The Silk Road was the major route of trade linking China, the Middle East, and Europe from around 130 BC to 1453 CE when the Ottoman Empire cut off links with Europe. This economic super highway not only helped spread the trade of goods; but also religions, arts, ideas, inventions, and culture. 

I spent six days traveling the main Silk Road cities of Uzbekistan – Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva. These ancient cities stood at the heart of the Silk Road and are historical landmarks that highlight spectacular Islamic architecture filled with beautiful blue tiled and geometrically designed mosques, mausoleums, and madrassas. I didn’t go on any guide tours and just wandered through the beautiful sites soaking in their unique beauty and imagining what these old cities were like many centuries ago. Uzbekistan was much more touristy than the rest of the Stans. Not as bad as European destinations in the summer, but give it a few years and it might be. Especially after coming from the nonexistent tourism in Tajikistan; I was a bit of a jaded vet. There were lots of big tour groups hitting all the major attractions. In contrast to the adventurous and rugged travel of the other countries in Central Asia, Uzbekistan only requires walking around the famous Silk Road Cities so it draws in a different type of tourist demographic, although it still has its fair share of backpackers. Nonetheless it was still a great experience.

Samarkand 

Samarkand is the second largest city in Uzbekistan with a population of approximately 573,000 people. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in Central Asia founded in the 8th or 7th century BC. The oldest written records of the city date back to 329 when Alexander the Great conquered it. Samarkand served as the capital of the Timurid Empire under the rule of Tamerlane. He wanted to make it the most beautiful city in Asia transforming it into a paradise of turquoise domes and intricate blue tile work buildings. It was the center of art, science, and education; the Florence of Central Asia. Now the city is a blend of modern architecture and ancient landmarks. 

Getting In

I took the five hour slow train from Tashkent where the seats were sleeper compartments. I was in the top bunk and it was like a coffin; there was no room to sit up because the luggage compartment was just a few inches above my head. It was hot and sticky. I can’t even imagine how miserable it would have been in the summer. October is actually the perfect month to visit Uzbekistan for a cooler climate. I shared a compartment with a mother and her four young children. I guess there’s no seating capacity when kids are involved. 1.5 hours into the train ride the mom used Google Translate to say welcome to Uzbekistan and gave me a can of coffee. How nice! They got off a few stops before me, and upon their exit, she wrote on her phone apologizing for her children, who had been a bit noisy. I told her no problem they were actually very well behaved. 

The Samarkand train station is about 20 minutes from the center and for some reason my service wasn’t working (in general it worked poorly in the city) so I couldn’t call a Yandex. I immediately got harassed by the taxi drivers and this guy quoted me an absurd price. I got him down to a fraction of what he asked, which was still way too much; but without Yandex I didn’t have a choice. I made the mistake of telling him I was American during the ride (Ken and I learned that it’s always best not to say you’re from the U.S. when a sales transaction is involved. They immediately think you’re rich. All other interactions it’s totally fine and great. The driver started tried to sell me on his different tours. I told him thanks but no thanks. Then he kept being pushy about how Americans have so much money, and overall rubbed me the wrong way. I think he was mad I had worked him down on his crazy price. Relax dude you’re still ripping me off. I made it to my guesthouse by 9pm and was glad to be done with that ride. It made me realize how much of a savior Yandex is. 

Lodging 

I got a private room in a guesthouse for three nights. I decided I would do only private rooms for the remainder of Uzbekistan because I wanted my own space after traveling with Ken for a few months. Plus it was still really cheap. For $18/night I had my own room and breakfast was included. I knew that I would have to switch back to hostel life in Japan where everything is more expensive. The location was perfect too; just a five minute walk from the famous Registan Square. I was a tourist during the day but had a good bit of downtime in the late afternoons and evenings. It was nice to move at a slow pace in Uzbekistan after months of going nonstop. I used my free time to read, write the blog, and plan for Japan. It must be a good hotel because there many Mongol Rally stickers from teams that had driven through Samarkand. I asked Alex if he stayed here but he couldn’t remember. 

Registan Square

Registan Square is the crown jewel of Samarkand and most iconic symbol of the Silk Road. It served as the bustling public plaza during the Timurid Empire and continues to be in modern times. The plaza is framed by three massive, intricately tiled madrassas (Islamic college) that all have the emblematic turquoise dome. 

