There and Back Again, Part Two

Salut,

The beginning of summer felt like it came early, as the blendings between spring and summer felt blurry. University ended in early May, but my classes didn’t end until the end of the month, so it felt like a haze almost, my friends back home graduating, while I remained at work. I have already hashed out the end-of-the-year bell ceremony and whatnot. 

That last weekend of May, I spent most of the time packing for my first summer vacation. After the previous bell ceremony, myself and the teachers ate at a cafe. But the next day, we all went to Jalal Abad city for a bigger toi celebration, which was hosted by the alumni I mentioned in my last post. 

The next day, the morning I was going to leave, I spoke to my host father, and he was quite frank with me about the money situation here. He has lots of money to build a new house (the construction workers are finally gone by the way!) which he gets from Russia, but he lamented the societal pressures to spend money on celebrations, tois, parties, etc, which I had definitely noticed. Other volunteers have mentioned debt being a widespread problem, but neither my host father nor Baktygul has mentioned using or taking out credit. It has always felt a bit incongruous knowing the average salary here and being treated to large toi celebrations and vast amounts of expensive and fancy food at fancy and expensive venues. 

I once tried to explain to my host father why Americans are delayed in getting married to answer, for the 4th or 5th time why I remain unmarried despite not even being 22 yet. Complex socio-economic problems and factors were difficult to translate, but I basically said housing, doctors (access to healthcare), and food are all super expensive and Americans want to be able to buy a house (ie financially stable) before getting married. He was unconvinced, lamenting that Americans are lazy. I don’t fully understand really the societal pressures to spend money, but it’s clearly cultural and deeply embedded in one’s reputation in the community. 

I, for the first time, took a taxi to Bishkek from my site/village. As I’ve mentioned before, volunteers in the north of Kyrgyzstan can with ease (some with more ease depending on distance) go to Bishkek, and routes from Issyk Kul, Talas, and Naryn to Bishkek are daily and extremely common and often very cheap. Some more remote volunteers in Naryn have greater difficulty but a route nonetheless. From Jalal-Abad and Osh, there are flights, which I’ve taken many times before, and there is an extremely long taxi route. Marshrutkas and buses do go on the route, but it’s usually seasonal, as it is very hazardous in the winter. Additionally, large pickup and cargo trucks traverse the road. I have for a long time wanted to take the car route because I had heard it is a beautiful and scenic route, which it indeed was!

I told my host father I needed/wanted to get to Bishkek via car, and he drove me to the city and got me a seat in a taxi heading to Bishkek. I was with the strangest group of people: the driver, a late 20s dude in the front passenger seat, an old lady, and a mom with two kids, one of whom was sitting in the back seat with the luggage and holding a box full of newborn chicks. My host father negotiated to 1000 com (~11-12$) price I would pay (the going rate is around 2000 com). It was definitely a weird and very long trip; we left around 8:45 am, and I arrived in Bishkek around 7 PM. I should add for anyone unsympathetic to my plight and used to road trips, that Kyrgyzstan is the size of a Dakota state and without mountains would be around a few hours to drive through. Yet the mountains make it an arduous and long drive. The driver in question was a bit fast on the gas, so we were whipping around the canyons and mountain passes. I was crammed in the middle seat in the back, a place I was squished into for the first half of the ride. At the halfway point, around Toktogul (a major tourist site and large lake), the guy got out and left, so I was able to move and get better photos. 

