Where dou you go next?

That question was asked by Willi, DF8WS, during a meeting at the 1995 Ham-Radio in Friedrichshafen.
'I don't know yet' I answered and Willi said 'Why not go to Kyrghyzstan?

A former USSR republic? Sounds good.
I contacted my friend Helmut the next day 'Why not, but where is Kyr.. what's the name of this country???' was his statement.
With Willi's help, I got in touch with Serge, EX2A, who officialy invited us to visit his country, offered to stay at his home and promised to help us with the licence.

After some problems with the visas (The Fax at the foreign ministry in Bishkek was out of service...), bokking flights with Kyrghyzstan-Airlines (Yeah, an old Tupolev...) and not to forget an three weeks chrash course in Russian language, six weeks after the 'Where do you go next?' question, Helmut and I were waiting in front of the check in counter at Hannover airport.

'What bussines are you going to do in Bishkek' the German custom officer asked us and you could tell by the look in her face that she didn't belive us a word, when we told her the story about beeing on a amateur radio mission and not on a bussines trip.

But finaly we boarded the good old Tupolev a had a lift of to Bishkek.

Serge, EX2A, and his family

Basar in Bishkek

The 'White House' in Bishkek

and the theater

Another basar

Helmut with students at Bishkek university

At EX9HQ radio club

EX QSL-service

Home of EX2O with sat-dish and 2m/70cm OSCAR antennas

In the mountains, about 200km to the Chinese boarder

The shore of lake Ysyk-Kol

With a Kyrghyz family

On route to the contest site

George's, EX2M, working place - 2500m asl

Setting up the HF6V vertical

Dinner with the crew

George and me in the WAE-SSB contest as EX9HQ