Tag: Kyrgyzstan

The Secret To Kyrgyz Taxi Fares

Published on by Mark Jahnke

I’ve talked way too much on this blog about how much I prefer taking marshrutkas and buses to riding in taxis.  But, sometimes, you can’t get away from the fact that taxis are the only way that you’re going to get from point A to point B.  Confounding all of this is the fact that just about every city in the former USSR has a different approach to taxis.  Here’s a rough guide on navigating the major taxi systems of Kyrgyzstan (plus Almaty and Dushanbe). Continue reading “The Secret To Kyrgyz Taxi Fares” →

Mile 13: Health Lessons And A Sixth Marathon

Published on by Mark Jahnke

When you’re not allowed to finish (or even start) a marathon, what do you do?  Why you pick one the next month and enter it, of course.

The thirteenth month of my service saw my visa get renewed and a lot of planning take place.  Then we had a bunch of holidays, and then a really awesome and productive trip to Issyk-Kul where I taught health lessons in a bunch of schools before running a marathon.  Let’s dive in.

Continue reading “Mile 13: Health Lessons And A Sixth Marathon” →

24 Apps For Life In Kyrgyzstan

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Let’s face it, you probably own a smartphone – more than half of people do. It’s a modern essential that not only has clearer phone calls than the Nokias we grew up with, but also one that I use for all my photography, communication, and navigation. Today, I want to share with you some of the best apps that I’ve found essential to exploring and navigating Kyrgyzstan. Continue reading “24 Apps For Life In Kyrgyzstan” →

Dimdama in the Hills

Published on by Mark Jahnke

The first week of May in Kyrgyzstan is filled with holidays, so many so that the government often will just declare the entire week a holiday.  This year, because May 1st fell on a Sunday, we had holidays on May 2-5, and again on May 9.  May 2nd was for the observance of May Day, May 5th is Constitution Day, and May 9th is Victory Day.  May 3 and 4th we were given off just because.  So, all of Team Osh came together to head out into the countryside for some hiking, exploring, friend time, and of course, carbs.

Continue reading “Dimdama in the Hills” →

Thinking In Som

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Last time, I talked about the purchasing power of a dollar in Kyrgyzstan versus in America. Rather, I complained about how much money my friends spend (sorry guys, I’m just jealous of your boogie). This week, let’s dive in a little deeper on the history of Kyrgyz money, what it looks like, and what it gets you!

Continue reading “Thinking In Som” →

Sticker Shock

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Coming out of Harvard, moving to New York City, and living the fly fabulous life of a millennial consultant gave me an interesting relationship with money. I had a lot of it, I spent a lot of it, and I honestly wasted a lot of it. Well, I probably shouldn’t be surprised that joining the Peace Corps has put my life into rather harsh perspective,* but in many unexpected ways.

See, when many people think of joining the Peace Corps, they think about living in huts, eating food they don’t know, and some sort of stereotype of living in abject poverty and hunger. But, the thing is, I don’t live in a hut. I like my food. I’m not uncomfortable here. I’m not unhappy. I live a comfortable, rewarding, and happy life here in a lower-middle income country. Seriously. And I don’t spend a lot of money at all.

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That Marshrutka Life

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Any blog about life in the former Soviet Union is incomplete without a post discussing the omnipresent marshrutka, the transportation of choice in most cities of the former USSR. I wrote a little about the shared taxi system of Dushanbe in a post a few years back called Managing Marshrutkas, but now that I spend about an hour every day inside the real deal, I think it’s a subject that bears revisiting.

First of all, what is a marshrutka?  Continue reading “That Marshrutka Life” →

When Your PC Site Gets 4G LTE…

Published on by Mark Jahnke

Attention Kara-Suu Bazaar shoppers.  I have some exciting news… Osh now has 4G LTE cell data service from 2 of Kyrgyzstan’s 3 cell service providers.  LTE.  In my Peace Corps site.  WHAAAAAAT?!

Now, a lot of you probably are asking yourselves “what’s LTE and why should I care?”  To answer this question, I’m going to explain the state of my internet before this glorious event took place.

Continue reading “When Your PC Site Gets 4G LTE…” →