Friends and connections are so much more plentiful than one might think, even in a place as far flung as Kyrgyzstan.
Earlier this week I met a fellow alum from Monterey Institute at Issyk Kul, but that should be expected from graduates of MIIS, so the Central Asian connection was cool but not entirely surprising.
Today, I first met with two old friends from my year in Romania who were trekking through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan to chat and go for a short stroll through Bishkek. They were even traveling together with a tourist from Bratislava making his way around Central Asia.
Later, I met with a friend I got to know in Washington. Remember the student I mentioned a couple of days ago who first informed me about Issyk Kul and its touristic potential? This was her father, an active member of Kyrgyz business and political circles. It was truly a treat to sit down and chat about Kyrgyzstan and projects he has been working on (and we did so for a few hours in Russian! - his more eloquent than mine, of course).
As I finished my evening and headed back to the hotel, I could not but marvel at this enormous and very, very small world.
Some more pictures of Bishkek, for those that want a closer glimpse of the city:
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| The Kyrgyz White House |
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| Memorial to those who died in the revolution |
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| Memorial to the Tulip Revolution |
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| Main Square |
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| National Museum and Statue of Manas, Kyrgyz National Hero |
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