Catching Up: The Silk Road in Bukhara (Uzbekistan)

On a blistering hot summer weekend in June, I was lucky enough to go on a site visit to the ancient city of Buhkara. Lots of history and beautiful buildings to discover, not to mention the intricate textiles and suzani. Here's a short trip for those of you that are contemplating a journey on the silk road. Perhaps it will be enticing enough to bring you a bit closer!

Catching Up: A Trip to Murghab (Tajikistan) in May

I've been remiss at blogging and have some spectacular photos and experiences to share. One of the most remarkable journeys I've made in the last year was to Murghab, Tajiksitan last May.


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 Situated in a remote and desolate mountainous region, Murghab is a former Soviet military settlement high up in the Pamir Mountains at over 12,000 feet above sea level.  It took three days to reach by bumpy car rides along the Afghan border and in the rough mountainous terrain, but the views were captivating and welcome was warm. Here are some of the highlights, even if a bit belated.

Yum! Shakarab salad before getting to the meaty main dishes and ribs in Dushanbe

Tajikistan has water (and controversial dam projects) - beautiful

Rhubarb grows wild in the springtime. Tajiks buy this as a roadside snack, peeling the rhubarb and munching on its sour roots.

The road and small river separating Tajiksitan and Afghanistan

The bumpy ride

Everyone slows down when herders cross the road

A bridge to Afghanistan

Houses built into the mountain cliff on the Afghan side of the river

Our mid-way point for an overnight stay in a cottage

The ride to Murghab is rough and cold in May but it is also beautiful

On top of the world in the Pamirs

Hospitality demanded that the guest dance

Music provided by local musicians was soulful.

We awoke to snow after our night in the guesthouse.

What do people eat in these parts? Yak, of course.

This photo is one of my favorites. A bit forlorn but absolutely breath-taking.

Tajik prairie dogs?

A stop on the way home for roadside yogurt - YUM!

Pretty scenery on the road

You may want to know... what is it like to drive to Murghab from Dushanbe? Take a gander for yourself. I'll just say that after six days in the car, it did feel good to stand still for a while.

Another stop for some plov in the Kulob market

I cannot resist finishing with more music (and my favorite instrument, the accordion).

Balbals and Kazakh Cowboys on the Steppe

We headed out in late September for an adventure on the Steppe. With no mountains to climb or forests in which we can forage for mushrooms, we are left to wandering on the flat and breath-taking plains together with the herders, cowboys, and ancient hand-made statues or балбал. A day out in the countryside of Kazakhstan, about two hours outside of Astana, felt refreshing. Gorgeous blue skies and crisp fall weather -- a perfect day to get out of town. Out there, in the middle of nowhere, is the "real" Kazakhstan. Vistas of hundreds of miles, windswept hills, and lone cowboys working the land or livestock. Somehow, Kazakhstan still feels an awful lot like Wyoming.

Desperate to get outdoors on a beautiful fall day, the Outdoor Adventure Club convened before we journeyed out to our destination (3 hours outside of town).

Our caravan of a dozen vehicles cruised off-road and onto the Steppe in search of Balbals. 

This lone Kazakh cowboy saw us walking and left his herd to come say hello. With pop music blaring from his motorcycle and a stylish skullcap, he seemed to be iconic and authentic.

Our first Balbals -- statues from the Bronze age that are scattered throughout Central Asia (and Turkey and Romania and elsewhere) denote a leader who was buried in the same place.

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Our group had two leaders and amateur anthropologists who helped explain the significance of the half dozen balbals we visited.

A man with pitchfork (but where is the hay?)

Gorgeous outcropping of rocks offers some relief and a nice vantage point of the Steppe.

Visitor in the Capital

One of our most frequent visitors who seems to make it nearly everywhere we've ever lived came for a whirlwind day-long visit to Astana. Properly, we showed her the sights and vowed to reunite next year in our warmer and less land-locked onward post.

In the Baiterek

Our next post? It's only 7,210 kilometres from Astana!