LIVE!!!!!!!!! From Kazakhstan!

As I sit in Almaty National Airport waiting to see if I can get on a flight back tonight, I'd like to reflect on how lovely the past week and a half has been...

Kyrgyzstan is beautiful...I can see why it's called the Switzerland of Central Asia. All of Central Asia has similar characteristics as far as food, culture, language, clothes, etc, yet the differences are pretty funny. I know spending a week in a country doesn't make me an expert, but this is what I noticed...


Getting a taxi in Kyrgyzstan:

Walk up to the car with the big yellow "TAXI" sign on top. Tell the driver where you want to go. Get in.

Getting a taxi in Turkmenistan:

Stand on the side of the road and put your hand out. Tell the driver where you need to go and hope he'll take you. Argue about the price for a few minutes. Get in.

Using internet in Kyrgyzstan:

Walk into the internet cafe and sit down in front of one of the 25 computers. Use internet. Pay and leave.

Using internet in Turkmenistan:

Pray over and over that the wind that day hasn't disrupted internet access. Walk into the internet cafe. Wait 45 minutes for one of the six computers. Sit down in front of a computer. Wait another twenty five minutes for the first page to load. Give up. Pay and leave.

Buying food in Kyrgyzstan:

Walk into the grocery store. Select food items and proceed to the checkout. Pay and leave.

Buying food in Turkmenistan:

Get up early because the bazaar is only open until noon. Wander around finding fruits and vegetables in season and compare everyone's prices. Buy an extra plastic bag because of course you forgot to bring some. Say hi to all the venders you know and talk about how good their kids are doing in class. Promise to teach about five new people English. Browse through the new material and discuss getting a new dress made. Buy an ice cream and make any last minute purchases. Give extra change to the blind man and the pregnant lady who always sit outside the bazaar. Go home.

It's a beautiful life.