Around Toktogul, we stopped and ate fish. Fish is very uncommon in Kyrgyzstan due to being landlocked, but it’s abundant near Issyk Kul and Toktogul (bodies of water obv). I fell asleep eventually. I stayed the night in a lovely hostel run by this Japanese couple. Bhaavya flew in from Houston! She's on a backpacking trip. I picked up Bhaavya from the airport, and we taxied to our hostel. Our hostel was nice, and travelers were abundant; I met an Australian woman who had been traveling throughout Central Asia. A recurring thing I’ve found is that people in Kyrgyzstan visiting are usually hikers or mountaineers, and they usually always have an interesting story. People don’t come to Kyrgyzstan just because; it’s out of the way, it’s small, and most travelers don’t speak Russian or Kyrgyz (and English competency here is poor, evidenced by my presence). So you don’t see the typical American tourist here at the rates you would in Europe or East Asia. That’s not to say there isn’t tourism; Kyrgyzstan is a burgeoning tourist destination (the eco-tourism volunteers are also evidence of that). Europeans and Americans by and large have never even heard of the country, much less know anything about it. It’s why I told my friends to come visit, for when would they ever have a friend in a country as remote or as unknown by the masses as Kyrgyzstan, much less one who can speak the language? Most visitors are on a Central Asian odyssey.

Bhaavya was dead tired from her flight, but she persevered, and we spent the first day exploring the city, visiting Dordoi, Victory Park, Gum and Tsum, and the Osh Bazaar. I also took her to the Peace Corps office, which allowed her in after some finagling with security. I was written letters of appreciation from my Texas representative, Dan Crenshaw, and my senator, Ted Cruz (I think Hoyt could tell of my indifference or apathy to my political representatives). Bhaavya was excited I was able to open doors so she could get to meet Hoyt, our Country Director (CD). 

After that, we hung around Ala-Too Square, which much to my displeasure, was undergoing construction and the view was awful. I bought us tickets to a Manas performance, an excellent dramatization of the second act, I think, of the Manas epic. It was entirely in Kyrgyz, so I was able to understand only some of it, with the speed and accent, maybe only less than 10%, but I was able to understand the vibes, as did she. It had insane production values too. It told the story of Manas' son and his ascension to leading the tribes of Kyrgyzstan after Manas' death.

We ate at an Indian restaurant that night. I guess I should say that about 3 weeks ago, a month ago, in Bishkek, there was a mob attack by locals against international students at their hostel, specifically Pakistani students. After the incident, hundreds of Pakistani students returned to Pakistan, but I’ve learned they’ve since returned. An Al-Jazeera article discussed it more at length, but Indian and Pakistani students by and large study in Bishkek for cheaper tuition as a primary reason. Anyway, after the riot (I guess I’ll call it that), she was, reasonably, apprehensive about going and getting stares/looks. However, in Kyrgyzstan, people value hierarchy and social connections, so having me to translate and speak for her is actually valuable in its own way.

On our second day, we went to Ala Archa Park, a gorgeous national park about 1-1:45 hours from Bishkek. Our taxi driver had never been to the park before, and he was a Russian citizen, so didn’t speak Kyrgyz so our communication was limited. Yet at Ala Archa, we walked and saw some absolutely beautiful river sights and mountain views. Speaking of the mountains, Bhaavya was ogling the mountains the whole time. I only ogle newer ones, as I’ve somehow grown used to the sight of constant mountains. We spent a few hours at Ala Archa, though I got wet sand all over my shoe after slipping and falling while skipping over rocks. We caught a taxi back to Bishkek, and I translated for her while I made conversation with the taxi driver. I was on a minor power trip in taxis because I could talk and translate, something I’d never been able to do. I took her to Sierra Cafe, a mainstay I’ve mentioned a few times before, and I finally got my nachos! Whenever I’ve gone to Sierra Cafe in the past, they’ve never had any of their Mexican food on their menu, but that time they finally did!! People kept asking Bhaavya, just as they always asked me, if she liked Kyrgyzstan, which she said she did!

Bhaavya had an idea to go to a dance class, which I had honestly never thought about, mostly because I just wasn’t sure the how of it. But she, ever resourceful, found a dance studio in Bishkek, and we went! Their dance genre wasn’t my style; they mostly dance urban, while I prefer line dances or general ballroom. The lesson was fun though, even if it mostly was in Russian. Upon hearing that we (Americans and English speakers) were there, the instructor had decent English (no Kyrgyz 🙁). But because it was dancing, it was easy to just follow, and I think we, mostly Bhaavya, were adept enough dancers to follow the lesson on vibes alne. I forced her to come with me to the cathedral next to the studio, as I’d never been to an Orthodox church in Kyrgyzstan. We ate at Navat, which Ben called the “Kyrgyz Olive Garden” which is the perfect analogy I’ve been looking for this whole time. 

