A long journey and lots of window shopping.

When feeling emotional whilst doing one's packing discovering that one's boots seem to have disappeared has helped put the grump back in me. Luckily they were very battered and my plan was to leave them here for if I came back, but now it seems the fact that they have been living outside might have done for them. They were outside, not because I wanted them there, but because every time I took them in, they were deemed too dirty to stay in, so I just left them outside, figuring they were safe there.   I always have to take my shoes off when I enter the building. Anyway, Never mind.  I have had good weekend despite lots of slightly annoying things. Like it taking 4 hours to get to Bishkek instead of the usual 2.hour 25. I think one o clock bus was cancelled and the following bus an hour later had 11 people standing including me for the first hour or so of the journey. , however I am pleased to say I am sufficiently Kyrgyz now to be able to sleep standing up.  But by the time we arrived in Bishkek I was feeling too hot and shaky to get on another bus so changed where I got off so as to catch the trolley bus to the nearest coffee house. However, after waiting forty minutes for a trolley that never came I had to catch a marshrutka.   Luckily the trolleys were back in action today, but then they went a completely different route and I landed up having to get off and find the marshutka again instead. , so I am guessing that is why I could not find one yesterday - the route has changed.

I spent the day with my soon to be gone colleague who is good re camera's as rather belatedly  it has occurred to me they might be cheaper here. She has given up on her school, the stress of working there at present too much, so she is in Bishkek till either things sort themselves out in her school or till she leaves in two weeks time. She, I and the former coordinator all went for a farewell dinner on Saturday night. It was so warm in Biskek we could sit outside and it was lovely and warm pottering around town today too.    There are lots of things I will miss about here if I do not come back.