Update: Sat 19:50

Russian

You may recall my attempt to spell in Russian Cyrillic (yes, there are different Cyrillics) "Why is my passport and my visa not ready?" In Russian this is only eight words (as the "is" is implied). One of these words, и ("ee"), is a single letter and difficult to miss-spell, another is two letters long. That leaves six words in which I managed to make precisely...seven spelling mistakes.

My attempt: пациму мой пасспорт и моя вуза не гатову

The correct version is: почуму мой паспорт и моя виза не готовы

I think I did pretty well!

A policeman asked me, today, for my passport as I walked along Chuy Prospekt to here. Rather than engage him in pleasantries in Russian I said "hotel" and shrugged. He gave up quite quickly. That's the first police hassle I've had in a while.

Uzbek Visa

The Uzbek visa process went quite smoothly. I spoke to (yet another) FR, he on his 2.5 year trip to New Zealand with his family -- I feel like something of a day-tripper by comparison, who suggested there might be some Uzbek border closure issues later in the month to coincide with their Independence celebrations (to keep the riff-raff out, or something) which might cause a bit of an issue.

I mentioned "the list" which you have to be on or you're not going in. A couple of CH appeared and asked me to play along with a ruse they'd worked previously. They would come in with me and we would explain that the guest house had phoned and asked for three names but only one had been put on the list. Their visas were ready, they'd just not managed to get on the list. Sure! We toddled in and they two were given the shoo-off sign. We ran the ruse and for some reason the woman asked their names and, sure enough, their details were in the filing cabinet. She took all our passports next door. A few minutes later a bloke appeared and said something like "Why three? Only one!" whilst shoving a bill for $105 at me (which is $65 for the visa and $50 for the urgency (a week's turnaround at best!)). I don't think he really cared as the ruse was played out again and simply handed them a bill for $130 (2x $65). All good!

Breakfast

Either side of the Uzbek run the breakfast bill incident played out. Normally they ask me the night before what time I want breakfast but they hadn't last night. I'd staggered out around 07:30 and found someone who was happy to fry up. All good.

As I went to wheel the motorbike out I was caught up by the two women of the house demanding payment for breakfast. But I have paid. No. no, look at our records (I think they must have said) while waving arbitrary scribbles in a school exercise book at me. No, no, I insist I've paid. Their notes compounded by the 1300Som being split between room and breakfast. This went on for a bit whilst the son of one of them was raised to move his rust-bucket of a car (he must be the only person in Bishkek unable to afford a decent Merc) to let me out. I promised them I'd be back after going to the embassy.

On my return, one of them was outside sweeping and asked me "NBC?" What? "NBC? You went to Uzbek NBC?" Oh, embassy? Yes, everything good.

The lazy dog of a son was nowhere to be seen so I went in and changed and trotted into reception. The son appeared before the women yakking out the back realised I was there and he was dispatched to move his car (permanently, this time). So I went back in and asked and they said, "Sorry, mistake, we asked another administrotor and she say you pay." Good. I then paid for another two nights, with breakfast.

Not long after, all three (now) of them came over to my room. "Ian, we speak with you. You come out now!" OK. I then pointed out every transaction, noted that I'd paid for breakfasts everytime etc.. They then yakked to themselves for a bit before shuffling of with barely an "OK."

E40

I believe, if my map-fu is strong, that Chuy Propekt, the main drag through Bishkek is the E40. That's right, the road that runs out of Calais, you may well have driven down it. Given toutes directions you'd have been lucky not to drive down it. Well, it turns out if you keep going you'll get here to Bishkek and then on to Almaty and later to the Eastern edge of Kazakhstan. How about that?

I might propose, if you were thinking of hopping on it for a quick run up the road you prepare yourself for something a little more basic than shiny European metalled surfaces.