The Ulugh Beg Madrasah is the oldest built between 1417-1420. It was a premier university of the Islamic world where math, logic, and astronomy were taught. Tamerlane’s grandson, Ulugh Beg, a famous astronomer and educator gave lectures here. 

Directly across from Ulugh Beg’s Madrasah is the Sher-Dor Madrasah built between 1619-1636. it is famous for breaking Islamic art rules by depicting roaring felines chasing deer beneath a human-faced sun.

The center building is the Tilya-Kori Madrasah built between 1646-1660 concluding the squares symmetrical layout. 

Each madrasah has exquisite tile work and beautiful courtyards. While a tour would have added some historical perspective and given me additional knowledge, just looking at these impressive architectural feats was enough for me. Of course they have gone under massive restoration projects to restore the tiles, fix the roofs, and straighten the minarets. But that doesn’t take away from the beauty and power of these buildings. 

At night time the madrassas are lit up and thousands of people sit in the plaza soaking in the magical ambience that radiates from the buildings.  

Imam Bukhari Shrine

On my first full day, I caught up with Emiel who was one day ahead of me on his Uzbekistan schedule. We were doing the same big three cities but I will always show up a day later than him. Since he already did the major highlights on his first day, we decided to get more off the beaten path and go to the Imam Bukhari Shrine; which was a 30 minute Yandex outside of Samarkand. This beautiful white mosque felt brand new right out the box. The original complex was built in 1998, but it was recently redeveloped and had just opened its doors to the public again in early 2026. I found it interesting to see this modern mosque’s take on Islamic architecture with the same symmetrical and geometrical design and intricate patterns as the ancient mosques. The complex houses the tomb of Ismail al-Bukhari, a legendary Islamic scholar, and is one of the most revered pilgrimage sites in the Islamic world. Unlike the crowds of ancient Samarkand attractions, it felt like Emiel and I were some of the few non-Muslim tourists. In spite of not having any religious ties to the building, we could still appreciate its magnificent architecture. We ate some nice samsas at a nearby cafe afterwards. 

Ulugh Beg Observatory

Built between 1424-1429, this observatory made some of the most significant scientific achievements of the medieval world. We aren’t taught anything about Ulugh Beg in school, but his observations and contributions to astronomy are equal to the western names we know like Galileo and Copernicus. It was very fascinating to read more about his work. Before the invention of telescopes, he used this observatory to calculate the length of a calendar year with incredible precision  He calculated the length of the tropical year to be 365 days, 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 15 seconds —an error of only 25 seconds compared to modern satellite data. He was more accurate than Copernicus. Like what?!! How did he do that in the 15th century! No Google; no ChatGPT; hell he didn’t even have a telescope!   

To make his calculations, Ulugh Beg built a massive median arc sextant with a radius of 40 meters that would watch the sun, moon, and stars pass over a slit in the roof. Their light would fall onto the calibrated curve allowing scientists to read the exact altitude and angle of celestial bodies. 

This was just one of many contributions Ulugh Beg made to science, math, and geometry. But sadly his brilliance angered religious fanatics and he was assassinated by order of his own son. Brutal!

Khoja Daniyor Mausoleum

This mausoleum for the Old Testament Prophet Daniel is an 18 meter long sarcophagus covered in a dark cloth with gold calligraphy. While it was an impressive tomb, this attraction needs all of two minutes to visit. It is a rare interfaith shrine equally revered as a sacred place by Muslims, Christians, and Jews. But since neither Emiel nor I are very religious, the best he could come up with is “He must have been really tall.” It gave me a good chuckle. Upon further reading there are two explanations for the length: (1) local folklore claims that the relics inside are blessed and the prophet’s body grows by about five centimeters each year. According to myth the tomb needs to be reconstructed repeatedly and elongated over centuries. (2) Tamerlane deliberately built an oversized tomb to confuse grave robbers so they would not be able to pinpoint where the actual bones are. Emiel’s off handed joke actually aligns with the first explanation.

Siyob Bozori

Of course we had to go to the bazaar, this is Central Asia after all. It was fun watching Emiel use his Dutch haggling skills to buy a piece of ceramic art he wanted. He worked the lady down lower than she would have liked, but she didn’t want to lose out on a sale. I bought a Samarkand hat also haggling down the price. But the saleswoman accepted my offer way too quickly. Damn! I could have gone lower. The bazaar sits right next to the Bibi-Khanym Mosque. Emiel had already gone the day before, and I was mosqued out and didn’t feel like paying to enter, so I just took some photos from outside the complex. That was good enough for me.

