New Orleans:Trying to stay out of trouble

This week Dr. Blackburn and I are in New Orleans for two conferences, the GNOSIS conference on geospatial health and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. There were many excellent presentations at the GNOSIS conference on the implementation of risk assessment and the spatial modeling of diseases. It has been a great opportunity to view the different GIS techniques utilized in various academic fields and to meet some of the researchers applying these new methodologies. Additionally, I have been able to ask a few experts some lingering questions I've had on the proper use of certain spatial statistics.
Although I've been busy with the conference and meetings I did have the chance to sample some of the wonderful food and take in just a few of the sights the city has to offer. The first photo above is a picture of some street performers playing music while people were dancing in the street. The music was actually quite good and consisted of a piano, violin, tuba, banjo, and drums. The second and third picture are of the historical Jackson Square.
New Orleans is definitely one of the most unique cities in the United States.

Out and about in Bishkek

The Soviet influence on architecture is still very evident around Bishkek. The bottom two photos are of the Victory Monument which is suppose to represent a traditional yurt. The flame symbolizes those lost during times of war.

The top photo is of the National Museum formally known as the Lenin Museum. Inside a majority of the museum is devoted to Lenin, with a smaller area on the top floor set aside for the preservation of Kyrgyz tradition. Foreigners are not allowed to take pictures inside the museum unless they pay an $11 per photo fee.

Ala-Archa National Park Kyrgyzstan

After a long day a group of us decided to take an excursion into the Ala-Archa National Park, about an hour drive from Bishkek. In one of the pictures above is a traditional Kyrgyz yurt which is a home used primarily by nomadic herdsmen due to its transportability. The yurt is also the location where some of the group members tried to get me to drink koumiss which is unpasteurized, fermented horse milk. I politely declined the offer. The national park is where I was also introduced to the Kyrgyz tradition of guzzling vodka, eating a large meal, and then climbing up the side of a glacier.

Bishkek Market

Some colleagues and I had a chance to check some of the local markets in Bishkek which are like nothing I've ever seen. The first stop was at one of the largest bazaars in Kyrgyzstan. This place was enormous; they had everything you could ever think of eating and some things you wouldn't even consider touching. Almost all of the sellers will let you try some of the food before you buy it but I resisted the temptation to sample anything. It was hot, crowded, and it stunk but I thought it was great. The second stop at another outdoor market consisted mainly of articles of clothing. Luckily I didn't spend much money due to the fact that they don't have many 6'6" people in Central Asia so none of the clothes fit.

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

I arrived at my hotel Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan at around 5:30 a.m. and it was still pretty dark outside. It wasn't until I awoke a few hours later and stepped out onto my balcony that I realized what an amazing view I had of the Tian Shan Mountains. I didn't imagine that it would be this beautiful here. As a side note just 60 miles or so over the mountains my fellow SEER lab buddy Andrew is in Almaty, Kazakhstan working on another project.

Trolling Around Town

Today was our first real chance to go out and explore. We decided to head out from the office and walk through the area known as the "Old City" down by the Caspian Sea. This is a beautiful area filled with tiny cobble stone streets and amazing architecture. Being out among the locals reiterated the fact that while Baku is very different in some regards, people in general are the same. The locals were out doing the same activities you would find families anywhere in the U.S. doing.

One of the most prominent landmarks near the shore in the Old City is the Maiden Tower. The story behind the tower is somewhat unclear but it was supposedly built in the 12th or 13th century. The cool thing about the tower is that you're able to climb to the top of it and get a great view of the rest of the city. One thing to note here is there are a lot stairs to climb and the individuals that built it weren't very tall. This resulted in me being hunched over for most of the ascent and descent. I still had a great time.

Sampling the Local Grub

I finished my first full day of work on about 4 hours of sleep over the last two days and I'm still not tired. I don't know what's keeping me moving but, I'm going to use that energy while it lasts. One of the first things I noticed while we were driving around town was that even though this is a predominantly Muslim country the people here seem very liberal. They dress and interact in a manner very similar to the way we do. I was a little apprehensive about what I would encounter during my stay here due to my preconceived notions of Muslim society. However, those notions have been washed away and I already feel very comfortable here. Well, as comfortable as a giant western can feel in any foreign country.

After Dr. Blackburn and I returned to the hotel we decided to explore a little and see if we could find a local place to eat. We asked for directions to a restaurant in walking distance and ended up getting a little turned around. I think that part of the fun in exploring new places is getting lost, just a little, because often you will find hidden gems that you may have otherwise passed by. Regardless we found the restaurant which was a small wooden building built along a quite neighborhood street away from the busy thoroughfare.
While their culture and ours may have some similarities the found is rather different. We opened the menu to find a vast assortment of selections, so many that we asked our waiter to assist in the selection. In the end we decided on the cow tail, ostrich, and assorted meat platter. The assorted meat platter consisted of what I think was cube steak, kidneys, and liver mixed in with some potatoes. The platter was served on an enormous sizzling wok with hot coals underneath it to keep it warm. It was quite impressive. We also order an assorted cheese plate with bread and some fresh vegetables. Everything was excellent, even the cow tail, with my least favorite being the liver. I'm not sure what animal the liver or kidneys came from, since they were fairly small, nor do I want to know. The ambiance was supplemented by some live music and I could have easily spent a day sitting, relaxing, drinking some of the local brew.

No Rest for the Weary

I first arrived in Baku around 2 a.m. local time, after about 20 hours of trave,l and I really wasn't even the least bit tired. Admidditely I was pretty nervous making my way through customs and this alone probably started enough adrenaline pumping through my veins to keep me up for days. However, my fears subsided considerably once I met my driver whom was very friendly and we made our way to the car. We were met outside by a steady down pour of rain and I held out hope that it would not continue to rain the rest of the week. The drive from the airport to the hotel was fairly long, although being pitch black outside and coupled with the rain it was hard to make out any distinguishable features on the landscape. From what I did see though I could tell that I would be in for treat. The architecture of the few buildings that I could make out was amazing and truly unique.

When we finally reached the hotel it was fast approaching 3 a.m. The hotel from just the appearance of the lobby was already by far the nicest I have ever stepped foot in. After check in I was met by Dr. Blackburn whose youthful exuberance at three in the morning I found amazing and was only overshadowed by my own. He enthusiastically informed me to be up and ready to roll at 7 a.m., a mere four hours away. The concierge showed me to my room and was kind enough to provide a full demonstration on the use of the bidet. Needless to say there was a big a tip waiting for him at the end of that demonstration.