Leaving Bishkek tomorrow morning for Dushanbe. Another day, another city.
---
Had dinner a while ago at Pit Bull Cafe-- a Western-themed restaurant which serves what seem to be Russian dishes. I had a dish of something like a cross between an omelette and beef cordon bleu. It was good, actually. I ate it with rice, although rice here is considered a side dish and is usually "stewed"; i.e., cooked in both water and oil. In case you're interested, the staple in this part of the world is bread, or khleb.
Taking a cab back to the hotel, we (the driver and I) were stopped by the police who stopped us by waving one of those lighted sticks usually used in airports. I don't know what the offence was (if any), but the driver was free after paying a bribe of 30 soms. After his transaction with the cop, the driver started to be chatty. In broken English, he asked me where I was from. In broken Russian, I answered, "Ya Filipinyets." He followed by asking how I liked Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan. Being the polite visitor, I said it was "very nice (ochin harasho)". Visibly still irked by his encounter with the militsia, he asked me, "What's so nice about Bishkek?"
"Bishkek and Manila are very similar," I answered. At the time it was a dismissive answer mainly said to duck a potentially difficult discussion, but the more I think about it the more it rings true. Like Manila, Bishkek has its share of bad roads, kotong cops, and even People Power. Like Manila, you see lots of small stores and micro-businesses in Bishkek-- a proliferation of mom-and-pop enterprises typical of developing economies. Like Manila, people in Bishkek seem to be so tired of politics and the economy, but not of life and family. It is interesting how two cities so distant in geography, culture, and history could still have so much in common.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Bishkek, Day 3: A-Typical Day
(Exchange rate: US$ 1 = 37 Kyrgyz soms; KGS 1 = PHP 1.30)
After breakfast in the hotel, my day usually begins with a cab ride to either the ADB office or my colleague’s office. A cab ride to any point in Bishkek costs 75 to 80 soms, but the hotel taxi (nicer car) costs 100 soms. Traffic in Bishkek is light and orderly, and drivers and pedestrians mostly follow traffic signs; however, roads are terrible even by Manila standards.
After a short meeting in the office, my colleagues brought me to one of the largest stores in Bishkek called Zum (Цум), taking a ride in a German surplus minibus (the name of the original owner still on the side) with a fare of 5 soms. Like Virramall or St. Francis Square, Zum is made up of many small stalls offering almost anything under the sun. There are no Manila-type malls in Bishkek and no Western fast-food chains—glad to know McDonaldsisation and Starbucksisation haven’t reached this part of the world.
After having my fill of Kyrgyz souvenirs, we had lunch at a café in the basement of Zum called Labyrinth (in Bishkek, all restaurants are called café, or кафе). Labyrinth serves Russian and Kyrgyz dishes as well as alcoholic drinks and cigarettes, which are on the menu. I ordered a Kyrgyz dish called besh barmak (беш бapMaк) which is a bland noodle dish with chopped beef and a small amount of broth (75 soms). My Kyrgyz colleagues say “besh barmak” literally means “five fingers” because it was traditionally eaten by hand. Also, besh barmak is traditionally a midnight snack of sorts—nomads must need their energy. For dessert, I had an ice cream sundae with apples, pineapple jam, walnuts, and cognac (!), costing 80 soms. [I observe that Central Asians call all distilled grape-based spirits as “cognac” even if they are not from Cognac, France. And although the quality is good, the “cognac” is better compared with brandy rather than the real cognac.] After two days of being dined out, I treated my colleagues to lunch—the bill for the three of us was 550 soms, a fairly expensive lunch by Bishkek standards.
After going back to the hotel at 4 pm, I saw that I had at least 4 more hours of daylight so I decided to take a walking tour alone, covering a radius of around 1 km around the hotel. The temperature today was fairly cool by Manila standards, probably in the low 20’s (centigrade), but hot by Bishkek standards.
Bishkek is a walk-friendly city with wide sidewalks and fairly clean air, although there is the occasional smoke belcher. Buildings are mostly old Soviet-era apartments that are structurally stable but poorly maintained; new buildings really stand out. There are also a lot of grand government buildings and monuments in the particularly dynamic Soviet style. You will find a few cigarette and candy vendors along sidewalks, though never to the point of being an obstruction. You will also find magazine kiosks on almost every corner, none of them selling English periodicals. Salespeople are generally friendly and accommodating, but expect a “nyet” whenever you ask them, “Gavaritye pa anggliskiy?” Few people in Bishkek speak English, but I find that a few basic Russian phrases can get you by. If you’re lucky, an English-speaking customer will hear you and lend assistance, as what happened to me yesterday when I bought edinits (единиц, or credits) for my pre-paid mobile.
During my walk, I passed by a stall that sells rotisserie chicken (called grill, or гриль). One roast chicken, which is a jumbo chicken in Manila, costs 210 soms, while half a chicken costs 105 soms. I say it’s a deal given the size of the bird—I bought half a chicken for dinner. I also bought a 1.5 litre bottle of mineral water for 16 soms and some traditional round Kyrgyz bread called khleb (хлеб) for 7 soms—yes, food in Bishkek is cheaper than in Manila.
