We took bus no 265 (40 som) to make a day trip to Ala Archa National Park, a nature refuge outside of Bishkek. We were lucky to hitchhike with two local backpackers 12 km to the river trail head, after the park entrance (admission 80 som). We took off shoes to walk over the icy cold river in order to continue the trail about 2 km out then turned back.
We started walked toward the park entrance about 2 pm and finally got a hitchhike after 6 km walk by a local who insisted in sharing vodka and meat with us in the car and sang folk songs, and finally dropped up us back to Bishkek about 1 mile away from our hostel.
To drink vodka in the right way, you need to have zakushkas (Russian for the meal you eat with vodka). This can consist of anything from simple loaves of bread to full spreads of delicious appetizers. Quite common are sour or fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, and of course meat. That's called "bata".
If you are drinking with locals its not problem to skip round. They would just pour you a symbolic drop and when they are clinking glasses you have to use your right hand and slap sparing partners glasses slightly instead of your glass.
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