February 26, 2025. Wednesday.

So here we are, landed in a strange land. Everything went smoothly. I forgot where I sat on the airplane, whether I spent the entire flight sleeping, or if I had a window seat. It doesn’t matter; we landed safely at the airport in Kyrgyzstan after about an hour of flying from Tashkent. The cold weather welcomed us. Little did I know that stepping foot in this land would bring me many good memories-and this is just beginning. So, the story in this country actually start from here 🙂

Manas International Airport is one of the airports in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. I would not say that this airport is very big—just my personal opinion, coming from someone who used to travel from one of the biggest hubs in the world, Hong Kong. It is very convenient, though. I cannot remember the details of the layout inside the airport. But let’s talk a little bit about this lovely country before I dive deep into my personal experience.

Kyrgyzstan, or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a country located in Central Asia, with its capital in Bishkek, one of the largest cities in the country. A quick check on the population size shows that there are about 7.2 million people living in Kyrgyzstan, with a population density of 38 people per square kilometer. In comparison, this is much less than Jakarta’s (the current capital of Indonesia) population of 11 million people, all in one city, which is roughly 16,000 people per square kilometer in 2022. Bruh… I can’t, this reality is too hard to accept. There is only one airport in Bishkek, as primary international hub which is the Manas International Airport.

The majority of people in Kyrgyzstan are Kyrgyz, with a mix of other minority ethnic groups such as Kazakh and Russian. The people speak Kyrgyz, their national language, and Russian – the two official languages in the country. As for English, I didn’t have any problem communicating with people when I was there, so personally, I think English is also used in academic institutions. However, I did have a bit of an issue in convenience stores, but sign language works! Yay! And you know what? The people here are seriously the sweetest! They are always willing to help out and translate for me (with a cute little accent) whenever I get confused with a simple question. It’s just so heartwarming. One fat point to add to my list of things I love about Kyrgyzstan.

Next up, let’s talk about the currency! The currency used here is the Kyrgyzstani Som. One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t keep any Som when I returned. I love collecting currency because I believe that holding onto something from a country helps me remember the best memories and acts as a charm that will inspire me to return to the same place in the future. Next time, I’ll make sure to bring back some Som. I bet the currency is really beautiful 🙂

Next, let’s talk about food! This is my favorite part, but I’ll discuss it more later. I’m not sure what the national dish of Kyrgyzstan is (perhaps I haven’t tried it yet, hiks hiks), so that’s one more thing to add to my endless list of must-try experiences. I might save this part for later. Going to put this in special sections 😉

Okay, that’s enough for basic information about the place that I am falling in love with. I will add more info later as I am learning more about this wonderful place. Back to my story~

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We landed in the freezing cold winter, but as Indonesians (and Filipinos), we do not have free visa entry to the country. However, we could obtain a visa on arrival at the airport. We looked for the counter, and apparently, that day was quite quiet. We were the only foreigners on the same flight who needed a visa. The lady at the counter was away, but quickly returned when she saw us. We filled out a form, handed over our passports, and not long after, we received our passports back with a lovely reddish visa pasted inside. The visa had Cyrillic characters on it, making it look so pretty! I believe the visa cost around 50 USD—I can’t quite remember, but I think I paid in cash, and they accepted cash as well.

So, as usual, the next task was to get a SIM card. In this era, the internet has become as essential as a meal. Joey and Karl were sorting it out, but I was still dealing with my eyesight issues (again), so I just sat in the waiting area because I might make a big mess if I walked around.

It was not that difficult to obtain the SIM card; you only need a passport and a photograph. Once everything was sorted out, we went out and booked a taxi (there were so many tour guides in the airport, and I bet Joey must have been exhausted to answer to all of them). Based on what I observed, I think it’s better to have a well-planned trip prior to departure. At the very least, know how to get to the hotel and have the contact information of a local guide. Luckily for me, Joey had already contacted our local guide who will be taking us to the places we wanted to see.

Figure. I noticed the beautiful hats (kalpak) that the kind uncle helping me with my luggage was wearing as he pushed it to our car. It is a traditional cap that said it is a symbol of respect for the majestic mountains, the hospitable culture, and the ancient nomadic history of Kyrgyzstan

An uncle insisted on helping me with my luggage to the car, but I had no idea who he was, so I politely rejected his offer because I could take care of it myself. However, he persisted! He said something like ‘bla bla lady…’ lol, so I thought he was just trying to be nice and help a girl. We drove to our accommodation in Bishkek, amidst the snow, and by the time we arrived at our hostel, it was almost dark. I was so tired that day that once we got to our room, I took a hot shower and passed out on the bed, skipping dinner because I was too exhausted to join the guys in exploring the city at night

End of the day 1 in Bishkek~

–2025-05-27–