Bhaavya and I went to Karakol, the town across Issyk Kul Lake; it took longer than I thought (6.5 hours), and I ended up wedged in the absolute front seat. In marshrutkas, they often have front-row seats next to the driver, and I was in the middle seat (so the middle seat in the back of a regular car, like that) because I sat down late. Anyway, Bhaavya ended up in the back, and I ended up next to an old man who was extremely chatty for the first two hours on our way out of Bishkek, and he kept spitting on me repeatedly for the first hour. In Karakol, we stayed two nights in a Yurt. 

Karakol is very close to the Chinese border, and they have tons of Dungan food; Bhaavya felt meh on Kyrgyz food (also because of the whole beef situation, and Kyrgyz people don't season their food). We stopped by an ashkana (a local restaurant) and I tried Ashlan-Fuu, a cold noodle dish, which was extremely cheap and very filling. Karakol was actually decently cold compared to Bishkek and Almaty (and much colder than Jalal-Abad which is a sauna right now), and we took a taxi up to Ak-Cuu, a village that had some incredible hot springs. The hot springs were lovely, and there was a group of men who, speaking in Kyrgyz, saw us and were practicing amongst themselves English phrases they barely could pronounce. I, feeling very swag, walked up to them and told them their English was good and that I could understand them. It wasn’t as dramatic or as cool as it would be in a movie, but several looked at me in shock and laughed amongst themselves. I’ve never seen Game of Thrones, but I know there’s that scene in season 3 where Daenerys tricks a slave master by pretending not to understand him (when she in fact is a native speaker of the language he’s speaking). I often feel like that throughout all my journeys, bamboozling or surprising people because around tourists, locals speak Kyrgyz when they don't want to be understood.

The next day, our first and only full day in Karakol, we walked around the city, though the weather couldn’t decide if it wanted to rain or not, as it kept sprinkling, then the sky would clear, and then the clouds would come back. There was a unique Dungan Mosque inside the city and some lovely green parks. We visited the bazaar, and then we took a taxi to Lake Issyk Kul. Bhaavya didn’t get inside the water, but I did (it was pretty cold). Some men and young boys came down to the water, some fishing. I was walking along the shoreline and saw this man who looked like the quintessential American dad (mid-40s, in his short shorts and button-up, a towel in one hand), and I was convinced for a second he was going to talk to me in English (of course not, it’s always Russian). There was a wooden slide I got awful splinters on. Bhaavya passed out in the yurt when we came back.

We spent the entirety of June 1 traveling, going from Karakol to Bishkek, and then Bishkek to Almaty, which we managed to do before dark. That was my 3rd time going to Almaty (probably not my last, as I want to go to Astana next year sometime in the spring). I love coming back to Almaty, even if I do some of the same things over and over again. Anyway, Almaty is always more bustling than Bishkek, and we met plenty of English-speaking tourists, and I got to order Burger King. I don’t think Bhaavya or even people back home understand why I like Burger King so much or why when I’m in Almaty I draw myself so much to American fast food. KFC is the only American fast-food franchise in Kyrgyzstan, and despite all the Western food (pizza, fried chicken tenders, burgers, etc), I still miss it so much. It reminds me of when in Nigeria I was so happy when Dominoes showed up. It’s just that little bit of home. The last time I was in Almaty when we arrived late into the night, we ordered Burger King through Yandex (Russian Uber Eats/DoorDash). It’s a tradition now. 

