Category: Architecture

Great architecture from around the world

Third Time is a Charm (Destination: Tbilisi, Georgia)

I found myself in Tbilisi three times due to changes in plans.  I LOVE this city and want to go back some day. Mon, Nov 18, 2013 It was around freezing in the morning as there was a little bit of frost on the tent. I’m happy to say I’ve survived all the bush camps …

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Wicked Wine Tasting (Destination: Gremi & Telavi, Georgia)

We departed Signaghi at 10 am and drove a bit until we arrived at Gremi. Gremi was a town built in the 1500’s by a local king. There was a church and fortress at the top of a hill. Eventually the Persians attacked this town and destroyed much of it as well as tortured and …

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Georgian Snickers (Destination: Signaghi, Georgia)

Today’s drive was short – only about 3 hours, much of it up a winding hill with nice views of the fortress on the top of the hill, the valley, and the snow-capped mountains in the far distance. Our destination was the town of Signaghi at the top of the hill. It was surrounded by …

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Staying Sexi (Destination: Sheki, Azerbaijan)

Wed, Nov 13, 2013 On the drive to Sheki, we stopped on a hill for our most exciting lunch – hot dogs with fried onions and yellow mustard!  No cucumbers! These were some emergency rations that had been taken on the ferry in case it took more than a day to cross (crossings can take …

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Haiku in Baku (Destination: Baku, Azerbaijan)

Mon, Nov 11, 2013 We arrived in Baku around 5pm (4pm after the time difference) and it took about 2 hours to get off the boat and thru immigration and customs. We were in Azerbaijan! We had a short drive from the port to our hotel in the middle of town. This was culture shock! …

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Things to do in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – The City of White Marble

As we approached Ashgabat, we could see the mountains that form the border of Turkmenistan and Iran. We are less than 7 miles from Iran here in Ashgabat. Ashgabat is the capital of Turkmenistan. It is infamous for it’s fantastic marble structures and gold statues of the former president. Photography is greatly limited in this …

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Viva Khiva (Destination: Khiva, Uzbekistan)

Sun, Nov 3, 2013 We had our last breakfast in Bukhara. The breakfast room of the hotel was the library in an old Jewish house – a classic looking room.  Afterwards, we loaded the trip for what would be our longest driving day in Uzbekistan. For most of the day we drove thru the Kyzyl-Kum …

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Things to Do in Bukhara Uzbekistan (Shop Til You Drop!)

By mid-afternoon, we arrived in Bukhara. This town allows you to image how things looked in Silk Road times. Although it is heavily restored, all the towns here are made of the bricks and mud bricks. There are winding back alley ways that are easy to lose yourself in. As you look at the skyline, …

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Crossroads of the Silk Road (Destination: Samarkand, Uzbekistan)

Mon, Oct 28, 2013 I had breakfast in the hotel and then went for a bit of a walk in the Mirabod district, stopping at the bazaar. Today was exciting because 8 people had chosen to take the train to the next city so we would have lots of extra space on the truck and …

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Loving the Local Market Food (Destination: Tashkent, Uzbekistan)

Plov

Sun, Oct 27, 2013 A full day to spend in the capital of Tashkent, but only after we unpack the bags at 9:00 (it was raining last night after our long drive to the city so they decided to keep our big bags on the truck until this morning). The breakfast at the Roshvan hotel …

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