Sunday Spotlight: Bukhara

Bukhara streets

Hello! And welcome to the Sunday Spotlight. Each Sunday I aim to provide a post about somewhere in the world I’ve visited that is pretty darned awesome, in my opinion at least. I hope this Easter everyone is safe and enjoying a relaxing weekend with their families and friends. As for me, well, I am off to Mount Fuji today, finally getting up close and personal with this iconic landmark of Japan.

Main Square in Bukhara with lake.

But it’s too Uzbekistan I’m taking the blog to, and the Silk Road city of Bukhara, an ancient place with a middle eastern feel. It’s really the perfect place to appreciate Islamic Architecture and feel a part of history that many tourists worldwide have never considered and have never heard of. And Uzbekistan has loads of this sort of stuff, but the old quarter in Bukhara is quite self contained, great to roam the streets and alleyways, and is somewhat away from the bustle of the larger, more modern part of the city.

Getting there? Well the train from Tashkent, when I visited a couple of years back now, took around 7 hours, but they have since bought Talgo trains so the journey should be somewhat faster.

Sleep where? I slept at a great little guesthouse called Sarafon Bed and Breakfast. Uzbekistan has a great collection of Bed and Breakfasts, and this is no exception. Rooms are $25-30, comfortable, have bathroom and air conditioner, and the owners are friendly and eager to help. Good location in the old town.

Eating – Plenty of restaurants around, try the one in the main square Lyabi Hauz, I had a good meal with a couple of drinks for around $8.

Some of the things to see in the town include (from my ebook ‘Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan’ –

Kalon Mosque

Kalon Mosque and Minaret from outside.

Wandering the streets is, on its own, a real highlight of visiting Bukhara. Dusty streets, high walls, many of them were pretty much deserted as I wandered around and then suddenly – Bang! A tour group. But I also passed Medressas and mosques in the amazing streets of Bukhara. The Kalon Mosque has a striking minaret which you see above the houses and walls in the area north east of Lyabi-Hauz. It’s kind of nestled between houses and such and it springs up on your out of nowhere.

Inside, the Kalon Mosque continues to impress with its great beauty. It features wondrous high arches and a blue dome, and isn’t quite as popular with the tourist as some of the other attractions in Bukhara. It’s big and mosaic work is exquisite. There are lots of corridors with arches in what are sort of cloisters, it’s also really peaceful. A real highlight of Bukhara.

The Ark

‘The Ark’ – with a name like that, I expected a big boat! Except of course that I’d researched already and knew it wasn’t. It’s actually a big citadel, reputedly the oldest part of Bukhara that was bombed by the Soviets in 1920. So what you see today is mostly rebuilt. But nevertheless, it’s very impressive.

From Lyabi-Hauz you walk past the Kalon Mosque and Minaret, through to the Registan area. The Registan is the square outside the Ark. You’ll see the Ark rising above the buildings as you close in. Then past a whole stretch of tourist shops selling artefacts and carpets and if you’re lucky postcards (postcards in Central Asia are rarer than hen’s teeth. Well, almost!).

Then there she is, rising out of the sand with huge turrets, a huge entrance, it’s almost a sand castle that got bigger than the kids had intended and will now stand forever. What’s inside? Well it starts with an impressive passageway past the opening gate opening up at the top with various buildings and so forth to explore.

Central inside the citadel is the Juma (means ‘Friday’) Mosque. It’s not massive, but it is interesting. It dates back to the 17^th century and inside are many different Korans. There are a couple of courtyards you’ll find once you start exploring. Everything may have basically been rebuilt, but it’s still quite striking and impressive. Be aware if you are there in summer as I was it will be very hot, and as in all of Bukhara there is very little shade.

If you explore the buildings and courtyards you will come across a couple of different museums. I always find the history of the last century or so more interesting than that of ancient times with broken pottery and the like, both are on show here. Perhaps what is best though is the view across Bukhara. Definitely worth the admission price (double if you have a camera) to get up there and look out across this amazing city that was once part of the Silk Road.

Bolo-Hauz Mosque

Pretty much opposite the Ark, you’ll find the Bolo-Hauz Mosque. It’s a really nice place inside, and worth a peak. If you’re lucky you won’t have too much company, although the tour groups kept coming in and out of there whilst I was there sadly. Its façade features thin wooden columns and a sort of lattice-worked wooden roof, then you enter and look up to a beautiful white dome. There are many arches, and the floor is covered with interesting carpets. It dates back to the early 18^th century and was specially built for the Emir of the time.

Outside there is something of a pond and a water tower between the mosque and the Ark. Apparently you can climb the water tower for great views. I didn’t, I hate heights and no-one else was climbing whilst I was there so decided it probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

If you’d like to learn more about Uzbekistan and my experiences there, check out my ebook available on Amazon Kindle – Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The World Journeys Podcast is here! Episode One!

