My Fab Fifties Life

Asia & Oceania Travel

Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan

December 27, 2024

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Location: Kyrgyzstan

Welcome to the eighth and final installment of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion of my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan.

Adjectives

I can’t come up with enough adjectives to describe the beauty of Kyrgyzstan; resplendent, alluring, breathtaking, glorious, exquisite. Go ahead. Pick one. They all work to describe this tiny country and the scenery and culture.

The Good

Kyrgyzstan’s history, like all the countries we have visited on this tour, has spanned many cultures and empires due to its place on the Silk Road. However, its nearly impenetrable mountains often protected Kyrgyzstan from invasion and kept it isolated. Kyrgyzstan declared independence from the USSR and a democratic government was established. Kyrgyzstan attained sovereignty as a nation state. The Kyrgyzstan gradually developed an executive president and was governed as a semi-presidential republic before reverting to a presidential system in 2021.

Everyone we met was kind and seemed pleased to meet visitors to their country. We were very lucky to enjoy cold but clear days giving us outstanding views of the Central Tian Shin mountains – Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan.

The average monthly salary in Kyrgyzstan is about $250 USD. Gas is about $2.00 USD per gallon. Much of the country is rural and rugged and the capital city of Bishkek is home to more than 1 million of the countries 7 million people.

The Bad

Despite Kyrgyzstan being rich in metals, minerals and petroleum the people are still generally poor. Kyrgyzstan’s major exports include gold, cotton, wool, garments, meat, mercury, uranium, electricity, machinery, and shoes. There is corruption and ethnic racism issues. Lack of healthcare and terrorism threats are major problems for Kyrgyzstan’s population.

Where Are We?

After four weeks traveling together with Intrepid Travel and our group, arriving in our final country of Kyrgyzstan gave us mixed emotions. It was now late October and fall was definitely turning to winter; snow was visible on the mountains throughout our visit.

As mentioned in last week’s post (see it here), the border crossing between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan was a freezing cold scramble. But I tried to remind myself – as I stood in the bitter wind waiting to be processed by the custom agent – I would never be here again. Walking across a remote border, pummeled by wind, pulling my suitcase through gravel…not something everyone gets to do. Memorable for sure.

Kyrgyzstan is a small uniquely shaped country surrounded by mountains. To the north is Kazakhstan. To the east and south, China. Also to the south Tajikistan, and to the west Uzbekistan. We spent our visit along the northern border between Karakol and Bishkek. The topography keeps Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan rural.

Karakol

After crossing the border we arrived in the small former Soviet Military Post town of Karakol. Today Karakol is known for its proximity to ski areas, and receives visitors from many countries in the ski season. We even found a sticker from the Pacific Northwest in a small coffee shop.

On arrival in Karakol we had lunch and then had some time to wander around the small town. We enjoyed some beautiful and strange architecture, picked up some treats at the grocery store, and bought some lovely souvenirs at a small shop featuring local hand-made goods. Felting is a popular local handicraft and a perfect gift to take home.

We checked into our family run hotel which was really lovely, and after a long day Arne and I chose to skip dinner and have an early night. Next morning a delicious breakfast was served before we loaded up the van again and were off.

Before leaving the Karakol area we made a brief stop to visit the historic Dungan Mosque built in 1910. It has a unique Chinese style and was built without any nails – using a special cut and groove technique.

We then made another quick stop to visit the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, a beautiful Russian Orthodox Church made from wood and still in operation today.

On our way out of town we stopped at a small park overlooking Issy Kul Lake that honors Nickolay Przhevalskiy who died in Karakol. Przhevalskiy was an explorer who traveled widely in Central Asia and Mongolia and documented and mapped the region.

Jeti Orghus Canyon

Now we settled in for a long drive into the gorgeous mountainous region surrounding the Issyk Kul Lake area. First we stopped to admire the picturesque geological feature roadside called the Seven Bulls. As amazing as that was, we soon learned there was much more in store.

Driving a short while further we arrived at a hiking location in the Jeti Orghus Canyon. It was a beautiful sunny and cool day, and we hiked up into the hills passing summer cabins and yurts. The views were amazing. Some went even further to a waterfall. Such a great hike and we worked up an appetite.

Oopsy!

We headed back to the van to have a picnic lunch but we discovered our van had gotten into a soft spot and was really stuck. Our wonderful driver was trying so hard to solve the issue before we returned. It took about an hour but with the strong backs of some of our fellow travelers (as well as some of the engineer types putting their heads together) we were freed from the mud and eventually on our way. Luckily the weather was good and we all enjoyed another unexpected adventure.

Onward

As much as I enjoyed this beautiful location and hike, our next stop was mind blowing. Skazka, in English Fairy Tale Canyon, was so unexpected. Literally appearing like a red mirage out in the middle of the mountains, this geological formation was very reminiscent of Arches or Bryce Canyon National Park in the USA. We had some time to walk around in the maze of trails here, both with our guide Svetlana and on our own. I loved it so much and once again we were lucky with the cold dry weather. Such a treat.

Almaluu Yurt Camp

After this wonderful day we continued along the somewhat desolate road that runs along Issyk Kul Lake. This lake is one of the largest in the world at 178km long and 60 km wide. It definitely feels more like an ocean. We arrived at the wonderful Almaluu Yurt Camp just a short walk from the lake. Although in October the camp had only our group and one other, it has dozens of yurts for groups and individuals. The yurts were huge, with coal burning stoves, shared toilet and shower facilities, and a spectacular giant yurt for meals. We would spend two cozy nights here and we really enjoyed it, including the gorgeous views.

