A NEW START, A NEW STAN -Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

.....coming from the Kazakhstan steppes.......

We arrived in Bishkek's main bus station in darkness, bleary eyed and feeling rough after a terrible bus ride from Kazakhstan. After an hour's sleep amongst the drunks inside the station on hard slated seats, we set off to find accommodation in the capital. We lucked out to come across a spic and span, brand new hostel, with our own bathroom with hot water, breakfast and a lovely, non-English speaking host. It was located near Osh Bazaar, a slightly dodge part of town, but the aspect was dramatic with big mountains rising over the city, and there was plenty of action.

We had been happy to receive two months visa free on entry into Kyrgyzstan, and along with free maps available at the hostel and so much information available on the internet, it was a sharp contrast to our struggle to find out information in Kazakhstan. However, as we were soon to learn, the price of such a welcome and ease of travel is many more tourists in the country!

Osh Bazaar was another excellent market- they really are a highlight of Central Asia. People watching and awesome fruit buying were our main activities- we once again became very excited at the sight of so many berries! After buying and scoffing kilos of strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, Rich had to stay quite close to the toilet the following day! Some interesting things not seen at markets before on this trip were pellets of chewing tobacco, hundreds of styles of fancy cakes, strange dried roots and a vast array of spices. We were approached by one of infamous dodgy "policemen" who hang around Osh Bazaar and prey on unsuspecting tourists. Amazingly, he immediately walked away when Rich growled "Go away"!! I guess we were lucky that Rich looks so tough, and that the "policeman" looked a bit weedy!!
The fresh bread baked near our hostel may have the best bread we had come across so far in Central Asia- that's with some very strong competition!! We continued our delicious fresh food picnics at the hostel.

Berries galore!! Bishkek Osh Bazaar, Kyrgyzstan 

Many interesting cakes and sweets, Bishkek Osh Bazaar, Kyrgyzstan 

Yummo! Bread, Bishkek Osh Bazaar, Kyrgyzstan 

Piles of spices, Bishkek Osh Bazaar, Kyrgyzstan 

Pellets of chewing tobacco, Bishkek Osh Bazaar, Kyrgyzstan 

There were more women in headscarves, more men wearing various head coverings and many little stalls selling Sufi offerings. Added to that the sound of mosques calling to prayer, and the city had quite a different vibe to anywhere we had visited in Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan. Having said that, there were certainly enough “scarcely there” numbers to balance things out! The Korean population was a surprise, too. We had heard there were many Koreans living in Kyrgyzstan since they were forced out of their Russian ruled area many generations ago, but until now had not seen Korean businesses and food such as kimchi salads for sale in other places.

We were to discover that every town and village in Kyrgyzstan has a least one mosque and they all broadcast prayers five times a day, a stark contrast to the other Central Asian countries we had visited. We found the kalpak, the tall white felt hat for men, a particularly amusing fashion, we couldn't imagine how it had come about. It didn't seem to have any practical use- there's no shade against the sun, it can't be pulled over the ears for warmth- it just sits up there for decoration, it seemed!

Kalpak seller, Bishkek Osh Bazaar, Kyrgyzstan 

Kalpak wearer, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 

Stylish but seemingly useless, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 

Bishkek was still hot, although not as stifling as it had been in Kazakhstan. We had to get out to the hills for a walk!! Issyk-Ata was the best choice for a day trip from Bishkek. A short marshrutka ride took us along a picturesque road to a sanatorium quite high in the hills. Brown big-bummed sheep grazed in the fields, and some pretty cottages amongst the practical concrete ones lined the way. We followed the locals up a tree-lined path that eventually lead through a gate to a wonderful valley surrounded by mountain views, shiny horses, wild flowers just coming to an end and yurts selling kymys (fermented mare's milk and a national obsession). We followed the grassy path along the icy blue raging river for miles to a waterfall until we became tired and returned to the sanatorium for a sticky beak around the old spa buildings and spring. It felt so good to out and about walking, and even the hazy views and slight drizzle couldn't dampen our enthusiasm.