We went to the Central State Museum and Doetsky Plaza, and I particularly loved the Central State Museum’s art (the actual art museum in Almaty has some gorgeous Renaissance and Baroque art). While in the museum gift shop, an English speaking tourist living in Thailand asked me to speak to the gift shop owner to ask if the specialty rugs could be shipped internationally. I spoke in Kyrgyz for her, and he understood me in the short conversation we had. Understanding Kazakh is not quite the same as an accent, it's more like a dialect, and it's so interesting to hear it, knowing I can understand some of it. For anyone who has learned or is learning a language, it's like hearing words you sort of, kind of know, but are still sometimes unsure if you heard right. Also in Kazakhstan, even more, it feels like a sign of pride to understand Kazakh because it's used even less than Kyrgyz (at least in Almaty). Sometimes I would speak in Kazakh, and they still respond to me in Russian.

Bhaavya led us around some great greenery in Kazakhstan and attempted to get into some governmental buildings, not with a ton of success though. We stopped and played chess in a random park, and it’s official, I’m worse than anyone my age/my peers. I just go defense and am terrible at attacking. I had designs about going to the Kazakhstan Hotel, the famous one with the 26th level restaurant and beautiful view of the city ( I went last time), but alas, a third party had booked the venue and we could only enter if we racked up a tab of 40,000 tenges (80$), and we were like, no thanks, we’re on a budget. 

After leaving, we ran into a plaza near the musical theater, I think, it’s whatever is next to Kok Tebe, a gondola. My mom, when she visited, mentioned that one, but we never went. Seeing as it was late and about to be sundown, we took the gondola up and arrived right on time to see the sunset. We got some lovely pictures and walked around the amusement park up there (on the mountain, there’s a large Ferris wheel and lots of amusement park games). We went to a Dickens Pub, which had some great servers with great English, and too much smoking for my lungs. We drank mojitos and played chess again, which I again lost. 

On our last full day together, we went to Shymbulak (we had food at Coffee Boom and Del Cappuchio, great breakfast places!) mountain, the third time for myself. Shymbulak during the summer is still gorgeous to see, and on the top, the mountains are still snow-capped. We arrived at the top right before fog came to block the view. After coming down from the mountain, we ate at Kazakh McDonalds, which was excellent by the way! They have more variety on their menu and have these excellent cold lemonade drinks. One thing I know I’ll miss so much is drink variety in Western-style restaurants. Back home, most restaurants usually serve regular iced tea, sodas, and maybe raspberry or strawberry lemonade and that’s it. Here, they’ll have lots of different varieties (Mango, mojito, berry mixes, orange, tropic, raspberry, grapefruit, amongst others) in their cold drinks, which I love. After McDonald's, we explored the Almaty Metro. In the evening, we went to Mexican Victory and Wild, a pub/bar I visited with Jacob on my last time in Almaty, and I wanted to go for the nachos, which I missed so much. It was a Monday and early, so the place was pretty empty. After, Bhaavya wanted to go to a Russian spa, sauna, and banya place. 

At this particular Russian spa/banya, no clothing was allowed in the pool or the saunas, and they charged by the hour (and they charged per minute you go over). Banyas are so common here, but my house has a regular shower which I use (though I don’t like it because the showerhead often malfunctions), so I rarely ever use a banya. Anyway, the banyas in question are extremely hot sauna rooms, which we sat in for spurts of 10-15 minutes, then took showers, then re-entered. It was a very relaxing experience and would recommend it. It’s definitely not an experience for everyone, but if you’re not confident, it can make you feel extremely uncomfortable being in your body or feeling naked, which bothered me until it didn’t. 

I returned to Bishkek on June 4, and Bhaavya and I, on our last outing, went to Zentkov’s Cathedral, now a favorite haunt of mine. We split ways, now she’s in Thailand. I took a bus back to Bishkek, and I met an Indian backpacker sitting next to me. She was great, and we talked about our backgrounds and experiences in Almaty. In Almaty, I met several tourists going to Bishkek or Kyrgyzstan, and I was able to give them lots of advice and info about getting around (one was using ChatGPT to plan an itinerary which I found funny). After arriving, I met a guy named Michael who I mistook for Russian the first time I saw him (he’s tall and was standing around lots of other actual Russian dudes), but he’s an English teacher living in Kazakhstan who I met and got dinner with in that last night in Bishkek. It was Tuesday, and I listened to the hostel’s Kyrgyz cultural PowerPoint presentation (though I knew everything already). After a tourist asked me about an opera I had seen (check my IST post from last November), the presenter voluntold me to offer anything I had learned about Kyrgyz cultural traditions when I told her I just lived here and wanted to listen. 

