Category

Central Asia

29 Jul

The Flaming Cliffs of Mongolia

The Flaming Cliffs is an escarpment on the edge of the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia, by road some 660kms from the capital Ulaanbaatar. The cliffs became famous in 1923 when young American explorer and palaeontologist Dr Roy Chapman Andrews from the American Museum of Natural History discovered the first dinosaur eggs and the now […]

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27 May

Bukhara – an ancient city in Central Asia’s Uzbekistan

One of my favourite Silk Road cities is the town of Bukhara, located a few hours west of Samarkand. Like Samarkand, Bukhara is also home to significant and stunning architectural sites (like the Ark, Po-i-Kalyan and Char Minar), however, while they may not be as grand in size and scale, it is the city as […]

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21 Jan

Turkmenistan – now for something unusual!

Turkmenistan – Land of the Turkmen – could best be described as an odd country. The former Soviet state became independent in 1991 and was until 2006 ruled by Niyazov, a communist-style dictator. Niyazov had absolute final say over the country when his party mandated his presidency for life and during this time, he banned […]

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15 Oct

A Carpet Ride to Khiva

I liked to think I was well travelled but my recent visit to Uzbekistan made me realise that skiing four continents (even including sliding down a couple of runs in Kashmir in the 70s!) had left me a little culturally underdone. We always deliberately followed the path less travelled but exploring The Stans made our […]

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24 Sep

Samarkand on the Silk Road – the ancient trade route linking China to the Mediterranean

Samarkand – conjures up so much when you say the name. One of the oldest inhabited cities of Central Asia, Samarkand was a legendary stop along the Silk Road, being strategically situated between China and Europe, in modern day Uzbekistan. During the 14th century, Samarkand came under the rule of the conqueror Tamerlane who had a […]

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3 Sep

Travelling through Kyrgyzstan

With an average elevation of 3000 metres and over 90% of the country covered in mountains, you’re in for a treat when travelling throughout Kyrgyzstan. After being in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan the difference once you cross the border is almost instant as not only the terrain changes, but so too how the Kyrgyz live. Yes, there are […]

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27 Aug

Naadam Festival in Mongolia – “The Three Games of Men”

Mongolia’s annual Naadam Festival first ran in 1920 but has its roots in the centuries-old traditions of the great Khans. The “three manly sports” of wrestling, archery and horse racing — the three skills that Chingis Khan valued most for his Mongol warriors — are showcased each July as part of Mongolia’s annual Naadam Festival. […]

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23 Jul

Sacred Ovoo’s of Mongolia

According to Wiktionary an Ovoo is a shamanistic cairn found in Mongolia, usually made from rocks or wood and found on or around mountains.  These large piles are found on mountain passes, many built simply as markers for distances but most are repositories of offerings for local spirits – Shamans were the holy men of the ancient Mongols, credited with […]

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