Getting here

(Ah the Internet, how I miss you when you are rare. I'm in Bishkek on my last day and actually have Internet that I can use for more than a drive by email check or essential email to our most wonderful travel helper(s) back in the states.)

So, some highlights on getting here:
* We had 45 minutes to make our connecting flight in New York, which after various random and unexplained delays and the untruth of "we'll make up time in the air" we had 7 minutes, that's right 7 minutes to make the connection. Luckily I was traveling with mark, our undergrad RA who is 20 and can run like the wind. We just made the flight, they pretty much close the doors behind us. There was much high-fiving. There was one extra high-five since we were unsure of the culture appropriateness of said American celebratory displays for the rest of the trip.
* After our sprint and close call at the terminal, we ended up sitting on the tar mac for 45 minutes at JFK cued up with 700 other flights waiting to take off. I guess it was rush hour.
* A 6 hour lay over in Istanbul was passed by using the free wifi, drinking coffee, and browsing the super high end stores in the international mall/terminal. We met up with Professor Beth and killed some more time before heading to the gate for our flight to Bishkek. Well first the gate that was on the monitor, then the gate it was changed too, then finally to the correct one, where we did a little project brainstorm before getting on the Turkish Air flight to Bishkek.
* Our flight to Bishkek was long, but I managed to spend a good chunk of it standing at the back to the plane chatting with Beth which was fun. Also the flight attendants on Turkish (all male) were super charming and friendly and shared their fancy moisturizing lotions with us.
* We got a little evening flight travel kit which included things like slipper socks, a toothbrush and teeny toothpaste, and the first of what would be many I would encounter: the pervasive shoehorn.
* We arrived in Bishkek, local time 1:20 am or so. We deplaned and waited in the somewhat chaotic line in passport control before filling out some custom forms printed in Russian where we pieced together what was supposed to be written on each line from friendly strangers.
* Next it was time to wait for the luggage. The baggage carousel went round and round and as everyone started to retrieve their luggage, I started to have that sinking feeling. And as the carousel stopped turning, my suspicion was confirmed, my bag had somehow missed one of the flights. I'm guessing our close call in NY. I had to report the bag lost where I was told, we dont' know where it is, here is phone number, call everyday. I was not the only one in this predicament. Several American men also seemed to be missing their bags. From what I could gather, there guys were here in Bishkek to work on the base. The Manas Airport in Bishkek runs double duty as an airbase for the American military. This would not be the only signs we would see of the interest in this region.
* After meeting up with the driver who would take us to the hotel for our first night we speed along the quiet freeway on the way into town. We checked it, split a beer and went to sleep. It was 4am local time, a full two days after leaving Seattle.


Travel summary
Total flights: 3
Hours on airplanes: 23
Hours in airports: 11
Total travel time (door to door): 36 hours
Timezone difference: 13 hours