I survived getting to Kyrgyzstan! Little did I know what a struggle getting a flight would be. As I am associated with the State Department, and therefore tax-payer dollars, I have to meet the Fly America Act. In principal this seems like a great idea: tax-payer dollars should be invested back into the US economy when possible. Therefore I fly on US owned airlines are far as I can before switching to EU owned airlines. Well, when one is trying to get to Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet Union country, the whole “absolutely nothing associated with Russia” kinda sucks. There are very few flights and they tend to be hundreds to thousands of dollars more than the (Russian) competition. The Fly American Act approved flights also seemed to be consistently longer... However, I did manage to finally get a flight (booked in two separate tickets) rather horrifically last minute. Dylan drove me to the Portland airport leaving Eugene at 3:00am Saturday morning and I flew Portland to Chicago to London to Istanbul to Bishkek with several hour layovers each time. The layovers did ensure I made all of my flights and got to experience the delightful oddities trying to find food or beer or giraffe themed smoothie bars.
Everything was Giraffes at the Giraffe Cafe at London Heathrow. Sugar, drink stirers, giant giraffes, girraffe pattern placemats...
I got to Bishkek 6:30am Monday morning local time only to find (not all that surprisingly) my two checked bags didn't make it. Getting a visa was easy as was customs, but I apparently failed to properly communicate my missing baggage. Leaving the terminal I was delighted to see Saigoun (I have absolutely not a clue how to spell his name...), my very favorite driver from last summers fieldwork. Just like last summer he managed to convey so many questions and ideas despite speaking no English and me effectively no Russian or Kyrgyz. He is just one of the absolutely cheeriest people I have ever met with an infectious smile! He drove me to Kanatbek's (my collaborator and director of the Kyrgyz Seismic Institute) apartment where I will be living. I am sharing a room with his youngest (high school aged) daughter, which I really hope she doesn't mind too much. It's a very nice apartment complete with the wifi's and is a very short walk to the Kyrgyz Seismic Institute where I'll be working.
View out one side of the appartment I'm living in. It snowed last night, but was actually pretty warm today.
After relaxing for a little while I walked around, found a latte stand (!?!) with adequate drinks called Giraffe Coffee. At KIS I was introduced to other geologists, given a desk to work on fossils at as well as additional fossil storage/ chemical mixing area.
The Kyrgyz Seismic Institute! When there aren't clouds there is a great view of the Kyrgyz Range rising just beyond the foothills.
Azat, one of Kanat's students who worked with me last summer, helped me to get a taxi to Turkish Air office to look for my misplaced luggage. One bag will arrive tomorrow, the other is unknown currently. Azat than suggested we get lunch and took me to a great little place with wonderful kebabs. Thin sliced marinated meat served with rice and pickled veggies! I than got a brief local's perspective tour of what was worth seeing at Bishkek's “Square”.
Statue of Manas (National Hero) with the very large Christmas tree. There were Christmas decorations everywhere and Christmas events still going in full swing.
We went to an open air art gallery where people were selling locally made oil and acrylic painting. The landscape painting were incredible, and so recognizable as places in Kyrgyzstan, even those I've only seen in pictures. Additionally there were many painting of horses that were much more lifelike than many Western horse painting I see. Azat loves movies and pop culture, so we stopped by the cinema and he explained what all the movie signs were to me. I still don't think I get the Kill Bill cartoon horse, but I like it whatever it is...
Uh...What?
After that Azat helped me get a taxi back to KIS by myself. The driver spoke a handful of English and was SO EXCITED I was American and proceeded to BLAST American pop songs while trying to get me to sing and dance with him. He than made me take a picture of his phone number so I could “No date yes karaoke” with him. I think he was completely serious.