The photos that follow are from my first trip to Kyryzstan in late April. I had a wonderful time there and was thorougly charmed by Bishkek, where the cost of living is easily a fourth of oil-rich Almaty. I was amused to find this sign (above) which advertises the "Central Executive Committee of the Kyrgyz Communist Party." Today, the building houses some government offices, but they obviously haven't gotten around to changing their signs!