If you ever hear me going on and on about some city in Uzbekistan that I love beyond reason, Bukhara is the one. I would go around shouting it from the rooftops if they weren’t so crumbly and I thought they would bear my weight.

Make all the Borat/catapault jokes you want, but if Uzbekistan is the cultural crown of Central Asia then Bukhara is the big shiny jewel that pulls the whole thing together.

Every time I’ve been here, Bukhara has been full of music and dancing and hospitality and buildings so awesome even Genghis Khan said “Holy ****, look at that!”

There are even storks’ nests atop some of the old minarets! I still haven’t seen any storks, so I assume they’re all out delivering newborns. One day, though, they’ll show up and I’ll have my camera ready.

Not only is Bukhara a wonderful atmosphere, but it really is one of the most photogenic places I’ve spent time in. I’ve avoided other travelers here so that I could walk around on my own to take photos instead of being distracted by walking with someone.

I think this is the place that made me really love Central Asia, and is certainly one of the highlights of all my travel experiences.