Vignettes of the World
My Travel Journal
The Ark of Bukhara is namely the most significant historical relic in the heritage-rich city of Bukhara. I enjoyed the walk there very much because it clearly is a unique structure. The mosque there is beautiful. It was built in a style that, at that …
The Kalon ensemble of architecture is a key site to visit in Bukhara. In this part of Old Bukhara you will come across the Kalon Mosque, the Kalon Minar and the Mir-I Arab Madrassa. The Sights and Smells of the Bukhara Marketplace On our way …
On our first full day in Bukhara we first visited the Ulug Bek Madrassa and the Abdul Aziz Khan Madrassa. They stand tall and proud right across from each other. As we took our leisurely stroll through the city’s ancient sites, we noticed a certain …
The day blessed us with generous sunshine and we had a good half day of touring in the main tourist sites of Bukhara. I will discuss those sites in later entries but first, the Puppet Museum of Bukhara. The Uzbeks consider the puppet show to …
In Chinese, Shenzhen is also known as Pengcheng, meaning “The City of Peng.” The Dapeng Fortress is where this other name of Shenzhen comes from. Its full name Dapeng Suocheng refers to the military nature of the ancient city. For the word “suo” is a …
Let us pause here for a much-loved topic: the wonders of Uzbek food. Before going to Uzbekistan, I had no knowledge whatsoever of the food that Uzbeks eat. I figured that, first, as long as I do not have craving for pork (and I do …
We were greeted with exceptional hospitality as soon as we arrived at Bukhara. By the time we checked in to the Oasis Boutique, it was dusk hour. On our way to the restaurant, we met a group of ladies from four generations of a family. …
Before arriving in Buhkara, we would also be making a stop at the town of Nurota to see some ancient ruins. This part of the journey was simple. We went up to the Nur Fortress to see what was supposedly a military installation built at …
We would be going to Bukhara on a private car in a five-hour drive from the Syyod Camp. We bid farewell to the staff at the camp and headed over to see the two wonders of Uzbekistan: the Kyzylkum Desert and Lake Aydarkul. Its sheer …
We spent a day and a half hiking with Mr. S and he shared quite a bit about his thoughts on the world as an Uzbek. I had this incredible privilege to learn about some current affairs in this region, which is not widely known …