My second home: Istanbul airport

If you have to have a second home, perhaps this one is not so bad. Here are some shots of the business lounge at Istanbul airport. Louis XIV meets 20th century modernism, with a touch of the Ottoman empire. Not your average blend, but it works very well. Off to Vienna this morning.

The mosque in Karakol

The mosque in Karakol is a beautiful and intriguing building. It was designed and built in the early 20th century in the style of a Chinese temple, WITHOUT A NAIL (as everyone told us). It is not that surprising, I suppose - the Chinese border is only 100 kms or so away.

You can get anything at Osh market in Bishkek

Osh market is one of the big markets in Bishkek. Hundreds of stalls, thousands of people, and you can buy just about anything. As you can see, there are salads, spices, nuts, babushka shawls and even a truck full of cow skulls.

Love them Kyrgyz apples

We could not go past these delicious apples.

I prefer the abacus, thank you

In Kyrgyzstan, the abacus rules outside Bishkek. At this registration office, the chief accountant (pictured) told us that she uses the calculator, but then checks the result on the abacus. In the south, they don't even bother with the calculator.

Fermented mare's milk, anyone?

Here we are stopping for a Kyrgyz pick me up - mare's milk that has been fermented. It is slightly alcoholic, and tastes like yoghurt and beer mixed together. The result, as you can see from the last photo, is questionable.

Naryn is like a zoo

Naryn is a fun place, particularly if you like animals. So many horses, sheep, goats, cows. They even have yaks, donkeys and bees, as you can see.

Shots on the way to Naryn

A few shots taken on the way to Naryn, which is up in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. First, we stop for supplies. Next, Mika and I with an old friend. Last, some great scenery.

An Adventure to Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

We are driving up to Naryn in the mountains behind Bishkek on Monday and Tuesday. It is very rural, with camels wandering around the place and only one main street (this is the provincial capital). Hopefully some good shots will result.


This photo gives you some idea of the wild time we are expecting.

Just where is Kyrgyzstan?

No one can say the name of this country, and no one knows where it is. To overcome the second problem, have a look at the map below. We (I am here so much that I feel a bit Kyrgyz) are the dark green little country just above India and Pakistan, to the right of Uzbekistan (pink), and under Kazakhstan.

Where am I?

Do these photos give you a clue?

Shopping makes me happy

Here are some shots of the Kanyon shopping centre in Istanbul, which is my favourite shopping centre in the world. Great architecture, with the two buildings following each other around like a canyon. And there is a Harvey Nics to boot.

A Turkish Gentleman

Here is me with a moustache. Is it a weak attempt to be kooky? A mild mid-life crisis? The influence of the Turkish facial hair fashion? Who knows. But it ensures that everyone talks to me in Turkish.

Selcuk, Turkey, Asia, The World

Selcuk, which is pronounced "sell chook", is a little town near Ephesus. They have the remains of the Byzantine aquaduct running through the town, and some people have seen fit to utilise said aquaduct for construction purposes. Cranes, too, like to use them to nest on the top.

Shots of Ephesus

Here are some shots of Ephesus - the ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine town that brought me to this part of Turkey. Perhaps rated a little more highly in the guidebooks than it deserves, but interesting once you get there. One or two good buildings, as you can see.