Adventure and Education

We woke up to chilly temperatures and after a delicious hot breakfast we headed out for an unexpectedly amazing day. When reading the days itinerary before hand, I would never have expected this day to turn out to be one of my favorites from the entire trip.

Eagles

Our driver took us off road out to a large open space, where we met a local man and his Golden Eagle. We learned the importance of eagle hunting in Kyrgyzstan, and still today there is a small group of 50 expert Master Eagle Trainers and hunters. Most have learned the art from their fathers. In addition to hunting and showing the tourists, an annual gathering called the Nomad Games takes place with competition for traditional cultural skills including eagle hunting, yurt building and more.

Such an interesting lesson in local culture – Master Eagle Hunters

We learned that the ancient art of eagle hunting is a UNESCO recognized cultural heritage activity and goes back thousands of years. Eagles that are used are always female. They begin their training about three months old. They are not pets. When they are twenty years old they are released back into the wild and assimilate well and will reproduce until they die – usually around 45 years old. This eagle we had the opportunity to get to know is three years old. She was beautiful and smart.

I had some trouble – this bird was heavier than I expected!

Make Your Own Yurt

Well I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but what a fun we had learning how to make a yurt. Honestly it wasn’t all that hard…like putting up a tent with a few more details to take care of. We visited the home of a family of yurt-making professionals. Our hosts make yurts for people all over the world, and man now I want one. Each yurt is made in several parts that can easily be taken up and down and moved from location to location…just as the nomads used to do. The yurts are sturdy and warm. We learned the process from cutting the wood to weaving the decorative elements and then how it all goes together in a matter of about 30 minutes.

Look at the carpet and walls – functional and beautiful

Yurts were a important part of nomad life in Kyrgyzstan and surrounding regions. They are still used today for lodging and guest houses but rarely as a full home in Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan. It was a full and fabulous day. Back to our own Yurt Camp for a special relaxing dinner, including some local alcoholic specialties Svetlana acquired for us. We slept very well.

Final Day

It was our final full day in Krygyzstan and our final day on this amazing four week tour. When we signed up for this tour I was worried four weeks would be too much. It wasn’t. We were continually stimulated, inspired and entertained. It had been a marvelous experience.

We had a very early morning departure for the long drive to the capital city of Bishkek. After checking into our older but comfortable hotel we headed out for a walking tour of the city. Bishkek is a fairly modern city in the Chu River Valley. It is the capital of Krygyzstan. Our walking tour took us to several monuments and important buildings as well as parks. The best part was the changing of the guard which takes place every hour.

Farewell

Kyrgyzstan was authentic, beautiful and so worth it

Our final night on the tour, we all gathered together for a farewell dinner. I have not shared images of the entire group in any of my blog posts, because I forgot to ask permission from my fellow travelers. And I know one person in particular wasn’t keen on photos. I take that seriously. But I will say we felt very blessed to have such an amiable group, and especially to have such an outstanding guide. Intrepid Travel has my loyalty and I am sure we will travel with them again in the future.

The Five Stans; Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were better than I imagined. As I’ve said in the past, it’s always our goal to travel with low expectations and then be pleasantly enchanted. I’ve been asked which of the five were my favorites? It’s a very difficult question; Uzbekistan had amazing architecture. Kazakhstan had amazing food and mountains. And Kyrgyzstan had spectacular scenery. My gratitude cup runneth over. Yes I am one lucky girl.

I hope you have enjoyed this 8 part series. I have enjoyed writing it. Thank you for your continued support, all your comments and questions. You are a great audience to My Fab Fifties Life adventures.

Thank you for reading Wild & Wonderful Kyrgyzstan. Please see last week’s post about Incredible Kazakhstan here. Stay tuned for more! Our next departure day is January 16th! I wish you all the happiest of New Years. I hope 2025 brings you good health and many travel adventures.

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Reading Wednesday

Book Review The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier

December 25, 2024

Laureen

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Another wonderful novel by the talented historical fiction author Tracy Chevalier. She has so many beautiful novels, each about strong women in historical times. And this one is just the same. Here is my book review The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier.

Murano

I’ve been to Venice a couple of times but never ventured over to Murano. After reading The Glassmakers I definitely would like to do that soon. Chevalier puts the reader in Renaissance Murano (long before it was called Italy) in this magical novel that spans hundreds of years.

The Women

Like all of Chevalier’s work (my favorites The Girl with the Pearl Earring, Remarkable Creatures and The Lady and the Unicorn), the reader will find themselves somewhere in a historical period, where women are not respected or even noticed. But also like her other novels we will have female heroins emerge despite the obsticals; brilliant, honest, clever, hardworking and creative women.

The Glassmakers

This novel is atypical in that it follows the same family through history, through the changing glassmaking industry in Murano. Unusually, as the centuries pass…the characters remain somewhat the same age. So the reader will see the same characters, men, women and children, dealing with a wide range of drama, triumph and tragedy in different settings of time. From Renaissance to WWI to modern day. It’s a very different way to tell the tale but Chevalier does it well.

