Poor John celebrates birthday in scenic style
Amazing scenery for Poor John’s birthday
Not many people can say they celebrated a birthday in Kyrgyzstan unless, of course, they actually ARE from there.
But Poor John is from Australia, and just the other day he had a whoop-de-do birthday celebration in the wilds of this fantastically scenic Central Asian country.
For starters, he spent the day travelling through some gobsmackingly beautiful Kyrgyz countryside. Then he didn’t have to cook his own dinner—we’d cooked the night before.
The Kyrgyz love their animals, and the vodka bottles show all sorts—here are a deer, sheep, polar bear and wolf
The birthday-night cook group produced an impressive Thai green curry for dinner and then a chocolate cake, covered in hundreds and thousands (those colourful little sugary beads also known as sprinkles or non-pareils) appeared. Not bad when you’re camping in the middle of nowhere. (psst—I bought the hundreds and thousands on the sly the day before in the village of Arslanbob.)
Poor John spoilt with birthday wishes and toasts (he’s third from the right)
But the thing that tickled me most—and I think Poor John was pretty darn chuffed (pleased) too—was the spontaneous happy birthday toast given to him by our travelling companions on the truck.
We were riding through territory known for its yurts, snow and vodka, and there was plenty of vodka chilling on snow in the Eskys (ice chests). It was late afternoon and time for a drop, and everyone piled to the back of the truck for a birthday toast to Poor John.
What a great way and place to have a birthday.
Gathering ice and snow from the Kyrgyz countryside
Where to next? 
Feliz Aniversario John. Feliz Aniversário! Aqui do Brasil, mandamos um grande abraço, mesmo voce estando ai no Quirdistão. Aguardamos voces aqui em casa, para então revelarmos a receita SECRETA do molho saúde. Grande abrao John. Feliz Aniversário.
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Thanks Newton, from both of us. 🙂
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What a great adventure!
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Thanks, we’re having a fantastic time.
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Cool truck!! Which company are you travelling with?
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We’re travelling with African Trails. We were with them in 2009 when we spent almost a year in Africa.
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Thank you kindly. Will google them and see what they offer!
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Here’s a link — http://www.africantrails.co.uk/ — and be sure to tell them Peggy sent you. 🙂
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Happy birthday to Poor John. There isn’t a kinder, more gentle man on Earth.
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Aw, Potsie, you are so right and, like me, very biased.
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Happy birthday Poor John. I’m really pleased that you had such a great celebration and hope you enjoyed trying the different types of vodka!
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After a really bad bout of hepatitis in the 1970s, Poor John doesn’t drink at all, so the rest of us enjoyed the vodka. Actually I had a beer instead. 🙂
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Ah, what a wonderful place to celebrate. Happiest of birthdays John.
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Many thanks Jolandi. He had an amazing day.
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Helluva Happy Birthday!!
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He did have a great birthday. Wish I had managed to get a pic of the cake.
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the photos are really inviting…!
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Thanks so much.
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you’re welcome! great photos..
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Aw thanks.
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