Heading Out of Town

I’ll be leaving Bishkek tomorrow (July 12) to go to Balykchy (near Lake Issyk-Kul, where we had the picnic) for several days. We’ll leave Thursday evening and attend/observe/help with a customer conference that the Balykchy microfinance branch is coordinating. The purpose is to tell people about the microloan process, about successful small businesses other people have started with microloans, about who qualifies for this kind of help, etc. We’ll be involved with that Friday-Sunday (July 13-15), and then Monday (July 16) I’ll interview the branch manager and some loan officers for my research and internship work. Tuesday we’ll drive to Karakol, which is another 4 hours from Balykchy. Wednesday I’ll interview the branch manager there and some loan officers, and then Thursday (July 19) we’ll drive home (all day….).

It will be good to have some interviews done for my research, and talking to these people is exactly what I need to complete my next deliverable for my internship, so I’m looking forward to it. I’ll be traveling with Meerim the whole time, which is great b/c she is super nice and great company and is also fluent in Russian and Kyrgyz. I’ll have a much smoother trip thanks to her, and she’s learning some things from me re: systems work, so it’s a fair trade. We’ll stay in the Mercy Corps guest houses in Balykchy and Karakol, and I’ve been told that they are nice, with running water and clean beds.

I’ll be back in Bishkek for the weekend, so I’ll be able to call Tony (thank goodness!) and the fam. Then Monday (July 23) we head to Osh. We’re driving there Monday, which will be a long day, as it’s about a 12-hour drive, but I am glad we’re driving b/c we’ll be going from the far north of the country to the far south. I’ll get to see so much of the country, and I’ve been told it’s a really pretty drive. Tuesday (July 24) I’ll interview the Osh branch manager and a few loan officers; Wednesday we’ll drive to Batken, and I’ll do the same there. Then Thursday (July 26) we’ll fly back to Bishkek, which will be nice and quick. I’ll be back in time for the weekend, which is very important since dad will be arriving on Saturday!!!

I don’t expect to have internet access much (if at all) when I’m traveling, but I will be back in Bishkek for all weekends except this coming one (July 13-15), so I can post on the weekends in Bishkek. While I’m gone, I will be good about typing up blog entries in Word and taking lots of photos, so when I’m back in Bishkek, I will have lots to share about what I’ve seen and heard! And, heck, for all I know, we’ll find an internet café sometime where I can do some posting….