Howdy all! Yes, it has finally arrived! The World Journeys Podcast!

Michael Eastwood - our very first guest!

I, your humble host, Andrew Boland, will be interviewing and chatting with a number of people this year about travel-related topics, the best of countries, the worst of countries, backpacking, taking a show overseas, the experience of living in another country and so much more.
The topic or theme of 'travel' is a wide one and there are so many possibilities, so please join me as I begin this new adventure, my first ever podcast. Podcasts aim to be between 25 and 40 minutes.









The first mini-series of 6 episodes features a range of interviews I have and will conduct with people here in Japan, and focuses mainly on living, working and teaching in Japan. I have a great line up of people with various experiences in Japan, and it's a really good look at expat life in North Asia (principally).






Episode One is an interview with Michael Eastwood, who has spent the last eight years living in Japan teaching initially for the JET program and subsequently for a company called Joy Talk. We talk about the different companies and pros and cons, and about the JET program. We talk about the highlights of living here in Japan, about the food and about the people. It's a great listen and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I recorded it. It goes for about 30 minutes.


So without further ado - Series One, Episode One is here!

Culture Shock Part Two: First Experiences in West Africa

Grim reality of Accra

When I went to India, I was a very green traveller. It was my first solo trip, the first time I had travelled alone. When I went to West Africa in 2006, I couldn’t claim the same. I had been to India three times, I had visited Bangladesh twice and been through Pakistan and Iran to get to Europe by land. So, I felt I had the necessary experience to deal with whatever Africa could throw at me.

I was wrong. I arrived in Accra, Ghana, with the plan to make it overland via a number of countries to Senegal. I planned to go through Togo, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali on the way. But I was to immediately face culture shock in Accra, and the plans would flux and change and revert back to the original whilst I was in West Africa in 2006.

I was immediately struck with culture shock. In fact, on my way to Ghana I had already felt misgivings about going to this part of the world. Strange perhaps, because I had spent years researching and planning and imagining the good and the bad, the challenges and the adventures I would face there. I was, admittedly, worried that my peanut allergy was going to be a big problem, it’s a common ingredient in cooking in West Africa, but I had learnt how to deal with it by then. Or so I thought.

Life in Accra

When I arrived at Accra airport, I was a little surprised that despite an extremely long runway, the airport was very small. I was in sub-Saharan Africa for the first time! I flipped from panicky to excited and back again. I took a taxi into town, and with a little time, he found the Date Hotel. This place was a bit of an institution in Accra, there aren’t that many budget options so here was a place for less than 20 bucks and I took a room there.

Whilst the staff were really friendly, and the outdoor bar was nice, the rooms were poor to say the least. I was sharing with mice, the bathrooms barely functioned and the fans were loud. For a night or two it was ok, but I was there for quite a while.

Room at the Date hotel

The atmosphere in coastal Ghana is a little oppressive thanks to the humidity. It was well into the 90s (percent) and so very difficult to deal with, and for the first week or two I panicked at pretty much every meal I had worried that there might be peanuts inside. I was not coping well. I couldn’t get a handle on Accra – the way it was laid out, where I was, it seemed to be really big but flat. On top of that the only foreigners at my hotel were aid workers, and they were all too happy to pay for Nigerian hookers who were also staying at the hotel.

And the hookers were nice really, to chat with. And I should have expected something along those lines but well, it was all new to me and combined with quite a bit of poverty in parts, and the madness of the place (despite not being anywhere near as mad as India), and the fact that I felt completely on my own – no other backpackers around that I could see, well this flipped me out somewhat and I spent a couple of days with no-one to talk to much and certain that I was way out of my depth.

Cape Coast.

I eventually, after four days, moved on to Cape Coast, a quite pretty town down the… coast. I arrived at a cheaper, nicer, far cleaner guesthouse, and met a Canadian who on the spot was happy to see a backpacker and invited me that day to join her and her mother going to some tree houses in the jungle. I was very happy suddenly, I felt things were on the turn. I accepted, only for an hour or less later to be told that the mother had vetoed the idea as she wanted to spend alone time with her daughter. Well, feelings reversed again.

I tried to enjoy my time at Cape Coast, but I couldn’t connect to the other couple of backpackers. I went back to Accra, deciding possibly to skip Benin, Togo and Niger and go to Burkina Faso through to Mali and Senegal, quickly to, and get out to the UK where I was headed next. BUT back in Accra I met an Australian and we hung out for a couple of days. We saw the museum and a few other things around Accra, and like that, suddenly things were not so bad.

Market in Niamey, Niger.

Kindness in Miger.