Amir Temur Mausoleum Gur-i Amir Complex

This crypt houses the body of the famous conqueror Amir Temur. Originally built in 1403 by Temur himself for his grandson who unexpectedly died at age 27, he was buried here after dying of illness a few years later in 1407. This complex is yet another example of intricate tile work and a turquoise blue dome with minarets. 

It also houses Temur’s two sons, his grandsons (including Ulugh Beg), and his mentor so there’s a lot of prestige in the underground vault. The central burial chamber where they all lie to rest is filled with a golden interior that shines so bright you almost need to wear sunglasses inside it. The geometric patterns on the wall and honeycomb-like vaulting have a psychedelic visual effect. 

Night on the Town

On my second night, Emiel and I went out for a few rounds of beers. We ended up chatting with this couple where the guy, James, was from Australia and the girl, Clara, was from Germany. They were a fun bunch and we had some really good conversations and laughs. I had mentioned I was going to Japan next on my travels and when I started talking about how I needed a haircut the German girl said she knew a girl who was a hair dresser in Tokyo that she had met while living on a farm in Australia. She gave me her Instagram to reach out (spoiler alert – I didn’t get a haircut from her but we did hang out. Always great to have the local connect!) One drink led to another which led to another and another. We drank a lot more beers than originally intended which made for a rough next morning, but it was a really fun night. 

Bukhara

Bukhara was founded over 2,500 years and has a modern day population of around 305,000 people. It was another vital hub of the Silk Road for trade, culture, and Islamic academia. In 1220 Genghis Khan captured and largely destroyed the city, though it steadily rebuilt itself and reached a golden age in the 16th century. The medieval urban core was is remarkably intact and feels like a giant outdoor museum with over 140 monuments that were built from the 9th to 17th century – mosques, mausoleums, madrasas, fortresses, and mud brick houses. 

In Samarkand the major attractions were pretty spread out but in Bukhara you can walk around the old city with no itinerary getting lost in the streets and running into landmarks and beautiful old buildings. In addition to the historic monuments, the streets are lined with art galleries, blacksmith shops, and artesanal carpet weavers; the ancient world craftsmanship meets modern day tourism. The whole city is one giant bazaar, even inside the attractions vendors have stands setup to sell craft goods. The ancient city was small enough that I ended up running into Clara and James (my friends from Samarkand) in the streets. We chatted for about ten minutes and talked about potentially meeting up later that evening but never did. 

Getting In

I had an 8am train out of Samarkand and luckily I woke up with extra time because the Yandex app wasn’t working. I had to do it the old fashioned way and go out into the streets and hail a taxi. The first few drove by me already full of passengers. Finally a guy stopped that had a woman in his taxi but was willing to take me to the train station after he dropped her off. I was on a time crunch and a ride is a ride. Plus he ended up giving me a fair price. It was an easy 2.5 hour train ride to Bukhara with regular seats. The train station in Bukhara was 30 minutes outside the city. Emiel told me he had taken a local bus for cheap when he arrived the day before. I wasn’t in a rush so figured why not? The bus wasn’t crowded when I got on at the train station but then it filled in and became jam packed. I gave up my seat to a grandma and her granddaughter. Have you even lived if you haven’t been on a crowded bus full of Uzbekis? The hardest part was going to be squeezing my way off at my stop; or better yet getting the driver’s attention to let me off since there was no button system to indicate your stop, people would just yell at the driver. We reached a corner somewhat nearby my guesthouse and someone else was getting off so I pushed my way behind them. Close enough!

Lodging

Once again I stayed for two nights in a private room in a guesthouse where breakfast was included. It was one of the best places I’ve stayed. The owner was very friendly and gave me recommendations for restaurants and attractions to see. And the breakfast spread was incredible: dumplings, spinach fritter, toast, grapes, cookies, and coffee. They even made me a to go breakfast of hard boiled eggs, bread, and some sweets when I left at 5:20am for the train on my last morning. Great hospitality!

Food

I did not my best to avoid eating in the historic center because it was more touristy restaurants that had a higher price tag and less authentic taste. Emiel and I went to Ismaili Somoni Plov where I had maybe the best plov I’ve had yet. It was incredibly flavorful and not overly greasy.

