Ray, Silk Road. JUNE 24-25 TRIP TO BISHKEK
TODAY WE HAD THE BEST BREAKFAST IN 14 DAYS, FRESH FRUIT, MILLET PORRAGE AND EGGS, THEN OFF TO BISHKEK. POVERTY AND SUBSISTENCE LIVING ALL THE WAY. WE STOPPED IN SOME LITTLE TOWN FOR LUNCH IN SOMEONE’S HOME. WHAT A FEAST! A TORTELLINI SOUP AND SALAD FOLLOWED BY A VEGGIE STEW THAT WAS WONDERFUL….POTATO, CARROT,ONION, PEPPERS, CABBAGE AND HERBS SLOW COOKED FOR A HALF HOUR ACCOMPANIED BY LOTS OF NUTS AND BREADS.
NATURALLY “THE CLEANER” MADE ANOTHER HIT. THE SALAD IS SERVED ON SMALL DISHES (SIZE OF SMALL SALAD PLATE) BUT IS MEANT TO BE SHARED BY 5-6 PEOPLE WHO EACH TAKE A LITTLE BIT. IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR 7 DAYS IN KYRGYZSTAN. BEHOLD “”THE CLEANER TAKES BOTH PLATES AS HIS OWN AND FINISHES THEM BEFORE ANYONE ELSE CAN HAVE ANY. RESPONSE: “I THOUGHT THESE WERE MINE”. AS AN ASIDE HE ALSO CONSUMED 8 SLICES OF BREAD AND ALL THE BLACKBERRY JAM. GUESS HE HAD SOME REAL HUNGER PAINS.
THE “DRAGON” CONTINUES TO COMPARE INDIANA FAVORABLY TO KYRGYZSTAN AND THE GROUP CONTINUES TO ISOLATE…SHE IS ONE “UGLY AMERICAN”. SHE HAS WONDERED OUT LOUD WITH TOM WHY I AM OUTGOING AND ANIMATED WITH HIM AND SO QUIET WITH HER…GO FIGURE. TOM WAS LAUGHING ABOUT THAT. HE WONDERS HOW I GET BY WITH WHAT I SAY TO OTHERS AS THEY TAKE IT IN STRIDE OR GOOD HUMOR…BUT AS HE SAYS “SHE IS CLUELESS”.
STOPPED AND VISITED THE BURANA TOWER WHICH WAS THE CENTER OF THE KARKHANID EMPIRE WHICH RULED OVER CENTRAL ASIA IN ABOUT 960 AD. THERE IS A SMALL MUSEUM AND A FIELD OF EFFIGIES TO FALLEN WARRIORS WHICH ARE AMAZING TO SEE.
THEN WE ARRIVED IN BISHKEK…WHAT A MIND WARP. CASINOS, FOO-FY BABES ON THE STREETS, CARS EVERYWHERE, AND SO MANY DIFFERENT ETHNIC, RACIAL AND GENERATIONS ALL IN ONE PLACE, MORE MODERN BUILDINGS THAN IN ALL OF KYRGYZSTAN AND EVERYONE ON THE MOVE. BUT ON CLOSER LOOK RATHER SEVERE POVERTY IS MIXED WITH THE NEW RICH. SIDEWALKS ONE BLOCK OFF THE MAIN DRAG ARE NONE EXISTENT OR TREACHEROUS, THE STORES ARE HALF EMPTY AND HAVE NO INVENTORY. PRICES ARE VERY HIGH. WEEDS EVERYWHERE IN THE YARDS AND SIDEWALKS. WOW.!! AND THE “GANGSTER ELEMENT”…MERCEDES USUALLY FILLED WITH 5 UGLY MEAN LOOKING GUYS WITH SCARS, SMASHED HEADS AND FACES….I THINK MANY ARE ENFORCERS OR BEEN ENFORCED. SUCH A SAD COMMENTARY ON “THE FAST LIFE” IN THE THIRD WORLD. WE WERE TOLD TO NOT GO OUT AT NIGHT ALONE, ONLY IN A GROUP AS IT CAN BE DANGEROUS. SO TOM AND I HAD A BEER AND SHISH KABOB AT 5 AND CAME BACK TO THE HOTEL. TOMORROW A TOUR OF BISHKEK AND SOME MUSEUMS AND THEN TO THE AIRPORT FOR A FLIGHT TO TASHKENT.
