Good evening….everyone….let me continue….(by chance you are someone who cant figure out what this is, then pls read ‘Cool’ place part -1 first….I don’t know if its still in the 50 latest. So, you’ll get it on my profile page. Thank you.)
All right….so I was at the immigration cuties. So, this was at Bishkek(Kyrgyzstan)….I then went to the luggage collection area. There I saw something I’ve never seen at any other airport before. The luggage trolleys were tied up with a chain….and the chain was locked with a….lock(‘taala’). So, if you want a luggage trolley, you have to ask the trolley guy. He opens the lock for you and gives you the trolley. I don’t know WHY they did this. It STILL beats me.
So, I went to the luggage collection area. It was completely deserted. I guess no other flights were due at that time or something. There was only one other Chinese girl besides me there. Actually the flight that I came from was going further to Birmingham. And there were only a VERY few passengers for Bishkek. So, not much population at the airport. The next big problem was how to get the bags off the luggage belt. There was one small bag, one HUGE bag and one slide projector. All three came in a line….ek ke baad ek. Just as they emerged from behind the curtain, I was ‘strategizing’ on how to get three things off. The problem was that I was still a kiddo, I was relatively frail and didn’t believe I was capable of doing this. The bags were coming nearer….I was thinking harder….suddenly the Chinese girl starts shouting….in some other language….I thought she must be talking to someone else….but she wouldn’t shut up. So, I turned towards her….she excitedly keeps trying to tell me something in an alien language. Me standing there like an idiot. Finally, she gestures with her hands and tells me to turn around….I comply. And….oye hoye….there was a lamba glass door behind me and outside it….was my daddy! With three other people. He says hi. I tell him to wait….I have more important things to do. Then finally when the bags come, I pull with all my might(complete with the grunting sound) and ACTUALLY manage to get everything onto the trolley. Dad claps from behind the door. Miracles do happen.
Wait….why am I writing in present tense?
Ok….so then I got out….saw dad….screamed….hugged him….how r u? I am fine…etc. etc. Then came Vladimir. He was our driver. And he was going to drive us across the border to Kazakhstan. There was one more gentleman(Indian) and his driver(not Indian)….who were from the office ….they took away the projector.
We got to our car. It was Vladimir’s car actually. Audi, if I remember correctly. Bright yellow. It didn’t look as bad as you’d imagine. It was cool. Soon we were on a highway….the drive to Almaty(Kazakhstan) was about 3.5 hours. But we were consistently going at a speed of 100 – 110 kmph….the roads were very broad, very smooth and you’ll never even feel the speed. Vladimir, I found out, was formerly a soldier. Which I thought was very cool. But he was no longer a soldier and now was the office ka driver. But he was very cool. Soldiers are all cool. By and by, the traffic reduced. We were getting closer to the border.
The Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan border isn’t like our Indo-Pak border. They aint got no barbed wire fencing and stuff….it is connected by road. There are a number of check-posts though.
What we were passing through was actually the Pamir plateau. We only studied that in Geography, it felt great to actually be there. It was a little past 12 in the night. So it was dark. But I could see that we were speeding through a VERY mountainous region….with tall grass on both the sides.
Finally we got to a check-post….Vladimir stopped his car. There was a bunch of soldiers there. One of them peeped into our car….saw everything was okay….so he asked for our passports. We showed them to him….but he didn’t stamp them or anything….I asked daddy why. He said that this was only a small check post….this isn’t the border yet.
A few minutes later….we actually reached the border. It was a big checkpost. More soldiers. Armed. There was a huge ‘square arc’ kinda thing….if I remember correctly…through which you have to pass. Very grand. The soldiers peeped into the car once again….okayed it….took our passports….stamped them….and let us go. If something is doubtful, they tell you to get outside the car. The check you….your pockets and all to make sure you’re not dangerous…they check your purse and stuff. I’ve heard from other people.
It was all very movie-like. Like 1 in the night….NOBODY on the road …almost. The quiet heavy air around you….mountains all around. Sometimes, the soldiers may check your luggage and everything for security….but only if you appear fishy on the surface…which wasn’t the case with us.
Then, there was some part which was no man’s land. It literally was. There was NO MAN there. The loneliness was actually scary. You hear nothing but the car engine.
Then we approached the official border of Kazakhstan….another huge check post. Same procedure….after we crossed it, I could see that Vladimir was relatively eased. Coz these check-post rituals are not always smooth. Not everybody has it this easy. And anyway, crossing a border is a general thing that makes you tense.
Again, the same scary loneliness. Mountains in the dark always scare me. Lol. By this time I was half-asleep from all the fatigue ….but I faintly remember Vladimir expressing his doubts to my dad that someone was following us or something….he was speeding for quite a while. Then he slowed down. I don’t remember what it was. Maybe it was just his hunch or something. But you know, at times, in these countries it happens that you’re troubled for unnecessary things if someone finds out you’re a foreigner. I’ve heard some people’s experiences….anyway.(contd in comments section)