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This is my first time writing one of these so hopefully it isn't that bad!

This thread will detail my experience and hopefully introduce a few people to the wonderful, but little known, nation: Kyrgyzstan!

My trip to Kyrgyzstan started with a short hop over to DC on a United ERJ-145 (UA4239 CMH-IAD CommutAir). I had seat 3A and the legroom for this short 60-minute flight was more than adequate. The only unfortunate part of the flight was the complete lack of service. Even a short water service would have been nice. Upon arrival into IAD I stopped at the Air France/KLM lounge to pick up some water and grab a bit to eat. The lounge was nice, but certainly not anything to write home about.

3A Seems like this bird is due for a wash!
Before the flight to Kyrgyzstan, I spent a few days in DC sightseeing. I stayed at the Hamilton Hotel which is located in the heart of DC and has quite nice rooms and breakfast. Certainly, a nice place to stay for two nights. The only downside was the “view” from my room’s window.


Lovely view!
Bishkek is not that well connected to America with limited airlines that fly into FRU and none that offer a non-stop service across the pond. Basically it seems you can either fly Turkish and connect in IST or fly Emirates & Fly Dubai with a connection in DXB. Alternatively you can fly Lufthansa via FRA and ALA before connecting onto Air Astana. Luckily we were booked onto a single stop itinerary with Turkish Airlines. TK008 IAD-IST 77W and TK346 IST-FRU 32N. I have to say I'm not a huge fan of TK's 77W. While they have a 3-3-3 layout in Y the plane felt quite dated and they kept the cabin quite hot, however the food was fantastic for Y. Their 32N is a far better aircraft in my opinion and despite being a narrow body was significantly more comfortable. Unfortunately I forgot to photograph any of the food on these flights, but I have some pictures of the practically identical food from the return trip I will post later on.

77W

Hello Türkiye!

32N

FRU - Manas International

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I spent the vast majority of my seven weeks in Kyrgyzstan in the nation's capital and most populous city: Bishkek! The city has tons to offer and I highly recommend spending at least a few days there if you have the chance.

Most flights into FRU arrive very, very early in the morning so I spent a few hours at a hostel upon arrival before visiting the university I would be studying at and meeting my host family who I would spend the next seven weeks with.

The hostel


First meal with my host family mmmm. The main dish is Plov, a common Central Asian (namely Uzbek) rice and meat dish.

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Over the following days I began to explore Bishkek. Here are a few pictures from around the city.

Memorial For Red Guards

Statue of Lenin behind the Kyrgyz State Historical Museum

Government of the Kyrgyz Republic

Kyrgyz State Historical Museum

Statue of Manas and the massive Kyrgyz flag in front of the Kyrgyz State Historical Museum

People's Friendship Monument

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If you find yourself in Bishkek I highly recommend the National Museum of Fine Arts. It is an excellent museum with some exceptional works.


Tunduk -- the top of a Yurt

Watermelon!! Kyrgyzstan has the best watermelon (or arboos in Russian) I've ever tasted. Apparently Afghanistan also has great watermelon.

Under the Soviet Union education expanded in Kyrgyzstan. This painting is in honor of that and depicts a Kyrgyz girl getting an education.


National Museum of Fine Arts

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A slightly more well known museum is the Kyrgyz State History Museum. Its been recently renovated and is also very interesting.

Kyrgyz Clothing

Red Army Uniforms

Kyrgyz National Instruments

Lenin makes another appearance.

The epic of Manas -- a story of the man who united 40 tribes into one nation. It is the longest epic ever written!

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Although they have the same names, Tsum and Gum in Moscow is a bit different from Tsum and Gum in Bishkek. Tsum actually has two connected parts, Tsum 1 and Tsum 2. I was initially unaware of this so needless to say I was a bit confused trying to find my friends when they were in Tsum 2 and I was in Tsum 1 completely unaware Tsum 2 existed. Tsum 1 is the more interesting of the two in my opinion. There's everything from phone repair on the first floor to a variety of Kyrgyz souvenirs on the top floor. While nicer, Tsum 2, like Gum, is a bit less interesting with chain stores.


Interesting name...

Tsum 2

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Bazaars! The two main ones in Bishkek are Osh Bazaar and Dordoi Bazaar. Osh is my favorite and includes tons of spices and breads along with souvenirs. Dordoi is constructed out of shipping containers, is larger (the largest in Central Asia), and has more electronics/cloths. In both cases prepare to pay with cash and try to barter a bit. There is also a flee market near Cosmopark on Sundays in the morning that I highly recommend if you are looking for something Soviet.


