Header Left

  • Africa
    • Botswana
    • Namibia
    • Tanzania
    • Zambia
  • Asia
    • Central Asia
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • East Asia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • Japan
      • Korea
      • Mongolia
      • Taiwan
    • Middle East
      • Azerbaijan
      • Iran
      • Turkey
    • South Asia
      • India
    • Southeast Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
  • Europe
    • Armenia
    • Georgia
    • Italy
    • Norway
    • Spain
    • Sweden
  • North America
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Guatemala
    • United States
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Oregon
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
  • Oceania
    • New Zealand
    • Samoa
  • South America
    • Argentina
  • Home
  • START HERE
  • Travel Insurance
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Where Should I Go?
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Open Road Before Me

Giving in to wanderlust

Header Left

  • Africa
    • Botswana
    • Namibia
    • Tanzania
    • Zambia
  • Asia
    • Central Asia
      • Kyrgyzstan
      • Tajikistan
      • Uzbekistan
    • East Asia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • Japan
      • Korea
      • Mongolia
      • Taiwan
    • Middle East
      • Azerbaijan
      • Iran
      • Turkey
    • South Asia
      • India
    • Southeast Asia
      • Cambodia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
  • Europe
    • Armenia
    • Georgia
    • Italy
    • Norway
    • Spain
    • Sweden
  • North America
    • Canada
    • Costa Rica
    • Guatemala
    • United States
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Oregon
      • Utah
      • Washington
      • Wyoming
  • Oceania
    • New Zealand
    • Samoa
  • South America
    • Argentina
  • Home
  • START HERE
  • Travel Insurance
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
    • Where Should I Go?
You are here: Home / Archives for uzbekistan

uzbekistan

Christmas Letter 2014

This year, Christmas is going to be weird.  Not because I’m spending it in a flat near the outskirts of Pohang or in a Korean beach-side pension with many of my dear friends.  Not even because I’m spending it on a beach in Thailand belting Johnny Cash tunes out across the waves.  No, this year is weird …

Christmas Letter 2014Read More

Category: The World, WritingTag: christmas, iran, Japan, korea, kyrgyzstan, sweden, tajikistan, Turkey, USA, uzbekistan, washington, writing

Six Things to See in Samarkand

The Crossroads of Cultures.  The popular nickname for Samarkand is an apt one; the city is a storied Silk Road hub held in awe by travelers and dreamers alike, known for its bustling bazaars, towering minarets, and magnificent architecture.  The former capital of Timur the Lame–who was known to the West  as Tamerlane–Samarkand is a …

Six Things to See in SamarkandRead More

Category: UzbekistanTag: architecture, fortress, great view, history, temples, uzbekistan

Carpet Weaving in Khiva

As I mentioned in my first post about Khiva, a large part of the reason I decided to go there was Christopher Alexander’s excellent book on the UNESCO sponsored carpet weaving workshop he helped set up there.  He spent seven years in the city, most of which were spent at the workshop.  Throughout the book, readers …

Carpet Weaving in KhivaRead More

Category: UzbekistanTag: cultural trip, history, tour, uzbekistan

Sunset in Khiva

The sun was setting on my first full day in Khiva, and I was sitting on a ledge watching it sink behind a horizon punctuated by minarets and mosques.  The day had been a full one, wandering through the Ichon-Qala fortress which encompasses most of the remaining Old Town.  Now, merely sitting and watching the …

Sunset in KhivaRead More

Category: UzbekistanTag: architecture, desert, favorite, great view, history, sunset, temples, uzbekistan, writing

A Walk Around Khiva

I almost didn’t go to Khiva.  Deviating from my planned Bukhara to Samarkand route to the tiny, northern desert oasis meant enduring a 10 hour shared taxi ride from Bukhara and a 14 hour overnight train onwards to Samarkand.  It wasn’t until I read ‘A Carpet Ride to Khiva’ by Christopher Alexander that I decided to …

A Walk Around KhivaRead More

Category: UzbekistanTag: architecture, desert, fortress, great view, history, sunset, temples, uzbekistan

Ten Things to See in Bukhara

For centuries, Bukhara was a critical hub on the fabled Silk Road.  Controlled by the Russians, the Bukharan Emirate, the Timurids, the Sogdians, and even the Mongols; it has long been caught up in the ebb and flow of power in Central Asia.  Fortunately, many architectural legacies of its past have been preserved and/or restored, …

Ten Things to See in BukharaRead More

Category: UzbekistanTag: architecture, desert, fortress, great view, history, sunset, temples, uzbekistan

Bukhara: Mosques, Madrasahs, and Minarets

After my ridiculous taxi trip to Bukhara from the border between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, I took a little time and enjoyed a delicious breakfast at my B&B, Rustam and Zukhra.  Afterwards, I felt surprisingly awake–enough to head out and start exploring the city in lieu of collapsing onto my bed. The sights started almost immediately …

Bukhara: Mosques, Madrasahs, and MinaretsRead More

Category: UzbekistanTag: architecture, fortress, great view, history, sunset, temples, uzbekistan

The Long Road to Bukhara

Getting into Uzbekistan was the easy part. Taking a shared taxi to the Zarnisar Bazaar in Dushanbe, finding a ride to the granitsa (border), and waltzing through a series of checkpoints was mostly painless; I was even forced asked to play my ukulele while the Uzbek officials checked my bags.  Emerging from the border buildings with a grin …

The Long Road to BukharaRead More

Category: UzbekistanTag: travel issues, travel tales, uzbekistan

Primary Sidebar

About Me

Spring in Mongolia
Hello, my name's Nathan. I've been living a life on the road since October 2011, and have no plans of slowing down. Come along for the ride!

Follow Me On:

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Current Location

Sign up for the newsletter!

AirBnB

World Nomads Travel Insurance

World Nomads is my travel insurance of choice. Planning a trip? Check out their coverage options! You get great rates and help support my site :)

Tags

architecture california China cooking cultural trip desert endangered species epic favorite festival food porn fortress Georgia great view hike history India iran Japan korea kyrgyzstan lake mongolia motorcycle ride myanmar national park New Zealand pohang river road trip roadtrip sea sunset tajikistan temples thailand The World tour travel issues travel tales travel tips USA uzbekistan washington writing

Previous Posts

Copyright © 2025 The Open Road Before Me · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme