Trips

Mon., 9/17 - Frankfurt to Moscow, to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

We had no problems navigating from Frankfurt to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. We walked to the train station, bought tickets from a machine, got on the S9 to Wiesbaden, got off at the Flugenhof (airport) at Terminal 1. We followed the signs to Terminal 2 and waited until the lines formed for the Aeroflot ticket counters. We flew to Moscow, had a 3 1/2 hour lay-over in a crowded old terminal at Sheremetyevo airport, and then flew to Bishkek, landing at 5 AM KGT (Kyrgyzstan Time Zone) on Tuesday.

Tues., 9/18/18 - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

After arrival and customs, our driver, Serge, met us at the airport and drove us to the Golden Tulip Hotel, a 40 minute ride. Jalol, our tour director, met us at the door and checked us in. Since it was 6:15 AM and we don’t meet the group until noon, we decided to stay up and eat breakfast at 6:30 and then take a nap.

At noon we joined our group for a briefing after which we got on our bus to have a tour of Bishkek city. We met our local guide, Sergei, and driver, Vladimir. These are two popular names! They are both Russians living and working in Kyrgyzstan. Jalol is from Kazakhstan.
Kyrgyzstan uses Cyrillic letters as does Tajikistan but the rest of our five “Stans” use the Latin alphabet. There are very few signs in English here but many people speak English, Kyrgyzstani, and Russian.

Flag of Kyrgyzstan The flag of Kyrgyzstan consists of a red field charged with a yellow sun. The center of the sun features a stylized illustration of the tunduk, the top center of a yurt, the traditional Kyrgyz tent. Around the circumference of the sun are 40 sun bursts representing the 40 national tribes of Kyrgyzstan.	License Plates
Our Bishkek hotel	Our first stop was to have lunch at a restaurant and then it was off to visit Ala Too Central Square. The large cement square has a statue of Manas, a national hero, and is surrounded now by the Ministries of Agriculture and Tourism and the Museum of History. We walked to the “White House” next to the square that contains the offices of the president. He lives elsewhere on a huge estate with at least three surrounding walls. When his cavalcade drives to and from the White House each day it creates a huge traffic jam.
Manas, a national hero, in Ala Too Central Square	Ala-Too Square - advertising the 31st World Nomad Games
Stella of Friendship of Nation Monument to friendship among the countries of the former Soviet Union and between Kyrgyzstan and Russia.	Monument to Those Who Died in the Events of 2001 and 2010
The "White House" - the president's office	The Coat of Arms of Kyrgyzstan
We rode the bus to see the Victory Square dedicated to the Victory over Nazi Germany in WWII. In 1939 Kyrgyzstan had a population of 750,000. 250,000 were conscripted into the Soviet army - all men between 18 and 43-years-old. 160,000 of them never returned from the war.
Victory Square Monument	Victory Square Monument - Tunduk at the top center
Belching smokestack	Two of the minarets of the Central Mosque
Orthodox Church in Bishkek	Man wearing the Ak Kalpak, the national hat for men and the symbol of Kyrgyz culture
The restaurant where we had dinner recently had a fire.	Young man offering the hand washing water and basin
Interior of the yurt where we had dinner	Tunduk at the top of the yurt
The evening's entertainment was provided by five philharmonic musicians who played traditional instruments and sang or played folk tunes.	Flute
Playing the Kyl Kyyak	The woman is playing the Zhetygen

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