I ate lunch one afternoon at Chorbaxosa, a restaurant outside the tourist area recommended by guesthouse owner. I was the only foreigner so that was a good sign; it was cheap and delicious. I had one of the best mantis I’ve had yet that was buttery and soft. I also ordered Jiz Qovurdoq which was a half kilo mountain of chicken for less than $4. The place was a steal! 

Chor Minor Madrasah

This beautiful little monument had four minarets (Chor Minor translates in Persian to four minarets) with turquoise domes and served as a good place for Emiel and I to meet up for another day of tourism together.

Sitorai Mohi Khosa Palace

The Sitorai Mohi Khosa is the summer palace of the last Emirs of Bukhara, and not a bad place to call second (Third? Fourth?) home. They love chandeliers, fancy carpets, Japanese vases, and beautifully adorned royal outfits. These were signs of wealth and lavish living. A twenty minute ride outside town, this was Emiel and my first stop of the day since he had already seen the major attractions in Bukhara’s old city. The palace is adorned with beautiful white walls and has a garden where peacocks roam around freely. 

We tried to get a Yandex back into the city and once again it wasn’t working so we had to take a taxi. The driver also couldn’t get his Yandex working so he charged us a reasonable rate since he got cash in hand without the app taking a cut. I later found out from another Yandex driver that one of their data centers got bombed by Ukrainian drones so that’s why the app wasn’t working. Just a little side effect of Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine. 

Ark of Bukhara

The Ark of Bukhara is a massive 5th century fortress and fortified citadel in the heart of Bukhara. It is an open air museum and provides great views of the historic city below. It has high curving walls and a mud brick exterior that serve as a formidable defense structure. At its peak the fortress housed roughly 3,000 people and included royal palaces and administrative buildings. While the walls have held up over the years, the center is mostly small remains of archaeological ruins. 

Poyi Kalon Complex

The Poyi Kalon is the defining architectural landmark and spiritual heart of Bukhara. I said like a broken record but it is yet another beautiful display of Islamic architecture with ornate tiles and blue domes atop minarets. The three main pillars of the complex are the Kalyan Minaret built in 1127, the Kalyan Mosque completed in 1514, and the Mir-i-Arab Madrasah built in the 16th century. All that said, it’s quite old. There is perfect symmetry when viewing the dome through the arch from inside the courtyard. 

On my second day in Bukhara when I had already seen all the sites, I spent 30 minutes sitting on a bench watching all the tourists; everywhere you look is just people with their phones out taking pictures, no one is even looking with their own eyes. Don’t get me wrong, these are very photogenic landmarks and of course I’m victim to this type of behavior too. Such is the sad reality of modern tourism. The Uzbeki guides have learned more than just English and Russian; I also heard many tours in French and Spanish. They are catering to the needs of their tourist industry. The Uzbek people still have that central Asian friendliness, but after years of tourism, I got the sense that some locals are starting to just see dollar signs in people eyes. Can you blame them?

Ulugh Beg Madrasah

I have gotten quite familiar with Ulugh Beg at this point and for good reason; he is such an influential figure in Uzbek culture. It’s funny how we are never taught his name in our western textbooks. This particular Madrasah is the oldest surviving Islamic school in Central Asia having been built in 1417 commissioned by Mr. Beg himself. Another great example of early Timurid architecture, it once served as a center of science and technology, pre-dating the later structures of Bukhara’s golden era. 

Samonids Recreational Park

This park was a nice way to escape the crowds and walk around with the locals. It still has one small attraction, the Ismaili Somoni Mausoleum, but it mostly served as a quiet place for local Bukharans to walk their dogs and let their kids run around to play.

Jewish Synagogue

My friend from Tulane has roots as a Bukharan Jew and told me to visit the synagogue (plus I knew my mother would like it). The Bukhara Jewish community is one of the oldest ethno-religious groups in Central Asia tracing its origins back to the Babylonian exile and ancient Silk Road trade. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union most of them emigrated and only a few hundred remain in their homeland. Sadly the synagogue was closed but I snapped a few photos from outside.

Haircut 

I messaged Misa, Clara’s friend in Tokyo, about a haircut and the price was substantially higher than what I would pay to get one in Uzbekistan. As much as I would have loved to support her, I decided to pay less than 1/5 the price to get a haircut in Bukhara. I always love getting an international haircut; it’s an experience in and of itself. In Spanish speaking countries I used it as an opportunity to practice my conversation skills. Since my Uzbek was limited to just a few words, that would not be the case in Bukhara. My barber spoke minimal English but he was stoked to have me as a customer. He took before and after photos of the cut and ultimately posted them to his Instagram. So this is how I get famous! He was very diligent with his work and even shaved my beard to match the fade. I was unsure if an Uzbek barber would give a white boy like me a good cut but he did a great job. Worth the $8.

