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Waiting for visas in Bishkek seems to be a quintessential factor of spending any time in Central Asia.
We have been staying in a (very cheap) hostel in Bishkek. Unusual, it is a home with dormitories, a yurt and garden for pitching tents. After our strange experiences with hotels/hostels in Bishkek so far, this one is at least cheap! The driveway is large enough for the car, bicycles and motorbikes. It always seems full to bursting and they have a strange plumbing system for 20 odd people - one shower, one flush toilet, and a long drop... but it's cheap!
And we have met lots of people in the same situation as us! This may sound mean, but it is reassuring. It is interesting to have some people to share stories and information with.
On Friday we got our passports back from the Kazakh embassy with a new visa valid for double entry and 90 days! Yeah!! The next step is confirming the China tour and getting the new letter of invitation, completing the application forms and sending everything away... I was so comforted to have my passport in my hands again! We celebrated with our travelling friends from the hostel with a meal at the Chinese restaurant ShaoLin! Great food and good value.
Fintan and I are feeling much better about the situation now, although we still have a long way to go! This morning we planned to set off early and send all our paperwork away for the rest of the visas... (hopefully the Mongolian ones are being sorted as we speak!) Unfortunately the car wouldn't start this morning! Eek!!
There is a bit of a story around this... at Ala-Archa, our camping spot last week, a little mouse was around us for a couple of days. While Fintan was checking the engine and found a bundle of insulation and grass... hmmm... we had a stow away! Had little mouse been snacking on our wiring?? Uh oh!! So on our list of things to do add purchase WMD (Weapons of Mouse Destruction).
Anyway, it's Fintan's birthday tomorrow so what should I treat him to?
Popular things in Central Asia:
1. Gold teeth
2. Ferris wheels - strange, but every major city has one
3. Mosaic on the walls of apartment blocks etc (see picture)
4. Meat and dough in various forms
5. Cakes
Personally, I think a cake/cakes is the way to go!
- comments
mum This blog made me laugh. Especially WMD. Hope Fintan has sorted it by now. Love the mosaic! And it fits with your "Casablanca" idea, doesn't it? Happy birthday to Fintan!! If I were there, I would at least get him a gold tooth haha. Have a good celebration.
Mum Joan hi shonny and fintan enjoy the challenge glad that your visa situation is improving happy birthday fintan
Greg Happy Birthday Fintan! Sorry to hear about your toubles! Hmmm , like I said...China, they don't really seem to care if you visit or not. So what is the plan? Are you going to drive from Almaty to Ust-Kamenogorsk and then to Russia and cross into Mongolia? You'll be right in the middle of Ghengis Khan's home turf! Hope you'll make it down to Vientiane! You'll have some awesome mountains in Almaty.
Bronwyn Happy birthday. Gold teeth all the way for sure. Pure class. It was Mr Cookes birthday today too.
Sheila happy birthday fifi! hugs Ariel and Samson
Michael. Richards HI Shonny and Fintan. Firstly Happy Birthday Fintan. Secondly really gald to see your latest blog (after your last one which I found a bit depressing (not your fault) and the long silence (well it seemed like that to me but maybe that's being in Lumwana for 3 weeks). Any way I was worried that you might get stuck. On the Ferris wheel if it's good enough for London and for that matter Paris (on the Place de Concorde) wy not Central Asia. I don't get the concept, but then I don't get computer games either. Any way good luck and keep those blogs comming. Cheers Mike
Jenny Happy Birthday Fintan x