Our Arrival

These are pictures Irene took of the view outside our temporary apartment, and the rock hard bed we slept on inside said apartment.

Irene and I left Chicago at about 10:30 p.m. on October 29th and after a four hour layover in Istanbul, we arrived in Bishkek at 5:25 a.m. on October 31st. We were quickly whisked into the “VIP” room at the Manas Airport. VIP is apparently a relative term based on where you are in the world. On the bright side there was a comfortable couch to sit on and we could smoke as much as we wanted. Of course, this is Central Asia so you could smoke in a lung cancer ward and not get a second look. Anyway, we waited while our passports were perused by the local officials. Having been exposed to the concept of handing your passport over to random semi-official looking people while travelling in and out of Iraq, I was not all that concerned with the transaction. Irene on the other hand (rightfully so) seemed a little taken aback at the concept. After about 45 minutes, our bags (which had been thoroughly searched (see also “ransacked”)) by one or many government bureaucrats at the airport were finally brought to us. We were taken into town by one of the local national employees who works at the Embassy. We arrived very tired at our temporary apartment hotel or as the Kyrgyz call it “Apart-Otel” which is probably more fitting since it was barely an apartment and not much of a hotel (leave the “H” off for “Housekeeping”). I recall cheerfully telling Irene and the FSN “oh, this is nice.” I’m pretty sure only one of them agreed. The other was staring a hole through my brain.

We slept most of the day but rallied to meet my fellow DOJ employee for dinner. The food was surprisingly good. Irene and I both had Chicken Kiev and I had a bowl of Borscht as well. Both were excellent and although rather cliché they hit the spot.

On Sunday, we again met my co-worker Nancy for a walking tour of the city. It was sunny and 70 degrees as we toured the many parks and wide avenues in Bishkek. It was a pretty strange feeling to walk along the soviet named boulevards and to see the buildings adorned with the hammer and sickle insignia. I think we both especially enjoyed the statue of Vladimir Lenin outside the old parliament building. I wish we had taken photos, but we were so out of it we both forgot the camera. After stopping at the Hyatt (the western style hotel in Bishkek) for coffee, we toured some more before stopping at the Metro Pub for a bit of lunch. Irene had tomato soup and a grilled cheese. I had a “Philly Cheese Steak.” I think we both quickly realized that while the Russian and Kyrgyz dishes might be extremely good and authentic, the local attempts at American favorites are just a bit “off.” Take my sandwich for instance. A good attempt and all, but since when does a Philly Cheese Steak come on a hotdog bun and contain no cheese whatsoever? Aaah, but the prices more than make up for it. Both of our lunches and a few drinks easily cost under $10.

Not everything has been great, however. We are both a little unhappy with our temporary quarters. My biggest problem with it is the lack of hot water (except during the sleeping hours) and the fact that there is not a shower but a Jacuzzi tub and a shower spray. Not even a shower curtain to keep the water in the vicinity of the tub. It is also in a rather busy and congested part of town. Quite the opposite of the other end of town which is more tranquil and residential in nature. If all goes well, we will be moving to a furnished apartment in the better part of town in the next few days.