SIGNING OFF FOR NOW RAY
NATURALLY “THE CLEANER” MADE ANOTHER HIT. THE SALAD IS SERVED ON SMALL DISHES (SIZE OF SMALL SALAD PLATE) BUT IS MEANT TO BE SHARED BY 5-6 PEOPLE WHO EACH TAKE A LITTLE BIT. IT HAS BEEN THIS WAY FOR 7 DAYS IN KYRGYZSTAN. BEHOLD “”THE CLEANER TAKES BOTH PLATES AS HIS OWN AND FINISHES THEM BEFORE ANYONE ELSE CAN HAVE ANY. RESPONSE: “I THOUGHT THESE WERE MINE”. AS AN ASIDE HE ALSO CONSUMED 8 SLICES OF BREAD AND ALL THE BLACKBERRY JAM. GUESS HE HAD SOME REAL HUNGER PAINS.
THE “DRAGON” CONTINUES TO COMPARE INDIANA FAVORABLY TO KYRGYZSTAN AND THE GROUP CONTINUES TO ISOLATE…SHE IS ONE “UGLY AMERICAN”. SHE HAS WONDERED OUT LOUD WITH TOM WHY I AM OUTGOING AND ANIMATED WITH HIM AND SO QUIET WITH HER…GO FIGURE. TOM WAS LAUGHING ABOUT THAT. HE WONDERS HOW I GET BY WITH WHAT I SAY TO OTHERS AS THEY TAKE IT IN STRIDE OR GOOD HUMOR…BUT AS HE SAYS “SHE IS CLUELESS”.
STOPPED AND VISITED THE BURANA TOWER WHICH WAS THE CENTER OF THE KARKHANID EMPIRE WHICH RULED OVER CENTRAL ASIA IN ABOUT 960 AD. THERE IS A SMALL MUSEUM AND A FIELD OF EFFIGIES TO FALLEN WARRIORS WHICH ARE AMAZING TO SEE.
THEN WE ARRIVED IN BISHKEK…WHAT A MIND WARP. CASINOS, FOO-FY BABES ON THE STREETS, CARS EVERYWHERE, AND SO MANY DIFFERENT ETHNIC, RACIAL AND GENERATIONS ALL IN ONE PLACE, MORE MODERN BUILDINGS THAN IN ALL OF KYRGYZSTAN AND EVERYONE ON THE MOVE. BUT ON CLOSER LOOK RATHER SEVERE POVERTY IS MIXED WITH THE NEW RICH. SIDEWALKS ONE BLOCK OFF THE MAIN DRAG ARE NONE EXISTENT OR TREACHEROUS, THE STORES ARE HALF EMPTY AND HAVE NO INVENTORY. PRICES ARE VERY HIGH. WEEDS EVERYWHERE IN THE YARDS AND SIDEWALKS. WOW.!! AND THE “GANGSTER ELEMENT”…MERCEDES USUALLY FILLED WITH 5 UGLY MEAN LOOKING GUYS WITH SCARS, SMASHED HEADS AND FACES….I THINK MANY ARE ENFORCERS OR BEEN ENFORCED. SUCH A SAD COMMENTARY ON “THE FAST LIFE” IN THE THIRD WORLD. WE WERE TOLD TO NOT GO OUT AT NIGHT ALONE, ONLY IN A GROUP AS IT CAN BE DANGEROUS. SO TOM AND I HAD A BEER AND SHISH KABOB AT 5 AND CAME BACK TO THE HOTEL. TOMORROW A TOUR OF BISHKEK AND SOME MUSEUMS AND THEN TO THE AIRPORT FOR A FLIGHT TO TASHKENT.
SIGNING OFF FOR NOW RAY
posted by bollerud at 4:24 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home