One wedding, one photo, one donkey, one funeral and one video.

A very nice couple have been here, they have not had their honeymoon but my boss is their boss and he gave them a night at the Ashu. They showed me their wedding pictures,which were lovely, very European,  and I took them to see Bilimkana School today before they headed back to Bishkek.  Then I decided to go for a long walk up into the hills as I think that the snow is coming so it might not be possible much longer. On route I saw lots of people walking solemnly, as if away from the Mosque. Two blokes asked and took a photo with me but my attempts to ask them what was happening failed.  I tried to work out what was going on by trying to take a closer look at the house where they were congregating.  I could see lots of men, women stirring things out in the open that almost looked like potato vodka, but could not figure it. So went on my way. I was very amused as three donkeys hurtled past and then I spotted three boys trying to stop one of the donkeys, so they were very grateful when I headed it off. They thought that I had a bottle of booze with me so I showed them that it was my apple juice by letting them have it.  I am often asked for drink, it is always very dry here, but normally say no but as part of my apple campaign and the need to use up the now defrosted juice thought it a good move to give it to them.  So they were surprised and even more grateful. (It turned out that the plug that the  freezer was plugged into had broken yesterday so everything was defrosting anyway, but I found an extension lead and re-connected it, till the electrician could arrive hopefully helping to save the rest of the contents)  I then headed up to the hills, but  I deliberately returned via the  mystery house and even more men were heading there including the grandfather from the Ashu. He cannot speak English, but when I gestured what is going on he gestured death and then of course it made sense. It was a funeral.   No wonder everyone looked so solemn.

No one is at the Ashu now there may be no one here for a long time except me and granddad, but since about four thirty I have been in the dinning area, I have made a fire and I have edited some of the pictures from yesterday's horse festival It has taken about 4 hours to do two minutes and of course only gives a flavour of this local past time. I thought that there was more footage, but all the shots of horses hurtling into me, just had my fingers over the lens and yelps of help coming from me, so I did not use those bits. I know that some people will not like it, but it was very thrilling to watch as the horses thunder past.  Whilst the main event was on, younger rides were practising with something like a pillow case and they hurtled all over the place even into the river. I could not capture it all and my camera is very basic, but apart from the riders I was the only tourist or audience so it felt pretty important to try and capture it.