I learned a lot about the glass industry, before industrialization and after. I also learned a lot about Venice and Murano that I did not know – fascinating. ****Four stars for The Glassmakers by Tracy Chevalier. Read last week’s book review Tangles by Kay Smith-Blum

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Asia & Oceania Travel

Incredible Kazakhstan – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

December 20, 2024

Laureen

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Location: Kazakhstan

Welcome to the seventh of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion of my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about Incredible Kazakhstan The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful.

It’s Huge

Kazakhstan is a land locked country in Central Asia. Most people don’t know much about it, or realize it is the ninth largest country in the world! It is the largest landlocked country and has a population of 20 million and one of the lowest population densities in the world, at fewer than 6 people per square kilometer. Kazakhstan was the fourth of the five Stan countries we visited on our tour with Intrepid Travel. We spent our time in the Southeast part of the country. We would have needed a few more weeks to see the rest of this diverse and beautiful nation. A remarkable place Incredible Kazakhstan The Good The Bad and the Beautiful.

Kazakhstan borders Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

A Little History

The word Kazakh derives from Russian, meaning “to wander” and refers to the nomadic people of the region.

Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Paleolithic era. In antiquity, it was dominated by multiple nomadic tribes. In the 13th century, Genghis Khan plundered and subjugated the people. Kazakh Khanate was established over an area roughly corresponding with modern Kazakhstan in the 15th century. By the 18th century, the Kazakh Khanate tribes were absorbed and conquered by the Russian Empire; by the mid-19th century, all of Kazakhstan was nominally under Russian rule. In 1936, its modern borders were established with the formation of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic within the Soviet Union. Kazakhstan was the last constituent republic of the Soviet Union to declare independence in 1991 during its dissolution. (Wikipedia)

The Bad

Almaty was the capital of Kazakhstan when the USSR fell in 1991. But in 1998 Aqmola in the north became the capital of Kazakhstan for its more central location and was renamed Astana, which means “capital city” in Kazakh. In 2019, the name was changed to Nur-Sultan in honor of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nazabyev however is described as a dictator for his long, brutal autocratic rule. The Kazakh people protested the naming of the capital city honoring a man not admired and In September 2022, the name was changed back to Astana. This grassroots protest was highly unusual and marked a change in policies for the country. During this violent period protesters also demanded the return of cap on gas prices. Dissatisfaction with the government and poverty fueled the demonstrations.

During our visit, we did not travel to Astana or beyond the Almaty region. I’d like to perhaps in the future.

Kazakhstan is rich with oil, natural gas and many minerals including uranium but the average monthly salary for the people of this country is about $500 USD. Gas prices currently are about $2 a gallon – some of the lowest in the world. We only ate in a couple restaurants but a meal for two was about $15 USD.

The Good

We loved our time in the Almaty region. Some of the friendliest people on our tour we met here. We arrived in Almaty via a flight from Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Our arrival was late at night, and entering the country was easy and well organized. We had a nice modern hotel in Almaty and headed straight to bed after the late flight.

Almaty

Our lovely guide Svetlana let us sleep in a little, but after a quick breakfast we were off for a full day. First stop was the Issyk Cultural Historical Museum about 60km east of Almaty. Here we learned about the Golden Man – Kazakhstan’s National Symbol. This warrior was uncovered in a Saka Tomb and dates to the 5th Century. This indeed in itself is a great story…BUT this is not a man. DNA shows 100% the remains are a female, likely a Princess. However, the government has chosen to continue to present the symbol as a male. The museum presents the story as male, but since we had such a marvelous guide, she shared the truth with us. So many male egos… it annoyed me.

The Golden Man (who is actually a woman)

Burial Mounds at the Cultural Historic Museum

Sunshine

It was a beautifully sunny fall day and so I put my annoyance away as we headed next to the Issyk Lake. This lake was a resort area for Almaty area people but in 1963 a landslide washed away the dam, resorts and summer camp and killed many people. Today the lake sits silent and blue and is a very easy hike from the parking lot below.

This amazing first day in Kazakhstan wasn’t over yet. In fact, we would end this day with one of my most favorite things of the entire trip. We arrived at the home of Slava, and the beautiful outdoor setting where we would be wined and dined into the evening. Slava Almaty is a family home and winery, creating gastronomic events for visitors. We enjoyed the wine, several courses including making our own pizza, lots of laughs and a perfect ending with fresh coffee and homemade grappa. An unforgettable day.

Quail, Pumpkin and Mushroom cooked in the outdoor oven

City Tour

Day two dawned a bit cold, and we could see the snow low on the Tien Shin Mountains around Almaty from our hotel room. We pulled out the outerwear and headed out for a full day walking around Almaty. Almaty has a good subway system and we used the metro to get around the city. We visited Republic Square and the Independence Monument while learning from Svetlana about Almaty and Kazakhstan recent past. We really enjoyed our tour of the Central State Museum of Kazakstan particular the wonderful textile and traditional costume displays.

Historic clothing at Central State Museum

Despite the chilly temperatures we road the gondola up Kok Tobe Hill for views overlooking the city. It would have been better on a clear day, but we still enjoyed it and used the free time to pick up some fun gifts to take back home to friends and family.

History Remembered

Ending our day we walked through the very Soviet style Glory Memorial. This immense and beautiful monument remembers those who bravely sacrificed their lives on November 16, 1941. These soldiers destroyed 18 German tanks and halted the enemy’s advance. The twenty-eight soldiers were posthumously honored as Heroes of the Soviet Union.

