On Saturday, the group of students from American University in Central Asia who are helping us with our research arranged an outing for us in the mountains. Kyrgyzstan is known for its mountains, and it's a little shameful that this is my fourth trip and I haven't yet been to see them (or to Lake Issykul, but that's another matter I hope to resolve sometime soon). So they showed up in the morning and we went over the project, then someone left to go get the driver. It was amashrutka driver who apparently ditched his route for the day. One of the students had met him earlier that day and decided he seemed like a nice guy, so we piled into his van, stopped for fruit and drinks on the way out of town, then headed to Ala-Archa, a national park near Bishkek. The mountains were, to say it utterly inadequately, impressive. Glacial, towering, sharply steep...the Tien Shan. We walked up a bit dragging food (Erica carring a ginormous watermelon that made her biceps sore), a Central Asia grill, and what seemed like two sheeps' worth of meat.
We found a perfect spot on the banks of a rushing, gray, glacial river...cold, cold, and the perfect refrigeration for our drinks and melon.
The students from AUCA set up the grill and charcoal, and we had a long afternoon of shashlik...a little too long since the amount of meat was probably more appropriate for the garrison of soldiers we encountered in the woods on our walk. So we were there till past 7pm, waiting for the skewers of meat to cook, feeling the evening cool rapidly as the sun went behind the mountains, but utterly enjoying the remarkable surroundings.
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