En route from Ashgabat and the Darvaza Gas Crater to the Uzbek border and Khiva is one of Central Asia’s saddest historical sites and most poignant memories: the ruins of Konye-Urgench. With the dubious honor of being one of the bloodiest massacres in human history, Genghis Khan’s destruction of Konye-Urgench […]
Tag: Central Asia
Portraits of Afghanistan
Much more than landscapes or bazaars or food, Afghanistan was about the people we met along the way. People who generally expressed a genuine interest in us, were very willing to engage, and just seemed so… normal I guess? So, here, I want you to meet some of them. These […]
Modern Marble Ashgabat
Modern shiny new Ashgabat doesn’t play around. Remember that moment in Sim City 2000 when everything was in perfect order, just before the option to build Arcologies opened up? Well, I never got there because I always used the Urban Renewal Kit to cheat my way to megalopolis. Still, though, […]
Shopping at the Osh Bazaar
Have I mentioned that I’m a big fan of Central Asian bazaars? In fact, I’m a bit of a snob about it. I walk around taking photos and tasting the atmosphere like a Frenchman might a stinky cheese. Of all the bazaars in all the countries I’ve been to, then, […]
Kokpar / Buzkashi: Central Asian Death Polo
In perhaps the craziest invention in sports since Aztec Death Soccer, several Central Asian countries host a traditional sport to rival the most dangerous and unregulated competition since match-fixing in the Serie A. Kopkari is popular through much of the horse-loving region of Central Asia, but I finally came across […]
Kow-Ata Lake: Deep in the Heart of the Kopet Dag
When you smell the rotten eggs, you know you’re getting close! Tuck under the foothills of the Kopet Dag mountains, the Kow-Ata Underground Lake provides a nice hot spring experience in the middle of sandy deserts. On the surface, desert stretches in one direction while layers of hills turn to […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.