We finished our walking tour at the beautiful Zenkov Cathedral (also known as Ascension Cathedral), a wooden Russian Orthodox church built in 1907. The church claims to be the second tallest wooden church in the world at 56 meters and was built without nails. Luckily it survived both the 1911 earthquake the Soviet era when it was used as a museum. It has had multiple restorations over the past fifty years and today is back in the hands of the Russian Orthodox Church and welcomes worshipers and visitors alike.

The Beautiful

Day Three in beautiful incredible Kazakhstan we left the city to explore the astonishing beauty of this region. Had we more time, my husband and I would have loved to spend weeks hiking the mountains of Kazakhstan. But we did feel lucky to be headed out into nature for the next couple of days. It was a long drive, but well worth it to our first stop Charyn Canyon.

Very reminiscent of Arizona or Utah, this breathtaking canyon lies about 120 miles from Almaty on the Kazakhstan-Chinese border. Worth the long drive on small winding roads, Charyn Canyon gave us some hiking opportunities and we reveled in the natural beauty. The destination at the bottom of the canyon was the Charyn River, cutting its way through the soft sandstone of the valley. It was both a hiker’s and a photographer’s dream. We felt lucky to have a dry day for this wonderful excursion. We loved our time here and were falling in love with Kazakhstan. By the time we were back in our van ready to go the sun was setting and we had another hour more drive to our night’s lodging.

Hiking and Homestay

Over the next two nights we stayed in a home stay, with apartment style accommodations and excellent food. Our host made sure we tried several local Kazakh foods including Baursak, a fried dough and Besbarmak a meat and noodle dish which is the national dish of Kazakhstan.

Besbarmak a meat and noodle dish is the national dish of Kazakhstan

The next day we were up early to do more hiking, this time at beautiful Lake Kaindy. This lake has an interesting history. It is a mountain lake in Kazakhstan’s portion of the Tian Shin Mountains. The lake was formed after an earthquake in 1911, which caused a major landslide, effectively creating a natural dam. Successively, rainwater filled the valley and created the lake.

Getting up to Lake Kaindy from our valley accommodations was interesting. The “road” up to the park requires a special all-wheel drive vehicle. A cottage industry has developed for visitors. Old style Soviet “breadloaf” busses can be hired for the bumpy and a bit crazy drive up the rocky road. Once we arrived though, the color of the lake made it worthwhile. The trails were really muddy, but it still was a good work out and a wonderful hike.

Hiking with horses on the same trail made the trail very muddy and messy

More Turquoise Lakes

After lunch back at the home stay we headed out again to another lake for a less strenuous hike. Lake Kolsay is much more easily accessed and is a very popular weekend destination for people from Almaty. It was pretty cold but we bundled up and did a loop on the wooden boardwalk around the lake. Some of our group took out paddle boats. We enjoyed the birds here too as well as seeing the interesting looking local squirrel. Time to head back to our home stay for a delicious dinner and early to bed. Our final night in Kazakhstan.

Local squirrel. We loved his ears and color.

Incredible Kazakhstan

In the morning we headed out early for the long drive to cross the border into Kyrgyzstan – our final Stan of the tour. We drove on a high plateau with stunning mountain and river views before arriving at a desolate border crossing. On foot we made our way through one of the smallest border controls I have ever seen – entirely outdoors. The wind was howling and the temperatures were hovering around freezing as we trudged from Kazakhstan exit controls about 50 yards to Kyrgyzstan entry. Even the luggage scanner was just under a small cover. Surprisingly, despite the cold, the border officers on both sides were friendly and welcoming. After our van went through all the controls, we piled back in to get warm but laughing about another memorable experience. Incredible Kazakhstan. So glad we came!

The drive to the border was so beautiful

Thank you for reading my post Incredible Kazakhstan – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Please come back next week for my final Stan post as I share about Kyrgyzstan. Be sure to read last week’s post about Tiny Tajikistan.

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Reading Wednesday

Book Review Tangles by Kay Smith-Blum

December 18, 2024

Laureen

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The Publicist for this book CK Publicity, reached out to me and asked me to read this novel and consider writing a book review. This is something I do on occasion. I did receive a free paperback, but was not compensated in any other way for this review. This is my honest opinion and book review Tangles by Kay Smith-Blum.

Hanford

I grew up in Western Washington State. I was in college before I started to learn and understand much about the Hanford Reservation in Eastern Washington State. This book is written by a Seattle author, and I am very impressed with the research she did. There are many hidden secrets I’m sure we might never know about the Hanford Project, but this book might open your eyes. Here is my book review Tangles by Kay Smith Blum.

Forty Years

For more than forty years the Hanford Reservation was active producing plutonium. It is a well known fact today that during that time significant amounts of radioactive material was released into the air, ground water and rivers. Most of the residents of the region were never told about these releases nor were thousands of people down wind. Classified documents were declassified in the 1990’s and the horrifying details emerged. This is the basis of Seattle author Kay Smith Blum’s first novel Tangles.

Fabulously Researched

I learned a lot reading this novel, which is part love story, part history and part mystery. It’s always fun to read a book based in my home state and I recognized many of the locations. I also loved how it was a little bit Oppenheimer and a little bit Karen Silkwood, and easily kept me intrigued.

Smith-Blum takes the reader through two separate era’s of the Hanford site. Starting in the 1940’s we meet a well-developed cast of characters, who live within the Hanford site known as The Area. The novel see-saws back and forth from the 1940’s and the 1960’s with the same characters and we watch as the effects of living and working at Hanford slowly wreck havoc on their lives.

