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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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.
Kazakhstan
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.
Kazakhstan
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)
Most of the country is remote and rural
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.
Charyn Canyon
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.
Beautiful fall day at Issyk Lake
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.
Wonderful activity
Slava making pizza
Amazing coffee over a fire
Beautiful wine
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.
Snowy Tien Shin Mountains
Historic clothing at Central State Museum
Weavers and carpet making display
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.
Kok Tob Hill Mural
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.
Glory Memorial
Beautiful monument
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.
Zenkov Wooden Church
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.
Charyn Canyon
Excellent hiking day down to the river
Incredible geologic formations
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.
Charyn River
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.
Baursak is fried dough, served warm
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.
Lake Kaindy
Hiking at Lake Kaindy
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.
Breadloaf Transportation
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.
Lake Kolsay hike
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
Very low snow near the border crossing
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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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.
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
Welcome to Tiny Tajikistan
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)
Tajikistan
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.
Carwash outside of Dushanbe
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.
Iskanderkul 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.
Our Khujand view
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.
New Jami Mosque
Old Jami Mosque
Khujand Sunset and mosque
Khujand Market so colorful
Market was so big and interesting
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.
Fann Mountains
Iskanderkul Lake dressed in fall colors
Hiking near Iskanderkul Lake
Iskanderkul Lake and the Fann Mountains
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.
Room with a view
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.
Enjoying our Qurutob Bread Salad
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.
Hissor Fort
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.
Hissor Fortress
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.
Traditional Tajikistan Dance
Wonderful performance
City Tour
Rudaki Square, Dushanbe
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.
Ismail Somoni Monument
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!
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!
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.
Itcha Kala Khiva
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.
Unbelievable Uzbekistan
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.
Khiva
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.
Bukhara
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.
Shah i Zinda Samarkand
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.
Coton picking
Embroidery
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.
Gates to Khiva fortified city
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.
Beautiful Khiva
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.
Bukhara
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.
Beautiful Bukhara
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.
Ulugh Beg Madrassa
Chor-Bakr Necropolis
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.
Amazing Artisans in Bukhara
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.
Delicious dumplins
Fresh and local
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.
Ark Fortress
Samani Mausoleum
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.
Pickles!
Halvah comes in many forms
I had to bring a few of these home.
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.
Gur-Amir Mausoleum
Gur Amir Mausoleum
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.
Registran Central Square
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.
Ulugh Beg Madrassa
The detail and presicion. Oh my!
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.
Inside the ancient observatory
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.
Samsa bread cooking in a sidewalk overn
Mouthwatering Samsa
Bumajnaya Paper Factory
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.
View of the City of Tashkent
Tashkent Metro
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.
Meat Pavilion at Chorsa Bazaar
Meat Pavilion
Handmade everyday
It must be sweltering in the summer
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.
Central Asian Plov Center
Must be some kind of a world record…
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.
Hand Craft Museum
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.
This is a story of redemption about a washed up country musician, addiction, loneliness and a horse. This i s my book review The Horse by Willy Vlautin.
The Horse
Don’t confuse this book with Horse by Geraldine Brooks. Although that was an excellent book The Horse by Willy Vlautin is very different.
Music and Misfortunes
Sixty year old Al lives on a remote mining claim, barely surviving on canned soup and whiskey. He is in a deep depression with memories of his childhood, his ex-wife and his time touring as a country musician. Vlautin takes us through all the stages and misfortunes and mistakes of Al’s life with a series of flashbacks. Vlautin writes with compassion and empathy bringing his story full up to present day – the day the horse arrives.
Horse
One frosty frozen morning Al looks out the window of his shabby cabin to see a horse. Is he imagining it? Al realizes the horse is real, blind and nearly frozen. As Al considers, for days, what to do about the horse he is reminded of a loveless life of tragedy, addiction and the small time country music life.
A beautiful book about humans surviving tough times, about tenderness, loneliness and grace, and of course how animals can sometimes save us from the darkest times.
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