---
Back in my hotel room, I tuned in as usual to BBC News and Star World—the only two English-language channels on the telly. To my chagrin, only official state TV and a few Russian entertainment channels were accessible. The hotel operator says it’s due to some technical difficulties, but I think it’s related to the political rallies for tomorrow. Oh well.
After breakfast in the hotel, my day usually begins with a cab ride to either the ADB office or my colleague’s office. A cab ride to any point in Bishkek costs 75 to 80 soms, but the hotel taxi (nicer car) costs 100 soms. Traffic in Bishkek is light and orderly, and drivers and pedestrians mostly follow traffic signs; however, roads are terrible even by Manila standards.
After a short meeting in the office, my colleagues brought me to one of the largest stores in Bishkek called Zum (Цум), taking a ride in a German surplus minibus (the name of the original owner still on the side) with a fare of 5 soms. Like Virramall or St. Francis Square, Zum is made up of many small stalls offering almost anything under the sun. There are no Manila-type malls in Bishkek and no Western fast-food chains—glad to know McDonaldsisation and Starbucksisation haven’t reached this part of the world.
After having my fill of Kyrgyz souvenirs, we had lunch at a café in the basement of Zum called Labyrinth (in Bishkek, all restaurants are called café, or кафе). Labyrinth serves Russian and Kyrgyz dishes as well as alcoholic drinks and cigarettes, which are on the menu. I ordered a Kyrgyz dish called besh barmak (беш бapMaк) which is a bland noodle dish with chopped beef and a small amount of broth (75 soms). My Kyrgyz colleagues say “besh barmak” literally means “five fingers” because it was traditionally eaten by hand. Also, besh barmak is traditionally a midnight snack of sorts—nomads must need their energy. For dessert, I had an ice cream sundae with apples, pineapple jam, walnuts, and cognac (!), costing 80 soms. [I observe that Central Asians call all distilled grape-based spirits as “cognac” even if they are not from Cognac, France. And although the quality is good, the “cognac” is better compared with brandy rather than the real cognac.] After two days of being dined out, I treated my colleagues to lunch—the bill for the three of us was 550 soms, a fairly expensive lunch by Bishkek standards.
After going back to the hotel at 4 pm, I saw that I had at least 4 more hours of daylight so I decided to take a walking tour alone, covering a radius of around 1 km around the hotel. The temperature today was fairly cool by Manila standards, probably in the low 20’s (centigrade), but hot by Bishkek standards.
Bishkek is a walk-friendly city with wide sidewalks and fairly clean air, although there is the occasional smoke belcher. Buildings are mostly old Soviet-era apartments that are structurally stable but poorly maintained; new buildings really stand out. There are also a lot of grand government buildings and monuments in the particularly dynamic Soviet style. You will find a few cigarette and candy vendors along sidewalks, though never to the point of being an obstruction. You will also find magazine kiosks on almost every corner, none of them selling English periodicals. Salespeople are generally friendly and accommodating, but expect a “nyet” whenever you ask them, “Gavaritye pa anggliskiy?” Few people in Bishkek speak English, but I find that a few basic Russian phrases can get you by. If you’re lucky, an English-speaking customer will hear you and lend assistance, as what happened to me yesterday when I bought edinits (единиц, or credits) for my pre-paid mobile.
During my walk, I passed by a stall that sells rotisserie chicken (called grill, or гриль). One roast chicken, which is a jumbo chicken in Manila, costs 210 soms, while half a chicken costs 105 soms. I say it’s a deal given the size of the bird—I bought half a chicken for dinner. I also bought a 1.5 litre bottle of mineral water for 16 soms and some traditional round Kyrgyz bread called khleb (хлеб) for 7 soms—yes, food in Bishkek is cheaper than in Manila.
---
Back in my hotel room, I tuned in as usual to BBC News and Star World—the only two English-language channels on the telly. To my chagrin, only official state TV and a few Russian entertainment channels were accessible. The hotel operator says it’s due to some technical difficulties, but I think it’s related to the political rallies for tomorrow. Oh well.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Bishkek, Day 3
This'll be short as I'm rushing to go to a meeting. Hopefully I'll get to post again later.
Anyway, tomorrow's the big day. For the latest news from Bishkek, visit AKIpress.com. It's in English, and it's updated fairly quickly.
Anyway, tomorrow's the big day. For the latest news from Bishkek, visit AKIpress.com. It's in English, and it's updated fairly quickly.
