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Kyrgyzstan

Mar
2004-09-14 15:23:35

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Kazakhstan, and lake Yssyk-Kol. The next movement we will never forget. He draws circles around the lake, puts his hands behind his head like he is laying in the sun and writes down 10th of September next to the border line. The decision is made, his suggestion is to cycle some rounds around the lake and enjoy Kyrgyzstan until our visa is valid within 13 days. The problem is probably that we will leave the country already before our visa is even valid, which could give them problems by the order border posts. Disappointed we cycle back to Kyrgyzstan (they don’t give entry and exit stamps on their visa) and wave to the Kyrgyzstan officers.

Independence day in Bishkek

We cycle in two days from the Kazakhstan border back towards Tup, the city closest to the border and next to the Yssyk-Kol lake. From here we take the bus to Bishkek, the capital, which will take 8 hours. Although not really planned this must be worth a visit, because on the 1st of September it is Independence day in Kyrgyzstan.

01/09/2003. Today we start with watching a military parade. We find a nice place where we can oversee everything, still one hour to go, just in front of the parade cars. Apparently the whole parade will start where we are and move to the Ala-Too square (previous Lenin square). This means a total parade length of 200m, 100 m to get speed and another 100m for the performance. Just 15 minutes before the start we are aloud to got to the square right in front of the waving government officials. Something like you saw on television in the Soviet era and still from North Korea, waving towards the parade.

In front of us 6 blocks of 20 rows of 20 military men. When the highest in rank passes a block of military, they all scream ‘yeah’. The general (?) still stiff standing in his car and saluting the militaries then moves to the next block. The blocks can also do a wave with ‘yeah’ from left ...