Central Asia’s Holiest City, Bukhara, Uzbekistan, has buildings spanning a thousand years of history. It has a thoroughly lived in old center that probably hasn’t changed much in a few centuries. It is the best place in Central Asia for a glimpse of pre-Russian Turkestan and it’s just a really nice and interesting place to […]
Penjikent and the Marguzor Lakes
July 20, 2008 by 1 Comment
Tajikistan is a Persian and Farsi speaking outpost in a predominantly Turkic region and it is in many ways the odd one out in Central Asia. The modern country is a fragile patchwork of clans, languages and identities, forged together by little more than Soviet nation building and the shared hope for peace. However, that […]
The Golden Road to Samarkand
July 19, 2008 by 5 Comments
We travel not for trafficking alone, By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned. For lust of knowing what should not be known, We take the Golden Road to Samarkand. These final lines of James Elroy Flecker’s poem, “The Golden Journey to Samarkand” evoke the romance of Uzbekistan’s most glorious city. No name is so […]
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
July 19, 2008 by 7 Comments
Talk about a mouthful and a hell of a lot of points in scrabble, Kyrgyzstan is just that and Bishkek is its green and pleasant capital city. Bishkek isn’t the most exciting place, that’s for sure, but it is a nice place to spend a night or two. The main attractions in Kyrgyzstan are in […]
In the Land of Borat
July 18, 2008 by 5 Comments
As I follow in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and my Silk Road adventure begins, easily the most famous thing that ever happend to Kazakhstan, less the deadliest mid air collision in aviation history, is the movie Borat. You can’t help but think about Borat when you are walking around Almaty and doing the […]
The Great Wall of China
July 17, 2008 by 8 Comments
I have seen pretty much all of the modern wonders of the world and now all of the new seven wonders that were voted last year. I believe that the Great Wall of China is as good as any of them. Today, I had the priviledge of walking and climbing the wall for several hours […]
Beijing 2008
July 16, 2008 by 5 Comments
It’s hard to decide where to start on Beijing, whether it be the negatives or the positives but I believe that the positives far outweigh the negatives. Beijing is a shockingly modern city that is immaculately kept and as clean as any city I’ve been to. It is also an immense place that seemingly goes […]
Xian and the Terra Cotta Warriors
July 15, 2008 by 4 Comments
When I was first putting this massive trip together I was debating whether I would go completely out of my way to get to Xian, China, which is the gateway to the Army of Terra Cotta Warriors. I heard mixed reviews and even Lonely Planet gives a mixed review. However, I did my usual research […]
Shanghai Surprise
July 14, 2008 by 4 Comments
I’ve spent the past eight hours walking around Shanghai, China in 200 degree heat and I must’ve drank 15 waters and didn’t have to pee once-that’s how hot it is here. However, the insane heat and humidity cannot take away from how cool Shanghai is. After arriving at their ultra modern and new airport the […]
Jakarta, Indonesia
July 13, 2008 by 8 Comments
I went into Jakarta doing something I don’t normally do because all I heard were very negative things about the city-I decided I hated it before I got there. That was dumb because I really enjoyed Jakarta. I thought it was an awesome, frenetic, fast-paced city that reminded of Bangkok during the day-I mean almost […]
