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.