The Good Life in Bishkek

Bishkek is the capital of Kyrgyzstan and with around 1.2 million inhabitants, it is by far the largest city in the country. It is surprising that it is completely flat at just 800m above sea level, although 95% of the country's area consists of mountainous regions. Due to the comparatively lower altitude, it is significantly warmer here than in the other regions of the country; while I am writing this article, it is a summery 28°C.

I immediately liked Bishkek. While construction is happening on every corner in this former Soviet planned city and the traffic can be quite adventurous, overall it is less hectic than in Almaty. Particularly beautiful is the proximity to the mountains: right next to the city lies the 'Kyrgyz Range', a part of the Tian Shan, whose highest peak reaches nearly 5000m. It is also easy to reach more rural areas. For example, just 15 km from the city center yesterday, a herd of horses first blocked the road and shortly thereafter a few comfortable cows.

I really can't complain about the food in Bishkek: watermelons are available for €1.50 (per piece, not per kilo!), Lagman tastes great here, and the selection of cookies and snacks in supermarkets is huge. At the same time, you can also find restaurants from all over the world. The day before yesterday, Philipp and I ate a really good pizza, and today we want to go for Korean food.

The Kyrgyz government's efforts to keep history and culture alive are very evident. There is a well-equipped art museum where mainly Kyrgyz artists exhibit, several smaller exhibitions on the Kyrgyz epic 'Manas', as well as numerous statues and sculptures explained through information boards in English. For someone like me, who has only little knowledge of the region so far, this is quite exciting.

But the real highlight (as cliché as it sounds) is the people. I have rarely been welcomed so warmly in a country as here. Even in the big city, there is interest and friendliness everywhere: from the taxi driver who spontaneously invited us to dinner, to adventurous souls who hopped on our rental car for a trip, to young adults learning German to later study medicine in Germany. This hospitality and openness to other cultures have immediately made me feel welcome in Kyrgyzstan and almost at home.

PS: I left the photos from the last days unsorted, so hopefully, you get a good impression of our colorful time here (and a bit of convenience was also involved 😉).