Bishkek, Day 2
I was informed today that there will be mass actions on Wednesday, 11 April. Like us Filipinos, the Kyrgyz seem to have a penchant for holding People Power whenever they want change in government. They've had two previous People Powers-- in March 2005 and in November 2006. I won't go into the political issues, but here's what happened:
March 2005-- There were some riots in the street and looting of stores, though not widespread. Kyrgyzstan's land borders were closed and all flights were cancelled. Communication with the outside world was severly limited. Then Pres. Akaev eventually stepped down from office and was replaced by the current president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev. This episode in Kyrgyz history is called the Tulip Revolution.
November 2006-- There were no riots and no looting, and the rallies remained peaceful. Land borders with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan were closed, but Manas International Airport (FRU) remained open. Communication via the internet was difficult. Pres. Bakiyev, who was nearly booted out of office, eventually agreed to implement the constitutional changes demanded by the opposition.
Hopefully, the mass actions on Wednesday will not turn out like March 2005. My flight out of Bishkek to Dushanbe is on Saturday-- pray that flights aren't cancelled. At worst, I might have to go with the ADB and UN evacuation plane going to Kazakhstan. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
-----
Addendum: Had an interesting sight a while ago: saw Russian NTS News crews setting up base at the hotel where I'm staying. Apparently, they're expecting Wednesday to be a big news day. Good thing my hotel is far from the city centre where the White House (yup, that's what they call the Presidential Palace in Kyrgyzstan) is located, so any disturbance there shouldn't reach us.
March 2005-- There were some riots in the street and looting of stores, though not widespread. Kyrgyzstan's land borders were closed and all flights were cancelled. Communication with the outside world was severly limited. Then Pres. Akaev eventually stepped down from office and was replaced by the current president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev. This episode in Kyrgyz history is called the Tulip Revolution.
November 2006-- There were no riots and no looting, and the rallies remained peaceful. Land borders with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan were closed, but Manas International Airport (FRU) remained open. Communication via the internet was difficult. Pres. Bakiyev, who was nearly booted out of office, eventually agreed to implement the constitutional changes demanded by the opposition.
Hopefully, the mass actions on Wednesday will not turn out like March 2005. My flight out of Bishkek to Dushanbe is on Saturday-- pray that flights aren't cancelled. At worst, I might have to go with the ADB and UN evacuation plane going to Kazakhstan. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
-----
Addendum: Had an interesting sight a while ago: saw Russian NTS News crews setting up base at the hotel where I'm staying. Apparently, they're expecting Wednesday to be a big news day. Good thing my hotel is far from the city centre where the White House (yup, that's what they call the Presidential Palace in Kyrgyzstan) is located, so any disturbance there shouldn't reach us.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Bishkek, Day 1
Arrived in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, early this morning. Everything went smoothly, although the wait at the consular department in Manas International Airport took more than hour. After almost 24 hours in transit, my ears were "treated" to Kyrgyz pop music much like the soundtrack to Borat (yes, they use synthesisers in that style) during the 30 minutes from the airport to the hotel.
Had breakfast buffet a while ago. The food is actually not bad-- had some stewed meat and vegetables, eggs, rice, cold cuts, fish fingers, and some fruit, all washed down with green tea. FYI, Bishkek is two hours behind Manila (should be three, but there's DST), and the currency is the Kyrgyz Som (USD 1 = KGS 37).
Bishkek was known as Frunze (thus the airport code of FRU) during Soviet times after Mikhail Frunze, a member of Lenin's Bolshevik Party who was a native of Bishkek. Buildings here are mostly old with Soviet-era architecture. There are no posh places like Rockwell or Greenbelt, but no slum areas either. Makes you think which city (Manila or Bishkek) has it better off.
That's all for now. Will post again (hopefully with pics) soon.
Had breakfast buffet a while ago. The food is actually not bad-- had some stewed meat and vegetables, eggs, rice, cold cuts, fish fingers, and some fruit, all washed down with green tea. FYI, Bishkek is two hours behind Manila (should be three, but there's DST), and the currency is the Kyrgyz Som (USD 1 = KGS 37).
Bishkek was known as Frunze (thus the airport code of FRU) during Soviet times after Mikhail Frunze, a member of Lenin's Bolshevik Party who was a native of Bishkek. Buildings here are mostly old with Soviet-era architecture. There are no posh places like Rockwell or Greenbelt, but no slum areas either. Makes you think which city (Manila or Bishkek) has it better off.
That's all for now. Will post again (hopefully with pics) soon.
Istanbul, T minus 90 minutes
Had a good three hours in Istanbul today. Most notable places visited were (from top) the spice/artifacts souk (called "sok" here), the Blue Mosque, and, of course, the Hagia Sophia. Have a lot more pictures, but can't post them all right now. Sorry for the blurred pics, seems I moved my camera too quickly.---
This picture is for you, Dear. It was taken at the gardens of the Hagia Sophia.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Dubai, T minus 40 minutes
Apparently, my SIN-IST flight has a one-hour stop in Dubai. No changing planes, just disembarking passengers and taking in a few. (Funny how "embarking" is applied to planes when it literally means "into a boat".) Anyway, will just have enough time to buy a souvenir magnet then wil re-board the plane.
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