November 19, 2006

Central Asia travelogues. Forget about the fictional home of Borat (no links, find your own), this is about the real countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as seen through the eyes of random web people.

Arranged chronologically.

I stumbled upon the first one by accident, and was strangely fascinated. The rest are the result of zero-research Googling.
posted by fuyugare 18 years ago
  • These are all all on my long term list of places to go to (though Uzbekistan might be a bit harder these days till things calm down). For now, I content meself with a very occasional check of Registan, which I'm sure you'll have seen. Will be giving these a good peruse too, so thanks fuyu.
  • Tragic but true: the best thing about those countries seems to be their horses. And the basic good nature and warmth displayed by many of the populace. Turkmenbashi didn't have his claws so dug in so deeply into Turkmenistan back then as he does now. He's almost completely erased the schools, libraries, and medical facilities in Turkmenistan. Incredible situation that the world tolerates in hopes of gaining access to the country's natural gas.
  • wonderful FPP fuyu, I have always been fascinated by the history of this region, the Silk Road etc., and would one day love to visit Samarkand etc., reading through these travelogues makes it sound like a definite adventure! but one well worth having.
  • There's quite a contrast among the various reports. The first was my favorite. By the way, MoFi member coppermac spent about a year in Kasakhstan. His wife got a teaching job there and he went along for the ride. He hasn't logged in here in a long time, but it would be good to hear his adventures.
  • There's quite a contrast among the various reports. The first was my favorite. By the way, MoFi member coppermac spent about a year in Kasakhstan. His wife got a teaching job there and he went along for the ride. He hasn't logged in here in a long time, but it would be good to hear his adventures.
  • Yes, Bees, the local people and the horses. Many of the crafts are fantastic. These people have to struggle so hard just to survive their environment and economic system. Damn Politics.
  • #2's uncle is living in Kazakhstan working under contract teaching air-traffic-controller English to the locals. Every now and then I hear snippets about what it's like there, but not enough to really talk about. Disappointing. Apparently going to the opera is insanely cheap and he and #2's aunt have become regular opera-goers. Otherwise it sounds as you'd expect.
  • I too would love to travel along the Silk Road one day. I wonder if the Soviet nostalgia is high right now given how much worse the dictatorial regimes in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been compared to Moscow's rule.
  • I would imagine there is some nostalgia fu, it seems as though general living conditions are no better than under soviet era (if not worse) and thinks are more chaotic on top of it. tracicle, maybe we should set yr uncle-in-law up to blog his experiences for us???? (on both Kazakhstan and the opera!)