Lenin standing proud in the city center
A week in Bishkek has been a bliss after spending the last months in Africa and in the hospital with malaria and dengue fever.
Bishkek is as comfortable as it gets. Walking around the city is like walking through a massive park with greens, statues and monuments everywhere you look. It is clean, safe, cheap and boasts of a lot of cafés and a good night life.
The Ala-Too Square with the Historical Museum and the World’s biggest flag
I was couchsurfing here a week while waiting for my visas to Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. My hosts showed me around and explained a lot about the culture and history of the country.
Bishkek lays just a few kilometers South of the Tien Shan Mountains and the snowy tops make a spectactular view from most of the city center.
Most of the city can be seen in a day, but there are lots of possibilities for trekking in the Ala-Too Mountain range and in Ala Archa National Park which is just 30 kilometers from Bishkek city center.
A sunday feast from 10am to 10pm
For me the best part of Bishkek has simply been all the local people I have met and the hospitality I have received which I have written more about in this blog post.