Traveling day sixteen - in which we possibly saw the Spring Festival, we think

This morning in an overcast Bishkek, after a very lovely morning coffee at the Cafe Sienna (a new establishment in town, much fancier than anything that was here 13 years ago), we headed to the main square to check out the Nooryz - Spring Festival.  We were told there would be concerts and dancing and national pastimes, and certainly all the evidence was there - a stage, people in costumes, a sound system, a milling crowd, children with grandparents and venders selling toys and food - but nothing really happened.  We hung around for an an hour and a half, hoping the action would start.  But.....nothing.  We got some excellent photos of the people in the crowd, and we felt conspicuously like the only foreigners in the square.  And no concert.  Or dancing.  It was like the events director had gone to have a cup of chai and got talking to their friends.

rocking the pixie beanie at the Spring Festival

The sign says 'Nooruz' which means Spring Festival

Lovely Krygyz dancing girls, which we didn't see dance

 So after soaking up the local culture for a while we headed over to a friend's house for lunch - lovely people I had met while Chris and I were here in 1999.  It was great to see them again,  they had not changed and were as passionate and amazing as ever, but their children were enormous.

We also visited Osh Bazaar.  It was just as big and confusing as I remember it - kilometers of stalls selling random things.  I loved it.

Yes.  It's a pile of undies.

Deanne in the bazaar.

love the vegie lady on the mobile - is she ordering more carrots?

Entrance to Osh Bazaar.

spices

 Plov and shashlich for dinner.  Mmmmmm.  I take back anything I said about the Krygyz food.  It is tasty.

Onwards.