My second day in Bishkek. The arrival yesterday morning was early and I received my student visa after the obligatory 1.5 hour wait for the visa process to complete a staggering 10 people in front in me.. but that's to be expected.
I arrived to my dorm via a driver who waited generously despite a slight flight delay and the visa process although I'm sure they're used to that.
It's nice being back in the post-Soviet world - tricked out Ladas and Zhigulis, braided cheese, overzealous door locks, and wild dogs grazing on roadside carrion. I have missed these shades of post-Soviet life.
That being said, Kyrgyzstan is clearly different than prior experiences. For one, the Ala-Too range of the Tien Shan Mountains hulking in the distance is a vibrant reminder of the fact that I am in Central Asia and not residing on the marshy foundations of St. Petersburg.
I was received by my peers and taken out for some drinks and pizza at Dolce Vita. It was surprisingly tasty if not very filling in likely one of the city's nicest culinary establishments.
While too early to provide a full estimate, adjusting has been seamless and smooth. I'll check out the city today a little more and take a walk down Chui to see the downtown area. If I can, I'll pick up an Ak-Kalpak so I blend in.
The most important thing that's occurred thus far was seeing a 7th gen (2009+) Yamaha R1 rip down Baitik Baatyr street (formerly and still referred to as Sovietskaya) south of my dorm. Moto-touring on enduros is popular enough in Central Asia, but if there are litre bikes here, then I will indeed enjoy my time in Bishkek.
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The trip downtown was successful including breakfast at the local American hangout, Fatboys. Chui was a mess with cars, busses, and marshrutkas vying for their selfish spaces on the pavement.
Ala-Too Square, the main square aside the White House (Kyrgyz Presidential Offices), was ringed with what appeared to be all of the city's militsia/police. The reason: June 11 is the commemorative day of the June 2010 violence in Osh and Jalal-Abad. I see no point in dodging the matter of the June 10 violence; below is a link with a decent summary of the incident and makes an important point, albeit brief, on the differences between northern and southern Kyrgyzstan.
Trautman: Kyrgyzstan: A Nation (Still) Divided
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