Word: bishkek
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...five former Soviet republics in Central Asia were in a beauty contest, Kyrgyzstan would win. This becomes obvious as you rumble down 30 kilometers of tarmac into Bishkek. The snow-capped Tien Shan mountains rear up like a tsunami. But unlike Nepal or other lauded upland destinations, this country and its capital are still an unknown quantity...
...Unknown, at least, to tourists, because they're pretty familiar to the French, Dutch, American and Norwegian troops from the U.S.-led antiterror coalition camped at Manas airport. They head to Bishkek for R. and R. and the city's only department store, TsUM. In sneakers and baseball caps, they make a nice contrast to the Kyrgyz locals in their leather boots and felt hats...
...Russians are here, too. In Bishkek's bars, you can rub shoulders with off-duty troops from the newly opened Russian air base a few score kilometers away as they drink and dance to hard-core Russian techno. And in Fatboys, a popular café, men in suits and dark glasses talk about the region's geopolitical significance...
...youth of Bishkek show little nostalgia for their country's Soviet past. Their yearning for something new is palpable on the streets-in nightclubs such as Soho, Zeppellin or City-and in the old Soviet-style theaters, which nowadays screen DVDs of American B movies. Although it's a predominantly Muslim country, Western-style scanty dress can be seen everywhere...
...that it's in danger of turning into Ibiza any time soon. The fact that Bishkek is the Kyrgyz name for a churn of mare's milk still says a lot about this city of less than a million people. There's greenery everywhere you look, and visitors love Bishkek's walkable dimensions. Just keep an eye out for those wandering shepherds...