Being a baker in Uzbekistan is a truly hazardous occupation. The bread here is delicious, by the way – it’s very crispy on the outside and light and fluffy in the middle. It’s being baked constantly throughout the day and loaded onto little trolleys to be sold in the market and in the streets. And… Continue reading Uzbek food: all you need is plov
Category: Asia
It’s a slight improvement on the Northern Line: getting around in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan was once at the heart of the Silk Road. Caravans of camels would cross the country carrying silks, spices, gold and other exotics to trade. The Silk Road connected China with India, Iran and the Roman Empire through Central Asia, and went right across the middle of Uzbekistan, putting cities like Samarkand, Bukhara and… Continue reading It’s a slight improvement on the Northern Line: getting around in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan: an unhealthy preoccupation with death
Genghis Khan destroyed Samarkand and Bukhara in the early 13th Century. His MO was simple – he would ride up to a city accompanied by his Mongol horde, bang on the gates and say, ‘Do you surrender, yes or no?’ If they said no, he destroyed the city and killed everyone – in Bukhara the… Continue reading Uzbekistan: an unhealthy preoccupation with death
The Only Living Goddess in the World (no, not me)
The Newari people have lived in the Kathmandu valley since prehistoric times and they are an interesting mix of Buddhist and Hindu. Essentially they’re Buddhists who have adopted the Hindu caste system, and have also adopted a Hindu goddess, Durga, who they believe lives in the body of a chosen little girl, the Kumari. Rather… Continue reading The Only Living Goddess in the World (no, not me)
Kathmandu: dreams, death rituals and dental problems
Kathamandu is rather like Delhi – busy, noisy and full of cars, motobikes and exhaust fumes. But unlike Delhi it is still recovering from the earthquake damage sustained in 2015, and some people live in houses with external walls missing and have to climb over rubble to get to their homes. They are busy rebuilding… Continue reading Kathmandu: dreams, death rituals and dental problems
Hot stone baths and an obsession with archery
Hot stone baths are the traditional way to de-stress in Bhutan so, after hiking all the way up to the Tiger’s Nest, of course I had to try one. You order your evening bath first thing in the morning because it takes seven or eight hours to heat the stones, so you can’t wait and… Continue reading Hot stone baths and an obsession with archery
The Festival of the Black-Necked Crane
There is great excitement in the Phobjikha Valley in central Bhutan when the black-necked cranes arrive for the winter. They swoop in from the Tibetan Plateau and settle in the wetlands of this huge U-shaped valley, where a conservation area has been set up to protect them. The Phobjikha Valley is also the site of… Continue reading The Festival of the Black-Necked Crane
A hike to the top of the world
Now, I can walk a fair distance at home, on flat terrain in Bedfordshire which is eighty-five metres above sea level. Walking in Bhutan, in the Himalayas, over three thousand metres above sea level, is a totally different challenge. For a start it’s much steeper than anywhere I’ve been before, and the altitude makes it… Continue reading A hike to the top of the world
Bhutan … the most photogenic country in the world?
I’ve never been to a country before which is so photogenic that you want to stop and take pictures of literally every single thing you see, starting from the moment you arrive. The photo above is Punakha Dzong, said to be the most beautiful building in Bhutan … a bold claim when the bar is… Continue reading Bhutan … the most photogenic country in the world?
What I’ve learnt in Japan …
Something that I really love about the Japanese is their appreciation and wholehearted embracing of everything impermanent and seasonal. They love the idea that something is with us for a few short weeks and then disappears again for another year; there’d be no demand here for Creme Eggs in September. For them, seasonality underlines the… Continue reading What I’ve learnt in Japan …