Today we woke up early at 6:30 after a not-so-great night and got ready just in time for breakfast. There, I tried some of the Kyrgyz breakfast cakes before we went back upstairs to grab our stuff and bring it down to the bus.
As we got to reception at exactly the time we had been asked to be there, we thought, “Wow, the babies are first!” Turns out, we were last. Nonetheless, we boarded our red minibus and started driving to our morning walking tour.
Our walking tour started at the city’s sports centre, where we saw some old Soviet architecture and a statue of one of their famous figures. We continued our walk from there towards the White House, the country’s government building. On the way, we stopped to try one of the drinks that are served on seemingly every street corner, which I found tasted a bit like soy sauce mixed with flat beer.
At the White House, we learnt more about the country’s history and culture before walking to the giant flag. Apparently, it’s not as big as the one in Tajikistan — it’s a bit of a measuring contest! We also watched the changing of the guard, where they threw their feet high in the air as they marched slowly along.
We then continued the city tour through different statues and parks, learning even more along the way, before it was time to get back on our buses. The buses drove us to a shopping centre where we could pick up some water, snacks and money. Finally, after another quick show and tell, we got back on the bus and drove for two hours to get to Burana Tower.
At Burana Tower, we got out into the heavy heat and walked around, learning more about the civilisations that once lived there and built the city. I also had the chance to climb up the tower through some extremely narrow, dark and steep stairs. It was fine on the way up, but definitely less easy on the way down!
Next, we drove to a local family’s home, where they served us local hand-pulled noodles with various side dishes that we could mix into them. We ate the tasty food and then, once again, got back on the bus for another two-hour drive to our guesthouse for the night, with a little bit of napping along the way.
We finally arrived at our guesthouse, where we had a lovely room, even though it was on the top floor! We carried our luggage upstairs and relaxed for a bit before heading down for dinner with the rest of the group.
Afterwards, we headed back off to bed, ready for the next day!