Dordoi

Kyrgyz Hats!

A store dedicated to just plastic bags in Dordoi

Kyrgyz Lepyoshka Bread at Osh Bazaar.

Kurut at Osh. I love it, many hate it. Its basically drained yogurt or solid milk as I like to call it.

More kurut!

Spices. So many spices.

Fresh cherries.

Osh Bazaar

Osh Bazaar Souvenirs

Tarragon Lemonade--perfection in a cup.

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Bishkek is rarely the reason people visit Kyrgyzstan. Usually it is because of the wonderful wildlife. I had the chance to hike a few times while there. The first, Kol Tor lake, was my favorite. I used the tour company Kettik.kg and the day trip with guide/transport cost 800KGS or about 10USD. I'm not a terribly athletic person and much of the 8km hike is quite steep, but I made it haha.






Kol Tor Lake -- The color is from the clay content. It is amazing in person.



Yurts!

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Ala Archa is the more popular hiking destination near Bishkek and while it is really nice, I still prefer Kol Tor.

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Taking a break from Bishkek, I also got the chance to visit Issyk Kul Lake and a few cities/attractions on the way. The first was Burana tower, an 11th century minaret that is all that remains of the ancient city of Balasagun.

Burana Tower

Petroglyphs near Burana Tower

Castle foundation near Burana Tower

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Next up, the lake itself! Issyk Kul is massive and has many beaches on both the south and north sides (the north side is a bit nicer in my opinion).



We stayed in a Yurt camp. This was the dinning room, unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of my room

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More mountain fun! Traveling up the mountains to the east of the city of Karakol in Soviet trucks was certainly a fun experience--and a bumpy one at that. Staying in cabins atop the mountains was a nice way to conclude the day.



Soviet Truck

I think this was the darkest sky I've seen in some time rivaling my experience on a boat in the Galapagos. Very nice.

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If you find yourself in Karakol you should absolutely see their famous all wooden church and magnificent Dungan mosque. Also, the cold vinegar based soup, Ashlan-Fu, is local to the area (its a Dungan dish) and worth a try. I quite liked it.

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Holy Trinity Cathedral

Dungan Mosque

Dungan Mosque

Dungan Mosque

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Now back to the city. A few personal favorite places of mine are the National Library, Panfilov Park and Bishkek Circus (cool architecture in my opinion). All are interesting, and the library especially seems like a walk back in time with the book checkout process. Basically you find a card, request the book, your card gets stamped a few times, they get the book, you read it, return it, more stamps, etc. If you go to the library you will need to get a library card and present a valid ID, not a big deal, but worth knowing prior.


The Russian section of the National Library.


National Library

National Library

Bishkek Circus

Panfilov Park

Panfilov Park

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Lastly, food. Lots of food. Food here is amazing--some of the best I've had. Common dishes are plov (rice/meat/carrots...), lagman (a noodle dish with meat, vegetables and more), lots of tea, tons of fresh lemonades, besparmak (noodles, meat, potatoes. name is derived from five fingers as traditionally, you eat it with your hands), borsok (fried bread), and much more. All of it is excellent. There are also three drinks you will find being sold on the street: Chalap (fermented milk), Maksym (a wheat/rye drink), and Kvass (a Russian fermented rye bread drink). All are worth a try, but when in doubt lemonade is always a good option. As for restaurant recommendations, Navat is a nice traditional place, Center Plov has nice plov, Wok Lagman has good lagman, Chaykhana Charpaya has an amazing atmosphere, Chef's is upscale modern food, the restaurant atop the Sheraton, Papuri has good Georgian, IWA has nice sushi, and lets just say Usta is the reason I now have tickets to Istanbul--their Turkish food is outstanding.

Pelmeni (Russian dumplings)

Khachapuri (Georgian cheese, egg, and bread dish that happens to be the leading reason behind my desire to visit Tbilisi)

Shashlik

A Shoro Stand selling the national drinks

Plov --Center Plov

Lagman

Some lemonade and cheese. What more could you want in life? (well there's always lagman... yeah actually lagman, I want that)

More Georgian food including Khinkali, Georgian dumplings. -- Papuri

Besparmak

Molecular Gastronomy in Kyrgyzstan! -- Chef's

Ramen

Dodo Pizza (Russian chain)

Chaykhana Charpaya

Plov & Borsok -- Navat