airport, the lairgest on the lake, is locatit approximately 5 kilometers tae the east o the veelage. In 2006 plans wur annoonced for a major upgrade.