This past fall, I went back to the streets of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan to do some fursuiting. As I left work on the second day, I was feeling glum about not having any hosts on this research trip. My hosts at the seismic center were simply dropping me off at my hotel and heading home to their own families. It was surprising. But then I met a mountaineering group: People from all around Europe. One of them, a man named Peter had to stay behind because of a mountaineering mishap, and he and I hit it off quite well. So Peter became my photographer and handler. One day the weather was perfect, and we took Tycho Aussie out for a two hour walk. People were astonished and delighted, kids ran away, found their parents, and ran back to follow us or even greet us. Some of them even spoke English.

People of Kyrgyzstan are reserved by nature, but a fursuit seems to have a way of lowering their guard and a smile pops out. They are a very beautiful people, with well shaped faces, and generally they are fit and trim. The Kyrgyz people are descendants of the clan of Genghis Khan, and the horse, snow leopard, and golden eagle are part of their culture. Nowdays, like most places, they are carrying smart phones. However in contrast, they are not always looking down at them, the kids still play ball in the streets.