Dear Reader (2024-04-16)“In 1971, when Turkmenistan was still part of the Soviet Union, a group of Soviet geologists went to the Karakum (Desert) in search of oil fields. They found what they thought to be a substantial oil field and began drilling. Unfortunately for the … Continue readingFive Stans 32 – An Industrial Accident
Dear Reader (2024-04-15)The post Five Stans 29 provides some background on Ashgabat. After yesterday’s smaller views (Five Stans 30), today is for larger views. CircusThe Turkmen State Circus is the main arena circus in the city, boasting a seating capacity of 1,700 seats. It is … Continue readingFive Stans 31 – Ashgabat – Larger Views
Dear Reader (2024-04-14)In the last post (Five Stans 29) I introduced Ashgabat, and you and I visited the surprising National Carpet Museum. In today’s post you and I wander along streets and pedestrian boulevards reveling in mostly smaller views. In the first image those same … Continue readingFive Stans 30 – Ashgabat – Urban Wander
Dear Reader (2024-04-13),I was worried that you as the reader might be thinking that there are too many images in these posts, and that you might be getting tired of this series. I asked a couple of people for their comments and was told not … Continue readingFive Stans 29 – Very Soft
Dear Reader (2024-04-11),As the previous post (Five Stans 27) was “On the Road”, a fitting companion is “Along the Road”. There are five Roadside Attractions subsets of in today’s post. If you are reading this on Facebook, this post is in five parts. If you … Continue readingFive Stans 28 – Along The Road
Dear Reader (2024-04-10)I don’t know where to begin. Once upon a time I mentioned that I like visual collisions and discontinuities. They help to demonstrate that a binary perspective is a fallacy. Between black and white there are multiple shades of grey, which is where … Continue readingFive Stans 27 – On The Road
Dear Reader (2023-04-02),An element of this grand adventure that I have not mentioned yet is border crossings. They range from non-trivial to Byzantine. The latter is very much the case for the crossing from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan. The following is not fiction. These are the … Continue readingFive Stans 26 – A Crossing
Dear Reader (2024-03-30),Originally, I thought there was only going to be four posts in this current sequence of Uzbekistan posts. I was wrong. “Five Stans 24 – Bukhara” captures the first part of our visit to Bukhara. Here is part two of that visit. This … Continue readingFive Stans 25 – More Bukhara
Dear Reader (2024-03-26),It was a long day and drive to Bukhara from Samarkand. There were places to stop along the way, including a visit to Ak Saroy Palace (Five Stans 21). If The Registan (Samarkand) is Disney World, then Bukhara is Venice. I have not … Continue readingFive Stans 24 – Bukhara
Dear Reader (2024-03-25),Today you and I continue exploring Uzbekistan, primarily around Samarkand, with a little bit of many things. This collection is in preparation for a visit to Bukhara. Up to now I have been confident of labelling photos with their correct places. Today though, … Continue readingFive Stans 23 – A Sampling
Dear Reader (2024-03-20)Today is the second day of spring here in Calgary, Alberta. It is also the second of 4 (I think) Uzbekistan posts. The sun is just managing to glow through the overhanging bright grey blanket sky. We are a third of the way … Continue readingFive Stans 22 – Let’s Get Sparkly
Dear Reader (2024-03-18)Welcome to Uzbekistan for the second time. Of the Five Stans, Uzbekistan has the most well established tourism industry. The cities of Samarkand and Bukhara are easily accessible from Tashkent. There are direct flight to Samarkand from Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Russian and … Continue readingFive Stans 21- Uzbekistan Again
Dear Reader (2024-03-13)Today’s post is the last of seven Tajikistan posts within the Five Stans series (all available on this website). The Tajikistan posts are:~ Five Stans 14 – Seven Lakes Region~ Five Stans 15 – Introductory Written Ramble~ Five Stans 16 – On The … Continue readingFive Stans 20 – Livin
Dear Reader (2024-03-12)Here is the penultimate collection of photographs from Tajikistan (September 2023), Marvels. More specifically, these are historical marvels that go back up to 3000 ago. With varying degrees of sensitivity these sites have been repaired or rebuilt. The most culturally insensitive rebuild award … Continue readingFive Stans 19 – Marvels
Dear Reader (2024-03-09)I was lured to the mountains for 3 days of skiing at Lake Louise and Sunshine. On the doors of the Chateau Lake Louise, where we did not stay, there are signs that say registered guests only. Surely, they don’t mean me (in … Continue readingFive Stans 18 – Monumentalism