The marshrutka back to Jalal-Abad was awful, mostly because of how long it was. I arrived early at the bus station at 6:30, as the two marshrutkas were set to leave at 6:40 and 7:30, but unfortunately the first was full. I got on a second, but it dwaddled so long, waiting for it to fill, and then we stopped several times on our way out of Bishkek, so by 9, we still were in the outskirts of the city. Subsequently, we kept stopping (we stopped at least 5-6 times), and once we stopped because an old woman wanted to buy some chalap (a yogurt milky drink) from the side of the road. I wanted to sleep and listen to music, but the driver played very loud Kyrgyz music on the bus’ small TV screen. We stopped again near Toktogul, and this time I just had Lagman. Kyrgyz people are afraid of crosswind, which I’ve mentioned before, so they didn’t open many windows in the marshrutka, trapping some of the heat in, to my misfortune. We arrived in Jalal-Abad finally at 7:15 PM. So yes, it was over 12 hours. But hey, I went because I had time. After all, it’s summer and it’s cheaper, it was 850 com (10$) for the 12-hour ride. I was focusing less on the view, but it remains ever gorgeous.

Once coming back, I mostly did nothing but sleep and have been preparing for my summer camp, which I will detail in my next post. I brought my host brothers and sisters some gifts from Karakol and some chocolate from Almaty which they ate very fast. Dayan, my host cousin came back from Russia by himself (he's like 10, and he flew alone), but he's so used to Russian that I can barely understand him, hence my need to start learning some basic Russian. I also learned that Meder, my host brother (husband to Aidana and father to the little kiddies, the one that came back in late January/February) works at tois. The past few weeks, Aidana has offhandedly mentioned many times that Meder has been at tois, whenever I ask where he is, "He left to go to a toi," she'll say. So I had this image of him just chilling with his friends, drinking lots of tea and eating tons of food and dancing, like the tois I've been to. I figured it was a little strange that he would go by himself, not inviting his parents nor his wife. But Aidana clarified that he works at various tois (transporting food with his car if I understood correctly), and she laughed when I told her that I thought he was ditching every day to just go party. The amount of funny clarifications I've had to make and late realizations I've had about my own host family is crazy, but hey they're fun stories.

I don't have any new movies I've watched because I've been on vacation (and I've mostly been reading and listening to music on all the bus rides I've been on). Summer is in full swing, so my posts might dip between being full of interesting stuff and then me just being at home being lazy and sleeping.

This was the first time a friend back home came to Kyrgyzstan. Of course, my mom came to see me in December, but that was only to Kazakhstan. Having a new set of eyes in Kyrgyzstan was nice and an almost out of body experience, getting to talk to someone in English in person for days on end was refreshing. Of course, I learned through that how much of a different person I feel like I am. After a year and mostly speaking in Kyrgyz and in slower and more straightforward English, I think I have begun to talk in a sort of stilted way. I noticed this about K28, last year's cohort; during training, when they came to visit, all of them when they talked I noticed spoke, not unusually, but just kind of differently, and now I do it. In texting and writing it's all fine and normal, but I guess because I'm around Baktygul and my host family so often, I just speak more directly and plainly, without as much nuance as I would back home because it gets lost in translation here. It's been a year. I'm proud of some things, working on other things, but getting to guide my friend and see Kyrgyzstan through her eyes has been a gift.

À Bientôt,

Grace

Music!

1. Gravity- Neoni
2. Innocence- Nathan Wagner
3. Somebody to You- The Vamps
4. It Ain't Me- Selena Gomez
5. The End- Halsey
6. Arcade- Duncan Laurence
7. The Code- Nemo
8. What a Woman- Faouzia
9. These Walls- Dua Lipa
10. Maria- Dua Lipa
11. I Want, I Will, I Won't- SVRCINA