If Kyrgyzstan was being pitched as a film script, it would be described as Heidi meets Genghis Khan; high mountains, flowery meadows and lots of men on horses. The scenery is stunning, and it's an excellent place to enjoy an outdoor holiday (we've been very lucky with the weather). The country itself is relatively poor (probably on a par with Georgia) and we've seen lots of derelict buildings and streets without man-hole covers for the first time since Tbilisi. But, the people are more positive than Georgians and there's a better vibe about the place. What else have I learned? - Too much vodka is a bad thing; - Frisbee at 3000m is hard work; - Water-proof tents will keep water in, as well as out. We are now enjoying a lazy Sunday in Bishkek (complete with full English breakfast and coffee - the first since Baku, a month ago), before leaving for China on Monday. Next brush with civilisation will be in Kashgar - the last "Great Game" city on the trip. From there we'll be travelling down (up actually) to the Pakistani border, through the Karakorams and may be lucky enough to see K2, the Gasherbrums and Broad Peak way off in the distance. Then we'll be crossing the Taklamakan desert and dropping to the second lowest point on Earth in the Turpan depression.