Photos by Timur Rayimkulov of Kloop.kg

Mother nature has played a little joke on everyone in Bishkek who was pulling out their spring clothes last weekend, as Thursday saw a swift and snowy return to winter weather across Central Asia, with Ashgabat being the only Central Asian capital to escape snow (although a few healthy dust clouds and plenty of wind were reported in the Turkmen capital). However, distillers and purveyors of vodka are welcoming the brutal cold and wind as a welcome boost to their sales as millions of Central Asians cuddle up with the warmth of their crystal-clear friend, whose valuable life-saving properties are being welcomed in climes as distant and warm as Australia.