This novel touches on sensitive subjects including domestic violence, infidelity, government cover up, environmental disaster and radiation sickness and cancer. It is truthful and engaging. I enjoyed it very much and hope to see more from Kay Smith-Blum in the future.

*****Five Stars for Tangles by Kay Smith Blum.

Thank you for reading my book review Tangles by Kay Smith Blum. See last week’s book review The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. We are always grateful when you pin, share and comment on our book reviews. Thank you.

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Asia & Oceania Travel

Tiny Tajikistan – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

December 13, 2024

Laureen

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Location: Tajikistan

Welcome to the sixth of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion from my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about Tiny Tajikistan – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

Where is Tajikistan

Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital and most populous city with about 1.5 million people. Tajikistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Uzbekistan to the west, Kyrgyzstan to the north, and China to the east. It is separated from Pakistan by Afghanistan’s Wakhan Corridor. It has a population of approximately 10.6 million people. (Wikipedia)

Like all the countries of this region, Tiny Tajikistan has an ancient history of being conquered and invaded, ruled by empires and dynasties and has seen the rise and fall of all religions. As all the countries I have written about in the past few weeks, Tajikistan also declared its independence in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. A civil war was fought after independence, lasting from May 1992 to June 1997. Since the end of the war, newly established political stability and foreign aid have allowed the country’s economy to grow.

The Bad

We only had four days in beautiful Tajikistan, but it was enough to learn the country has been led since 1994 by Emomali Rahmon, who heads an authoritarian regime and whose human rights record has been criticized. Some strange things we encountered as a result of this was no photos could be taken of the Presidential Palace, and of course no criticism either. Before entering the capital city of Dushanbe we had to have the van washed – no dirty cars allowed in the capital city. That said, the people we met seem very proud of the country and the current state, although we were advised not to criticize the government.

The average monthly salary in Tajikistan is only $147 USD. Gas is about $2.60 a gallon. Most of our meals were covered during our short stay in Tajikistan, but the meals and other things we purchased were very inexpensive. Lunch for two with drinks, less than $10 USD.

The Good

Tiny Tajikistan is proud of it’s many historic heroes including Alexander the Great. He established a city in 329 BC in modern-day Tajikistan and fought a battle in the region, leaving behind a legacy that includes a city and a lake name Iskanderkul. We will visit this lake.

In the 13th century, the Mongol Empire swept through Central Asia, invaded the Khwarezmian Empire and sacked its cities, looting and massacring people. Turco-Mongol conqueror Tamerlane founded the Timurid Empire, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty in and around what later became Tajikistan and Central Asia.

Border Crossing

We were lucky to have a beautiful sunny day as we crossed from Uzbekistan to Tajikistan on foot. We said goodbye to our Uzbek driver at the border and exited Uzbekistan, then entered Tajikistan on foot with no issues. On the other side of the border we met our new driver.

Our first stop after crossing the border was the small city of Khujand, population of abut 190,000. The older Soviet style hotel had a nice view…which we enjoyed both day and night with a full moon waxing.

Khujand

Our first stop was lunch, where we learned some Tajikistan foods like, shurbo – a traditional soup with potatoes, carrots and beef as well as kabuli pulao – similar to plov but with chickpeas and raisins. Later in our visit we would learn more about the national cuisine.

After lunch we headed to the Khujand History Museum in the heart of Khujand and with our guide really learned some amazing things about the history and culture of Tajikistan. It was small but really well done museum. After a rest at our hotel, we headed out for a fun evening together.

Khujand History Museum had a fabulous mural with multiple panels explain the life of
Alexander the Great

We enjoyed both the old and a new Jami mosque in the center of the city, but my most favorite thing was visiting the amazing Khujand Market…very lively at night. This giant market operates seven days a week with both indoor and outdoor areas selling the most amazing fruits, vegetables, meats, household goods, crafts, and clothing. We were here at sunset and enjoyed a beautiful view. After a long day we picked up some fruit, cheese and bread and headed back to the hotel for a room picnic before bed.

Iskanderkul Lake

After breakfast the next day we said farewell to Khujand and headed into the mountains and over Shahriston Pass. On this day we would cross the highest elevation of our trip, around 11,000 feet (3400 meters). I always worry about altitude sickness, but it did not bother me this time.

The amazing Fann Mountains of Tajikistan were breathtaking…a real surprise. Snow-topped and dressed in fall gold, it was so much better than I imagined. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the shore of Iskanderkul. The sky could not have been more blue. After lunch some of us hiked to a beautiful waterfall before continuing on our way to our night’s lodging.

Not far from Iskanderkul we arrived at the end of the road, and the itty-bitty village of Sary Tag. A mountain livestock village is also home to a Chinese managed gold mine. Today Sary Tag takes advantage of the new-found tourism industry. Our guesthouse was a lovely eight room spot, next to the home of our host and his family. Except the plumbing was, well, not exactly functional. I skipped a shower. But watching the sunset as I laid in bed and watched the color change over the mountain…then looking out the door as the moon rose on the other side was sublime. It was pretty chilly, but our host served us a delicious and hearty dinner before we called it a night.