Night on the Town

Once again Emiel and I went out for a few beers, and this time we stuck to just a few. We went to an underground bar that didn’t have much seating so we ended up being seated with this British guy. We had some good banter, and definitely could have got sucked into more beers with him, but we held strong and stopped at three. We also met an American girl from Georgia who had been traveling for two years including some exotic places in Africa. She was definitely not your average southern girl.

Khiva 

Khiva is a well preserved ancient walled city with mud brick buildings and turquoise minarets. The city has a population of around 102,000 to 115,000. Khiva’s crown is Itchan Kala, an inner walled medieval old town that feels like a snapshot of ancient times. It often described as an open air museum with more than 50 monuments including multiple turquoise tiles minarets, madrassas, palaces, and hundreds of traditional old homes built with mud dried bricks. 

Getting In

It was a six and a half hour train ride to Khiva on the slow train. I left at 6am and got in at 12:30. Like I said before, my guesthouse was kind enough to make me a prepared breakfast in the morning. I had a bottom bunk in the sleeper compartment, but right when I got on this grandma from the top bunk was asked (more like told me) to switch. How could I say no to her? Luckily this top bunk only had a higher shelf than the last one and there was plenty of open space unlike my coffin top bunk heading to Samarkand.

Lodging I only had one night in Khiva and when I got to my hotel they told me they overbooked and will have to send me somewhere else. I had this nice place in the heart of the old city a quick walk to all the attractions and they sent me to somewhere out the city. I showed up at the new hotel and it was a dump. I was pissed and told them I would be staying somewhere else. Instead I booked a hostel just outside the center in a a former Madrasah that looked nice. Upon further research the original place had horrible reviews on Google (I added my own one star review describing my poor experience) so I’m glad it didn’t work out. Meanwhile my new place was a spacious four room hostel and a great experience. The breakfast that was included was a delicious full spread. One of my roommates was a woman in her mid 40s from Osaka in Japan and we had a good conversation over breakfast. I told her I was heading to Japan after Uzbekistan and she gave me some recommendations of things to do in Japan and said to let her know when I go to Osaka. 

Itchan Kala

Itchen Kala means “inner town” in Uzbek and this walled inner fortress is enclosed by mud brick walls eight to ten meters high. It contains over 50 landmarks and 250 traditional houses. For 250,000 Uzbek Som (which amounts to a whopping $20.85) gets you 48 hour entrance to a bunch of the museums. The inner town is one giant bazar with a bunch of madrassas turned into museums; some had interesting artifacts and some not so much. It is also home to the Kalta Minor Minaret – a famous stubby, turquoise-tiles minaret; the Juma Mosque – a 10th century mosque held by over 200 intricately carved wooden pillars; the Islam Khoja Minaret – the tallest minaret in Khiva at 57 meters; the Kuhna Ark & Tashholvi Palace – historical royal residences and courtyards; and the Pahlavan Mahmoud Mausoleum – the resting place of Khiva’s patron saint. 

Climbing the narrow steep staircase to top of Islam Khoja Minaret costs an extra 100,000 som and provides amazing views of the inner walled city. 

It took all of one afternoon to enjoy the sites so on my second day I circled the historic city a few times but it’s like going to churches and castles in Europe or temples in SE Asia, where at some point you become bleary eyed and it all starts looking the same. Then I just sat on a bench watching the tourists crowds and soaking in the intricately detailed blue ceramic tiles one last time. I started studying up on Japanese customs because I know they have some specific rules of behavior and I want to respect their culture. 

One of the highlights for me was when I walked by the local elementary school get out right outside the walled city and all the kids were running around acting crazy. They live next to this old historic fortified city turned tourist destination but they’re all just a bunch of kids going through the early stages of their youth just like anywhere else in the world. Multiple kids ran up to me to say hello and were so excited to interact with a foreigner.

I ate both my meals outside the historic center to not pay the tourist price and to eat where the locals do. I went to a restaurant with no sign out front that only served plov and was packed with locals. It was meant to be my final plov (the lounge in the airport served plov so I ended up eating it again) of Central Asia and it delivered.

