Postcard from Bishkek

There’s an old joke routine that goes: When is a door not a door? I don’t know, when is a door not a door? When it’s ajar … … which, when the ‘answer’ produces nothing more than a look of bemused confusion, is usually followed by something like: Get it??? … when is a door […]

In the US, March 3rd is known as National Anthem Day … a day for celebrating the patriotic music that is thought to represent the history, traditions and struggles of a nation, as recognized either officially by its government as the official national song … or by convention, through use by the people. In Britain, […]

March has arrived – Spring is here … so now we turn our attention to a number of annual tasks … in particular, Bakchilik -or  Gardening. When we built the Silk Road Lodge, back in 1999 and 2000, we were allocated the land on which the hotel stood … it’s leased to us for 49 […]

No … that’s not a mistake … and today’s postcard is not about music, Jazz or any other kind. Jaz is the Kyrgyz word for Spring … The four seasons Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter are, respectively: jaz, jay, kuz and kısh Today, 1st March, is normally considered to be the first day of Spring […]

Every year, various groups of the Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association , (KCBTA), organizes a series of festivals around the country. Although it is basically a Tourism association, and these events are obviously intended for visitors to the country – to give them an opportunity to experience some of the features of the traditional nomadic lifestyle […]

There are several days in the year when we, in the office, traditionally have cake or some other informal celebration … such as birthdays, of course – including Beethoven’s Birthday on December 16th, (thanks to Schroeder in Charles Shultz’s Peanuts cartoon), and anniversaries … public holidays, (being a hotel, of course, like the Windmill Theater […]

I am not sure what sort of lobbying or other influences may have been involved in the decision, but as the New Year approached, President Atambaev signed an Ukaz – a decree – declaring 2016 as the Year of History and Culture. It might seem, coming virtually on the eve of the New Year, that […]

People often ask me about how I keep track of all the special days and anniversaries that feature in my postcards … and the answer is that I try to keep a diary of them.

People often ask me about how I keep track of all the special days and anniversaries that feature in my postcards … and the answer is that I try to keep a diary of them.

People often ask me about how I keep track of all the special days and anniversaries that feature in my postcards … and the answer is that I try to keep a diary of them.