Tag: Asia

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! …

Continue reading

Turkmenbashi to Baku Ferry – Crossing the Caspian Sea

There is not a Turkmenbashi to Baku Ferry every day. We waited a little over 24 hours until it was time to board. We were on the boat named “Professor Gul” by about 9:30 and after being assigned a cabin, I quickly killed Rich in the “Murder on the Caspian” game. Per the guides, we …

Continue reading

Turkmenbashi Turkmenistan (Hurry Up and Wait)

Today would be one of the longest driving days of the trip – 600 Kms from Ashgabat to Turkmenbashi Turkmenistan port. This morning at breakfast, I met some folks from a Road Scholars (formerly Elderhostel) tour. They were going to 5 of the ‘stans in only 16 days. They were fascinated to hear about our …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

Darvaza Gas Crater (Fire in the Hole!)

There is no other place in the world like the Darvaza Gas Crater.  It’s like the gates to hell and it’s nickname is “The Door to Hell”.  Not only is there one gas crater, but there are actually three different Darvaza Gas Craters in Turkmenistan.  Each one has it’s own unique characteristics. Last Morning in Uzbekistan …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

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 …

Continue reading

“Welcome to Uzbekistan” (Destination: Fergana, Uzbekistan)

Fri, Oct 25, 2013 An early start with 7:00 breakfast and 8:00 departure since the process of getting into Uzbekistan is quite time consuming. We drove for a couple hours, stopping to get diesel since that type of gasoline is not always available in Uzbekistan. We drove through the city of Osh, the oldest city …

Continue reading

Central Asia City Life (Destination: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan)

Mon, Oct 21, 2013 Today I was back on cook group, meaning I had to get up early to help prepare breakfast. It was stressful with 3 roles to fill – making and cleaning up breakfast, taking down the tent, and having to pack all of the luggage in the truck at the same time. …

Continue reading