Getting Out 

I got back to my hostel and made friends with a couple living in Belgium but she was from France and he was from Portugal. I always find it fascinating talking to people in relationships from different countries, especially since that could be my future one day. I seem to click more with international women. 

We took a Yandex together to the train station.
I got on the train and it was another coffin one with barely any headspace. Khiva was the first stop though so I had the whole compartment to myself the first 30 minutes and sat on the bottom bunk, but my freedom didn’t last long.

At the first stop a group of older Uzbek women arrived in my section and I kindly helped them put all their various bags of food and giant rugs in the top and bottom bunk storage. They had enough apples, hard boiled eggs, rice, and who knows what else to feed the entire train. Then I got Uzbeki grandma heisted again. Even though I was already in the top bunk, they asked me (or more like told me…see my previous train story for a similar told not asked experience) to switch to the other top bunk in the aisle rather than the one in the four person compartment. It turns out the aisle top bunk had a giant bar that runs through the middle. No wonder they wanted to switch. Sigh oh well. At least it seemed to have more headroom. Five minutes later they proceeded to offer me grapes, an apple, and bread; so that made up for it. Lovely women.

It was a 13 hour overnight train ride to Tashkent and I was hoping to sleep better on the train, I woke up early that day so I thought that would help. But then I lied on the top of my uncomfortable sleeper bunk and my thoughts were racing. They weren’t negatives ones either. They were positive ones reflecting on tidbits of knowledge from my experience throughout this trip that hadn’t been fleshed out. Ideas and thoughts that got lost in the moment because so much has gone on in my life during these six months of travels that it can be hard to look back and assess with a realistic lens. Every day is sensory overload. I’m glad I wrote down so much in my notes, but it’s hard to even fathom all that’s happen these past six months: places I’ve traveled, people I’ve met, mountains I’ve climbed, cultures I’ve learned about, food I’ve tried, languages I’ve improved upon, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. And those are just experiences to digest, not to mention all the thoughts, feelings, and emotions along the way. I’ve had some time to decompress this wild experience while hiking or on long bus rides, but so much has happened that I hadn’t yet given a second thought to. 
I told myself I was going to slow travel this second time backpacking long term and it has been far from that; I have barely slowed down. It’s too hard to slow down when there’s so much to experience right in front of my eyes. Then it’s only rare moments like these where I really spend more time reflecting on all that has happened. 

When so much happens every day, it can be hard to notice the daily impact it’s having on me, but now that it’s six months in I think there’s been an accumulation of growth and change where my brain is thinking very clearly in new ways (even though it should be trying to sleep). Maybe this is a form of Japanxiety before the next leg of the trip, but I think it’s just a sign of mental growth that I have achieved. I came into the Stans hungover and anxious and look how far that came after two months. I’m coming into Japan excited and fulfilled so I hope to harness this positive to continue on upward on this life changing journey I have embarked on. Sorry that all got a little philosophical but I couldn’t sleep and felt I had to write this one down for my future self. I mean how often do you get to be on a 13.5 hour sleeper train in Uzbekistan annoyed at the Uzbeki Grandmas for making you switch to the less comfortable bunk bed while also appreciative that they fed you snacks? These are once in a lifetime experiences that happen every day on a trip like this. These same grandmas also lived through years of Soviet rule during Stalin followed by authoritarian leadership in an independent Uzbekistan so they’ve seen some shit. Who am I to complain? I finally put these racing thoughts to bed and fell asleep. We arrived in Uzbekistan and I had one last day to kill in Tashkent before flying to Japan.

Wow what a journey it has been in Central Asia exploring these four Stans! The hospitality and kindness of the people has been next level; the hiking and camping deep in the backcountry of some of the world’s most remote places was outer worldly; the Pamir Highway was the road trip of a lifetime; the Nomad Games was a unique look into Central Asian sports and nomadic culture; the interactions I had throughout were memorable and insightful; and I got to share lifelong memories with my buddy Ken.

Just because a country has “Stan” in it, doesn’t mean its dangerous. Quite the opposite really. I never felt unsafe and the people were beyond friendly. We have this irrational fear in the U.S. of Muslims, and yes extreme terrorist groups exist, but my experience was nothing but warm and welcoming energy. 

Thanks to diligent note taking (sometimes), many hours on trail hiking, and long bus rides; I have been able to bring some of these memories back to life. Japan, your up next!