Back in Bishkek

April 18, 2006

I returned to Bishkek after a very enjoyable two-week vacation. In that short time, I covered a lot of miles. I visited an indoor waterpark in Owatonna, Minnesota, drove down the spectacular California coastline and marveled at the lemons growing outside our host’s home, visited World’s End State Park in rural Pennsylvania, and spent valued time with my boyfriend and family.

It was a bit difficult to get back on the plane, however, I returned to a beautiful spring world. Early in the morning, the sun already beat down strongly, lighting up the bright green trees, the red tulips, yellow daffodils and puple lilacs, and the flowering fruit trees. Green garden shoots already pushed up from tilled soil.

I took a bus from Almaty to Bishkek. I asked the attendant what ended up happening with Ryspek.

“The government didn’t remove him from the ballot,” she said. “They are letting him run and the Balykchi region will probably elect him to Parliament. Just imagine – he is our biggest bandit and he’ll be sitting in Parliament. It’s awful.”

“Why are they letting him run?” I asked. When I left they’d planned on taking him off the ballot.

“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head with disgust. The decision-makers must have been bribed or threatened.

Far from the struggles for power, I look across my cozy living room at the large bunch of white and purple lilacs I bought for 50 cents. Their sweet scent wafts through the roof, allowing me to think that all in Kyrgyzstan is OK.