Dushanbe

The name of Tajikistan’s capital city is Dushanbe…it means Monday. This name reflected both Dushanbe’s status as a town, with Kasabai meaning town, and the influence of trade, as the name Dushanbe, which means Monday in Persian, was due to the large bazaar in the village that operated on Mondays. This lovely city is such a contrast to the rest of Tajikistan, sparkling buildings, traffic, gardens, monuments and parks. A brand new Parliament Building and the residence of the President spoke to the importance of the city.

Qurutob is the National Dish of Tajikistan

Before heading to our hotel, we had a delicious lunch. Our guide Svetlana wanted to introduce us to Qurutob, the national dish of Tajikistan. Although some in our group did not care for it, Arne and I thought it was both delicious and unusual. It’s a kind of bread salad, made with dried salty sour milk, that is rehydrated and mixed with flat bread and fried onions, vegetables and spices. Sounds bizarre and it was certainly unique. But very tasty and very cheap.

After lunch we went to Hisor Fortress just outside of the city. This site is one of the best preserved sites in all of Tajikistan, built 2500 years ago. We learned this was one of the most important settlements in the region and was the capital for 100 years. Demolished and restored numerous times, the fort today is one of Tajikistan’s biggest tourist attractions. Serving as a caravan stop along the Silk Road, the Hisor Fortress today is in good condition, thanks to the foresight and restoration in the 1980’s.

Main Entrance, part original and part restored

Evening Fun

For our entertainment, Svetlana took those who were interested to an amazing restaurant that included nightly traditional dance. Very popular with the locals (and VERY LOUD), the local people pulled us out of our chairs to dance the night away between performances by the beautiful costumed dancers. Food was good too. I’m so glad I got to see this and really see how the locals party.

City Tour

Dushanbe Day Two dawned bright and warm, by far the warmest day we would see throughout this four week tour. It felt great to shed the sweaters and walk around the sunny city with a guide. Our guide explained much of the history of the city and the monuments and we visited the Museum of National Antiquities. We also enjoyed a delicious lunch at a famous historic restaurant. This indoor/outdoor restaurant, a favorite with locals, had been slated for demolition but the public rose up and saved it. Making it all the more special. In addition I met the nicest older gentleman who was so interested in me as an American, and about the United States. I wish I could have spent hours with him.

Local girls shooting a promotional video

Finishing this final day of a whirlwind tour of Tiny Tajikistan, we wandered the streets and took some time to look for souvenirs, before heading back to the hotel to prepare for the flight to Almaty Kazakhstan.

Giant Buddha at The Museum of Antiquities

Tiny Tajikistan

Tiny Tajikistan packs a big punch, with interesting history, lovely people, fabulous mountains and scenery and great food. We enjoyed our short but lovely visit. I think it is the kind of place where having a guide was very helpful…not so easy to get around on your own. Possible, but not so easy. Thanks for the hospitality Tajikistan. Next stop Kazakhstan.

Sary Tag Village such a contrast to Dushanbe

Please come back next week to read about our visit to Kazakhstan. And see last week’s post Unbelievable Uzbekistan. We love it when you share and comment on our travel posts. Thank you!

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Reading Wednesday

Book Review The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

December 11, 2024

Laureen

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I really enjoyed Matt Haig’s novel The Midnight Library, so I was excited to see he had a new book. Wow. I loved this one even more. Here is my book review The Life Impossible by Matt Haig.

Boring

Grace Winters leads a self-proclaimed boring life in England as a 72-year-old retired teacher and widow. Trying to find her place in this new world of widowhood, Grace also continues to mourn the loss of her young son decades ago. Grace is lost in grief and middle age misery.

A Voice From the Past

Grace receives an email from a former student, a cry for help, someone who has admired her. Someone who remembers her kindness to him as a child. Someone who is looking for his own reasons to go forward…or not. Grace’s response to her student Maurice will be the entire novel – in all it’s beautifully written language, incredibly developed characters, fantastical magic and mystery…and a tropical paradise too.

Ibiza

Grace finds herself stunned when she receives a letter explaining that a long-lost colleague has left Grace a home on the island of Ibiza – a small Mediterranean island off the coast of Spain. Why would this women whom Grace has not spoken to in years do such a thing? The letter is vague, but intriguing. But in a move completely out of character for this aging women, Grace books a flight and finds herself on the way to Ibiza.

Unexpected Adventure

As Grace searches for answers about the disappearance of her friend and why the ramshackle seaside cottage was left to Grace, she will encounter adventures and mysteries to last a lifetime. Grace’s logical mind will be forced to consider paranormal mysteries, accept unusual and somewhat comedic locals like Alberto. And as the adventures continue a sinister plot unfolds (of course it does) when a money grabbing developer is trying to take control of a pristine piece of the island. Who is this villain?

It all comes together in the end, a fun and lively story I could not put down. High praise for Matt Haig and this lovely character of Grace Winters he has given us.

Five stars for The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. One of my favorite reads so far this year. See last week’s book review The Horse by Willy Vlautin. Thank you for reading my book review The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. Please share and comment!

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Asia & Oceania Travel

Unbelievable Uzbekistan

The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful

December 6, 2024

Laureen

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Location: Uzbekistan, Central Asia

Welcome to the fifth of a series of eight weekly posts covering the eight countries I visited this fall. My journey was epic and I chose not to write posts while traveling, in an effort to be engaged and present on this amazing odyssey. This is my honest opinion of my personal experience. I hope you will enjoy reading my posts covering all that happened over the two months of travel – The Good, The Bad & The Beautiful. Today I share about Unbelievable Uzbekistan.