Gorgeous view up the valley, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

One of the last wildflowers out, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

What a lovely walk, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

SO many butterflies here! Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

What we'd been waiting for! Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan

Finally made it to the waterfall, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Heading back down the valley, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

The sanatorium is a bit of an institution in Russian and former Soviet countries. Workers could have a break paid for by the state for a couple of weeks and return to work refreshed. These days, those that are still standing are more of a recreational/holiday spa combined with medical treatments, which can be quite bizarre, but often involve thermal waters and hot springs. The settings are always in natural beautiful areas, especially mountains, due to the health benefits of the clean air. Unfortunately, the actual buildings aren't always in sync with the scenic surrounds, as the Soviets often favoured brutal, monolithic structures that didn't exactly blend in with the surroundings. Most that we know of are also extremely decrepit and not maintained very well. Amongst the places we visited in Central Asia, Issyk-Kol in Kyrgyzstan had the biggest concentration of sanatoriums, seemingly one in every second town!

Playing with the stream, sanatorium, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Old building in grounds, sanatorium, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Statue of a long forgotten man, sanatorium, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Soviet remainders, sanatorium, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Testing the waters, sanatorium, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Posing for a photo (for someone else!), sanatorium, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Old window in grounds, sanatorium, Issyk-Ata, Kyrgyzstan 

Where the mineral water ends up, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 

A couple of days were spent exploring the solid city of Bishkek with it's plain tiled and concrete buildings sitting on huge bare squares, it's wonky footpaths and decaying government buildings and apartments. It certainly didn't pretend to be grand or beautiful! The best thing were the numerous parks with shady paths, large walnut, birch and oak trees, and wildlife boxes. Every street corner had a lady selling drinks under an umbrella, which we appreciated in the heat, although the milky fermented millet variety wasn't to our taste- we stuck to iced tea and mors, a fruity berry cordial. The beer stops at bars or cafes were also welcome..... for US$1 for a large beer, we could afford to do that! Marshrutkas and trolley buses helped us when we became tired of walking. The chivalry we had experienced on public transport so far on this trip continued, and one friendly driver even gave us a free ride!

Big foot, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 

Fermented soft drinks, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 

Soaring statue, Bishkek square, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 

Flower seller, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

The Kyrgyz people share close ties with the Kazakhs historically, culturally and linguistically. Actually they are the same people- one group living on the steppes (arid grasslands), and the other in the mountains. The area that is now Kyrgyzstan was once home to the Scythians, then the Karakhanids, who brought Islam to the region. The ancestors of the present day Kyrgyz people came down from Siberia to escape the wrath of Genghis Khan between the 10^th and the 15^th centuries. Under Tsarist Russia thousands of Russians poured into Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyz men were ordered to fight in World War One. The two countries share the same tragic past under the Soviets, with many being forced to give up their nomadic lives and settle in towns, the most “rebellious” being murdered as part of Stalin's Purges- including all 140 members of the Kyrgyzstan government.

Before the lines were drawn up to create the countries of Central Asia, Kyrgyz people identified mainly as part of a clan, as a Muslim, or as a nomad.

The Soviet influence wasn't all bad, however, and some issues such as women's rights, education, industry, artistic expression and healthcare were improved.

Probably as a result of this tumultuous history, Kyrgyz now have quite the rebellious streak. A Communist government was unanimously voted in during the time of independence (1991), and at first the government showed signs of radical reform. But people grew tired of their corruption and nepotism and after many protests the Tulip Revolution overthrew the president and more elections were held. Five years later, again the people were unhappy with government's abuse of power, and amid much violence and riots the leader was once again deposed in a revolution.

Really needing to escape the heat, we travelled east to Issyk-Kol and onto the mountains...............

Couldn't resist another sneaky and beautiful butterfly pic!

Bishkek in context

....onwards to Issyk-Kol, Kyrgyzstan.....