Best Photos Of Uzbekistan
Best photos of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan had been on my bucket list for a long time. I heard the Silk Road and its rich history calling me. I had visions of intricate azure tiles, towering minarets, and ancient madrassas. I could barely put my camera down as I explored Uzbekistan for two weeks. The country has great infrastructure, a lack of tourists, low costs, and so much to see. In other words, I highly recommend that you visit. And you can check out my two-week agenda in Uzbekistan. Samarkand Samarkand is considered one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in Central Asia, with some dating it back to the 8th century BC. In the 14th century, it became the capital of the powerful Timurid Empire. Many of the highly regarded landmarks of the Silk Road were constructed under this empire. In 2001, Samarkand was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. Registan The Registan was the heart and the pubic square of the Timurid dynasty. This open space is framed by three majestic and large madrasahs. One was [...]
Maryam Sultan Abdullah … The Wonder Woman Of Travel
Maryam has traveled to 130 UN countries I had the great opportunity speak with Maryam Sultan Abdullah of Kuwait. Ryan Gazder, a former guest of Counting Countries, introduced us via email. And after some time, Maryam and I were able to schedule a time to speak over the internet. I am reminding you that Counting Countries is partnered with Patreon. Patreon is a platform that allows patrons, that’s you, to support creators, and that is me creating Counting Countries. And thanks to my other patrons, Steph Rowe, Ted Nims, Bisa Myles, Ryan Gazder, and Adam Hickman. As thanks, they are able to listen to additional interviews like the extra interview I did with Maryam that only they will hear. Counting Countries is offering its first group tour to Madagascar in August of 2020. Please reach out to me with any questions on this trip. In addition, if you are planning trips to places like Antarctica, Svalbard, Galapagos, please consider my partner G Adventures and use my link. Maryam was launched into the world of travel from a [...]
20 Best Photos Of 2019
20 best photos of 2019. It is time for my end of the year photo wrap up. In this annual post, I usually go over the stated 20 photos, this year I am a couple of photos short. Armenia I rented a car for several days visiting the northern part of Armenia, one of my favorite countries. I brought my trusty drone and snapped this photo in Gyumri, Armenia's second largest city. This statue is Mother Armenia just built in the 1970s overlooking the Black Fortress. Afghanistan I explored the Bird Market in Kabul, Afghanistan. It was an excellent place to meet the locals and take some photos. I traveled with Untamed Borders to Afghanistan. Burundi This was a fantastic experience in Burundi when I got to watch the Royal Drummers of Burundi. A must-see for any traveler. Burma (Myanmar) One of my favorite photos to take countries in. And my favorite place in Burma is Bagan, a town of over 3,000 temples. I set up a full day photo shoot in the temples with candles, incense, [...]
Two-Week Agenda In Uzbekistan
Two-Week Agenda In Uzbekistan. Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan’s first leader from independence in 1991 to his death in 2016, ruled this country with an iron fist. His harsh policies overflowed and negatively impacted travelers to Uzbekistan. Upon Karimov’s death, Shavkat Mirziyoyev assumed the presidency and the country made significant changes. Some of these positive changes positively effected the tourism industry. In fact, Uzbekistan in a short period transitioned from a challenging country to visit to a very pleasant experience. Uzbekistan is the best introduction to Central Asia for travelers. There are affiliate links in this post for the hotels. Visa In the old days (pre-2016), you had to jump through some hoops to get a visa, such as actually going to the embassy or at least mailing in your passport. Under the new regime, many countries are visa free (most of Europe) and evisa for countries like the US, China, and India. The online evisa was simple and fast to fill out, and I received my evisa in several days. The fee is $20. In addition, Letters [...]
Visiting The Children’s Circus In Kabul
Visiting the children’s circus in Kabul. Life goes on. People wake up. Put their clothes on. And they go about their day. Yet, some people have to overcome much larger challenges every single day. Over one billion people live on $1 a day. Tens of millions have been forced to flee their homes. Others in Yemen or Syria live in war zones. Thomas Hobbes, a 17th century philosopher wrote, “the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” But yet, life goes on, and people strive and endeavor, dance and laugh, and live. Life goes on … a car is prepared with flowers for a wedding I traveled to Afghanistan and of course I carried with me my preconceived notions. I have followed Afghanistan since the 1980s when the Soviet Union invaded this landlocked nation. And Afghanistan has been smothered by the media since Bin laden and the subsequent US invasion. The headlines are consistently not positive. Attacks, bombings, killings. Death. I traveled to Afghanistan with Untamed Borders. Untamed Borders specializes in bringing travelers [...]
Watching Buzkashi In Afghanistan
Watching Buzkashi in Afghanistan. Buzkashi is not a sport for the faint-hearted. Think of polo on horses, but the ball is dead goat, missing its head. Men on horses compete fiercely to grab the goat off the ground (or from a competitor) and race to the goal while fending off other players. In Farsi, Buzkashi translate to goat pulling and this seems to be a very apt name. This tradition dates back over 1000 years and is mostly played in Central Asia as Turkic people migrated from the plains of Mongolia sharing their sport. I had seen buzkashi played once before at the World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan. In Kyrgyzstan, the sport is known as kok boru. The kok boru I witnessed on the shore of Issyk-Kul Lake was formal and regulated. Multiple teams from the region enthusiastically competed in a match overseen by a referee. The athleticism and energy displayed was intense. My second opportunity to watch buzkashi was in Mazari Sharif, in the north of Afghanistan. Mazari Sharif is well known for [...]