Where Am I

Uzbekistan is a landlocked Central Asia country that borders Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrghzstan and Afghanistan. It has a population of 37 million. We entered and departed by car during our visit.

To Tour or Not to Tour

Of the five Stan countries we visited with Intrepid Travel, Uzbekistan I think would be the easiest to visit without a tour. And many people do. Our guide was amazing though, and we found some hidden gems thanks to her. But if you are interested in visiting a Stan or two, starting with Uzbekistan is the way to go. Transportation is great, many people speak English, hiring guides for day trips or city tours is very easy in Unbelievable Uzbekistan.

The Good

Intrepid Travel

Despite the above statement, I am so glad we decided to do this four week trip with Intrepid Travel. It was more expensive than our usual form of travel but so worth it. In Turkmenistan (see last week’s post here) we were required to have a Turkmen guide. She was lovely and sweet but maybe a little new at her job. But once we crossed the border (on foot and a bit unsure of what was happening) we found a whole new world with our next guide Svetlana. Svetlana would spend the next three weeks with us, and our experience could no way have been as wonderful without her guidance. Arne and I were the first to step across the border and she knew who we were and greeted us with a smile, a beautiful comfy coach bus and PAVED ROADS! Hallelujah for that!

Actors portraying historical figures Khiva

During this tour we will spend the most time in the country of Uzbekistan – an entire week. We will visit three ancient cities and one modern city in Uzbekistan. We will be educated, inspired and awed.

Throughout this period we will travel in a coach, a couple of vans and by high speed train. Each high quality, safe and comfortable.

The Bad

I am hard pressed to find anything bad at all about Uzbekistan. But since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, like all other countries in this region, Uzbekistan has had few Presidents. While non-governmental organizations have defined Uzbekistan as “an authoritarian state with limited civil rights”, significant reforms under Uzbekistan’s second president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, have been made following the death of the first president, Islam Karimov. Owing to these reforms, relations with the neighboring countries of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan have drastically improved . In fact only recently have the borders between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan opened, creating much easier travel itinerary options for visitors.

As guests, we felt safe and welcome and everyone we met seemed happy and healthy. Average monthly salary in Uzbekistan is similar to other surrounding countries, about $400 USD. Meals were delicious and affordable, about $25 USD for two people. Gas prices were just under $4 USD per gallon.

The Beautiful

Everywhere we went in Unbelievable Uzbekistan was beautiful. The historic blue tiled buildings, the markets filled with handmade ceramics and carpets. The hotels we stayed, the people we met and the food. Wow. Let me take you city by city.

Fun Facts

Uzbekistan grows more than 160 kinds of melon and watermelon is on nearly every menu. Uzbekistan is a major producer and exporter of both watermelon and cotton.

Khiva

After crossing the border from Turkmenistan we arrived in the ancient walled city of Khiva. Our coach was too big to enter the historic walled city so we unloaded and walked at dusk through the ancient streets. It was so beautiful at dusk and we arrived at the lovely family owned hotel with a little bit of a Fawlty Towers feel. Most of the group headed out for dinner but we were exhausted both mentally and physically from our crazy Turkmenistan day, so we just took the night off and went to bed.

The next morning after a delicious breakfast we enjoyed a full day exploring Khiva with our guide.

A Lot of History

Khiva is said to be more than 2500 years old, with archaeological evidence showing it existed in the 6th century BCE. The entire old city is an open-air museum, and as our first stop it was hard to imagine the tour could get any better than this. Khiva was the first site to be named a UNESCO Heritage site in Uzbekistan. Khiva was on the caravan route and thrived in ancient times.

The next day we went wild in Khiva, visiting so many gorgeous and historic mosques, mausoleums, palace and madrassa. Khiva has 94 mosques and 63 madrassas and is considered an important center of Islam. We enjoyed traditional dance and learning some of the local crafts. After a full morning and lunch, we had free time. Arne and I returned to a few of our favorite spots and bought some souvenirs. We also decided to dine just the two of us in a traditional restaurant overlooking the colorful historic center. Despite comfortable daytime temps, as soon as the sun goes down it is cool in October. So we bundled in provided blankets and toasted our first stop in Unbelievable Uzbekistan.

You can walk on part of the ancient walls of Khiva

Arne trying on one of the local, popular sheep wool hats

Inside the ancient Juma Masjd Mosque with it’s wooden carved pillars

Dinner by moonlight overlooking the ancient city of Khiva

Bukhara

It was a long van ride from Khiva to Bukhara but the roads were good and I was listening to Audible on my headphones. We stopped for lunch briefly, arriving in the historic city of Bukhara late afternoon. We found ourselves in another lovely hotel with an inner courtyard just steps from the historic center.

A Little History

Bukhara functioned as one of the main centers of Persian civilization from its early days in the 6th century BCE. The city’s architectural and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of Central Asian history and art and are a UNESCO Heritage Site.

Located on the Silk Road, the city has long been a center of trade, scholarship, culture, and religion. During the Golden age of Islam, under the rule of Samanids, Bukhara became the intellectual center of the Islamic world.

Arrival

After settling into our hotel we headed right out with a local guide to see many of the sites of this amazing town. Everything from the Ssitorai Mohi Khosa, once a summer palace of Bukharan emirs to the Chor-Bakr Necropolis. Everything here is stunning and well restored or preserved.

Bukhara is home to a wonderful craft market where vendors sell the stunning Uzbekistan ceramics, hand made knives, rugs and scarves, and beautiful hand decorated copper and brass. I needed a bigger suitcase.

At the end of this day the entire group enjoyed a delicious local meal together as we really began to appreciate the delicious, fresh and flavorful foods of Uzbekistan including soups, stews, pickles, meat and dessert.

So Much More

Day two arrived with rain, but that did not stop us from traveling just a mile outside of the city to experience the Ark Fortress . We walked back through a park enjoying lovely scenery and to the Ismail Samani Mausoleum. We had time on our own in the afternoon and Arne and I had a wonderful lunch in a traditional restaurant to learn more about the local food.

Plov

Speaking of local food, on this night we walked through the back alleys of hidden Bukhara to the home of a wonderful lady who taught us how to make the national dish of Uzbekistan – Plov. What a treat as she showed us the ancient way of cooking this rice and meat pilaf over a fire heated cauldron, all the layers of Plov. And then of course we ate it all! Absolutely delicious. Here is the Tasty Tuesday YouTube Video I did about learning to make Plov.

Final Day

On our last day in Bukhara, we had half the day to ourselves before the group headed out to catch the high-speed train to our next city. Weather was still wet, but Arne and I went back to the beautiful market to pick up some more souvenirs, enjoyed a great lunch in another traditional restaurant, and despite the rain headed to the market where the locals shop. We love seeing markets with local produce, meat, fish and in this case local specialties like pickles and halvah – a popular confection made from flour and sesame. Then it was off to the train station and on to Samarakand.

Samarkand

Whoa. So Beautiful. We arrived Samarkand after dark, and the Gur-Amir Mausoleum next to our hotel took our breath away. We would visit this stunning piece of architecture the next day and learn all about the conqueror Timur also known as Tamerlane. Timur (Emir Timur) or Tamerbeg (9 April 1336 – 17 February 1405) was a Turco-Mongol conqueror in the 14th century who is regarded as one of history’s greatest military leaders and strategists. He founded the Timurid Empire in 1370.

Rainy Day

After a wonderful breakfast at our hotel we headed out with our hooded raincoats for a day of exploring beautiful Samarkand. It’s really hard to decide but this might have been the most beautiful city of the three so far – despite a very wet day.

We started this full Samarkand day at Registan, the central square of Samarkand. Researchers estimate that Samarkand was founded in the 8th–7th centuries BC. However, archaeological excavations have uncovered evidence of human activity dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era, 40,000 years ago.

From the Registan we proceeded to the huge Bibi Khanum mosque and the ancient bazaar, picking up a few more souvenirs. One of my favorite sites of the day was Shak-i-Zinda a sacred necropolis of blue tiled mausoleums. The tile, carved ancient pillars and all part of the Timurid dynasty. Breathtaking.

After another amazing lunch Arne and I decided to use our afternoon free time to walk to the ancient Samarkand Ulegbek’s Observatory, built in the 1420s by the Timurid astronomer Ulugh Beg. This school of astronomy was constructed under the Timurid Empire, and was the last of its kind from the Islamic Medieval period. Delicious dinner ended this great day.

Sunny Day

Our final day was sunny and we made the most of our time before heading to the high-speed train again. Svetlana took us to a hidden restaurant we could never have found on our own to experience Samsa, a tiny sandwich (like a slider) baked in giant outdoor ovens and filled with meats. Oh My Gosh. Absolutely delicious. Next we headed to Bumajnaya Paper factory that makes hand-made paper the ancient way. The small operation includes a wonderful interpretive center explaining the history and demonstrating the ancient art of paper making.

Learning that ancient way of paper making

Time to say farewell to beautiful Samarkand and jump back on the train to our final Unbelievable Uzbekistan destination of Tashkent.

Tashkent

It was a beautiful sunny day when we woke up in Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan. We started off with a local guide to tour the city, which is more modern than those we visited before. It was fun to use the Tashkent Metro, a beautiful metro system with each station decorated with a different theme.

Next we headed to the giant Chorsa Bazaar, an astonishing place where you can buy just about anything! Most fascinating was the meat pavilion….an entire enormous building just selling meat! I was also intrigued watching the bakers make the local bread in open clay ovens. This bakery makes about a million and half loaves of bread a year…feeding Tashkent! So far I was loving this city of 3 million people.

At this point some people went back to the hotel but most of us piled into one tiny cab and headed to an amazing restaurant that makes plov in humongous cauldrons all day long. They like things big in Tashkent. The plov was good (not as good as what we had at the cooking class) but most fascinating was watching the process of this restaurant that serves thousands of people each day.

Arne and I decided to head out on our own for the rest of the afternoon. We visited the small but nice Tashkent Hand Craft Museum then went out to dinner at a lovely restaurant and enjoyed a modern twist on Uzbekistan food. Our final night in this wonderful country.

Another delicious meal. There is no bad food in Uzbekistan

Unbelievable Uzbekistan

We really enjoyed this country, the people, the history, the beauty and the food. It’s a great destination, easy to get around and definitely worth a visit. Get it on your radar. But now it was time for us to move on to Tajikistan. I’ll tell you about that next Friday. Meanwhile, thank you for reading my post Unbelievable Uzbekistan. See last week’s post Turkmenistan, Ashgabat and Beyond here. I hope you will come back next week for more of this wonderful journey.

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