Excited to get heading eastward, I awoke early and went to the internet cafe to upload my updates - but was informed that there would be no public internet in Kyrgyzstan that day because of the presidential election. I decided to stick around one more day and try to finish up the borrowed literature. (A somewhat interesting book about a Brit's travel in the Central Asia region in 1993 when the Communism Hangover was at its peak. Sadly, I was put off by his overly ornate language and stunning conclusions drawn from seemingly casual encounters and didn't finish the book.)
Headed to the bazaar to grab some peanuts, chocolates and dried food to snack on, and then went to read at the central cafe - where 'central' means by the town's non-functioning traffic light. Although intending a literary afternoon, my table soon filled up with other Westerners and empty flagons. Good times were had by all and, apart from one douchebag from Oxford, the jockeying for Best Traveller's Story were kept to a minimum. Having being isolated from the West for the past 2.5 months, I had been feeling a little down in the mouth at running into a 'wall of tourists', but this group helped cure me of my beaten-path blues. Headed back to the homestay to watch the last few episodes of Winx Anime with the youngsters, and then read until falling asleep.
Cute photo - you look ready to be an uncle! :)
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