Arriving in Kyrgyzstan

Arriving in Kyrgyzstan was quite peaceful (aside from the fact that I threw up the evening before and still had an upset stomach- and Abigail was complaining that he tummy felt funny even in the taxi on the way to the airport in Novosibirsk- to which I prayed that if she threw up, it would be in a convenient place, not the taxi).

When we arrived we were the only people on the plane who were not Kyrgyz or Russian. Therefore we needed to get a visa, which could be done at the airport. But when we arrived the consular point was closed. We asked the officials to find someone. We sat down for the wait (time works differently in Central Asia). Everybody on the plane but us passed through passport control. We continued to wait. Eventually a rather nice man came to the consular point. While I was filling out our visa applications Abigail threw up on the tiled floor. (Poor thing.) I apologised and said that I wanted to clean up. Despite all this we were given visa discounts of $45 per person instead of the $70 that people who came on subsequent flights paid. We must have done something right?  Perhaps they felt sorry for us. It was strangely the most relaxed customs experience we have ever had.

A night in a very relaxed guest house, some souvenir shopping and a high quality Chinese meal (there are a number of Chinese in Kyrgyzstan) was followed by a marshrutka bus ride to the lake the next day. We shared the ride with some people from our org. It was lots of fun getting to know them and hearing their stories of faith and obedience.

A market on the way up to the lake. The cherries were o so divine in Kyrgyzstan.

Had a nice chat with this man and prayed with him.

A picnic stop for lunch, by a spring and stream.

PJ made the most of his time playing in the water. We had to force him to eat something. :)

The Chinese are building a four lane super highway from China to Tajikistan. As for now, those places are pretty remote. But trade is once again coming to Central Asia; China to India, China to the Middle East and Europe. As Melody says, they are rebuilding the Silk Route.