Normally, I like to see a country as in-depth as my time allows; I don’t visit countries just to say that I’ve “been there, done that.” However, my Central Asia trip was already quite long by my standards, which unfortunately meant that Tajikistan was going to be out of the cards… until I realized there…
One of my favorite memories of Khiva takes place in an odd location: sitting at a folding table covered by a blanket, sheltered from the street’s view by a fluttering wall of suzani embroidery, learning from a woodcarving master. Behind the suzani wall, the Islam Khoja Minaret stood above us, and countless travelers passed us…
Within the UNESCO-listed fortified city of Itchan Kala, there are many places that easily take your breath away: this part of the city packs more sights per square inch than anywhere else I can think of in the world. And yet tucked away behind rather nondescript stone walls — hence its rather literal name, meaning…
