On my last trip to Kazakhstan I remember being mad I didn’t plan to visit Astana. I was so concerned with fitting all the Stan countries into my trip that it was too far out of the way to visit. In hindsight, I’m glad I skipped it because it wouldn’t have been nearly as interesting […]
Trapped in Turkmenistan
July 24, 2008 by 8 Comments
I really appreciate all the emails from everyone and I am fine, I promise. It’s nice to know so many people are reading my site and following my trip. I know I haven’t responded to emails, facebooks or posted in a few days but that is because the government of Turkmenistan censors and blocks all […]
Central Asia’s Holiest City
July 21, 2008 by 4 Comments
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 […]
