Fake Police in Bishkek

Kyrgystan was spectacular, vast snow capped mountains, huge green fields, dotted with nomadic tents.

The beat up taxi roared through Bishkek's wide tree lined streets, the description Soviet has never been more apt I thought, (I would change my mind in Dushanbe). The taxi driver skillfully wove through the traffic holding his phone. Leaning over he yells in Russian.

"Ya nye ga varyu parusski" I say back.

He yells again, I smile the uncomfortable smile, the one all travellers know well.

"England?" he says with a thick accent

"No, No, Australia"

He leans away and yells Australii into his phone.

Half an hour later I sat in the Bishkek bus station. A big empty hall. Most bus stations in this region are empty. Tickets are bought on the buses. I'd walked around for a bit looking for a bus south, but nobody would help me.

I sat on a hard plastic bench, taking a rest from looking for a bus.

I looked up. A young police officer stood above me in his dark blue uniform

.

"Passport"

I pulled out my passport, he looked at it

"Ah Australii"

He gestured to me. I began to get worried. Another police officer came up to us, we all shook hands. They spoke at me for some time, I stared at them blankly. The younger of the two pulled out his phone, tapping on it for a few minutes. He handed the phone to me.

'There has been a terrorism alert please come with us.'

'Shit' I thought

I stood up, acutely aware that one of them had my passport, the other stood next to my bag. I shifted my bag behind me and grabbed my passport.

"I'll just call my consulate" I said well aware there is no Australian consulate in Kyrgyzstan, or for over 1000km in any direction. I repeated it in Russian pulling out my phone, pretending to dial.

"Ah ok ok" they smiled "no, no,"

They muttered to each other in Russian

"Goodbye." Said one, turning quickly they left, fast.

I shouldered my bag and did likewise, finding my bus quicker than I've ever done before.

I chuckled thinking about the inept scam, then wondered, what the hell would have happened had I gone with them?

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