He had been to the three countries I was considering cutting from the itinerary and in the end I decided to go there – I had a visa that covered them all anyway. And I moved on to Togo, which was strange, and Benin which was good although I had a bad moment where I lost it. Niger was again confronting with extreme, in your face poverty, but that was balanced by meeting a local with very little that offered me a bed for couple of nights. A warm and generous soul. I never forget these people. I had bought an electric stove because I wanted to cook to get around my peanuts fear, but then never used it. I gave it to this kind man.

Then, Burkina Faso. I had slept a night outside at a bus station in Niger as the buses leave at around 4am for longer distances, and to be honest it was fine if not a sensible thing to do. The bus took me to the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. At the guesthouse there I met some backpackers and we had a fun day around the town, and when I moved on to Banfora, well, I was feeling finally that I had conquered my misgivings about the place.

Happy times in Ouagadougou.

So then I caught malaria. Well, probably from a bite I received sleeping outside at the bus station in Niger to be honest. It takes a little time to manifest. Then the doctor gave me Larium, which induced panic attacks. I was suddenly in hell. The initial treatment did not cure the malaria either. I had a guy in Banfora who took me on a tour around to see things who kept turning up at my hotel asking me for money, and eventually I left Banfora, still sick and panicky, to get away from him.

I still remember when the malaria came on. I was hanging with a couple from the Czech Republic. We watched a drum performance which was really cool and I felt very happy about that. I was really digging Burkina Faso. We went out for dinner and I had a really nice steak. Then to an outdoor restaurant/bar and were sitting around a table having a beer and I started coughing. Very quickly I had a temperature and in the space of 30-60 minutes I felt really sick. I went to hospital and was diagnosed with malaria.

Drumming performance in Banfora.

The hospital provided its own culture shock. Just a flat bed, not sheets, no nurses, and a doctor who couldn’t find my veins. He used a plastic glove and wrapped it around my arm, and then got the other patient in the room to assist. The toilet was locked at night and I had to drag my drip and myself outside to piss on the wall. To say it was basic is an understatement, but they did have clean needles and the medication which is something, right?

I spiralled from there, still sick I went to Bobo-Dioulosso. I got angry and stressed when suddenly I couldn’t change money at a bank. It can be difficult in some places in West Africa, they ask for receipts and other things. In Ouagadougou again I was taken to another hospital which dealt with westerners thanks to a kind soul I met on the bus, and there I received, finally, proper treatment.

This trip to West Africa ended in ignominy, and I returned home to Australia in my only aborted trip. Was that all ‘culture shock’, no certainly not. Some of it was bad luck, much was in my own mind but I did learn that you have to be in the right mental place to travel, especially if you are going somewhere special. I would returned to the region in 2007 and see Mali and Senegal, I went with a friend this time – a very good idea if you go to Africa. Do it with a friend, it really does help.

For more on my time in West Africa, the third book to the Dhaka to Dakar adventure covers Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal. It’s available on Kindle.

Dhaka to Dakar Book Three: Across Africa

You can also find the individual chapters on Amazon.

Next Sunday I will talk more in Part Three of ‘Culture Shock’!

May the journey never end! 

Central Asian tips and photos

So I know I peddle this and that, and recently I have been peddling Central Asia, in particular Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, today I am not stopping! (LOL)
I wanted to talk about the place as a region. If you take the Lonely Planet Guide to Central Asia, it considers the region to be six countries. The three above plus Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. Personally I consider the region to be just the five ex-Soviet states, so not including Afghanistan which I think of as a unique situation somewhere at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. What I can say about these five countries is that they don't receive a lot of Western tourists, they offer a variety of things to see and do, and that they are all unique and special in their own way.
If you like history, deserts, stunning architecture, mountains, trekking, skiing, different cultures, friendly people and/or remoteness, then Central Asia has something for you. Aside from accommodation being pricey in parts of Kazakhstan (such as Astana the capital) the region is very affordable. Transport varies from mini-bus to high speed trains. The topography is incredibly varied. For the adventurous backpacker who likes to get off the beaten track, it's the perfect place on Earth to head to.

I was in the region back in 2011, May-June. I started in Kazakhstan and saw some of the east of the country, then had a short time in both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. What I was disappointed in was the time I had. So little it seemed. To take in the three countries 2 months might be enough, I had five weeks. To take on all five, I'd be hoping for 3 months. What can they offer you?

Kazakhstan

Gold Samovars in Astana

For more information, tips and stories see my ebook: Short Journeys: Kazakstan

Kazakhstan offers two cities that are in many ways polar opposites. The former capital Almaty is charming and leafy, with lush gardens and parks, culture and old world charm. The new capital, Astana, is a stunning modern city with some of the world's most draw-dropping buildings, including the glass-pyramid 'Palace of Peace and Accord', and the Byoterek, a giant ice cream cone 97 metres tall. Not far from that you will find two giant gold samovars as well.
Kazakhstan goes forward on the back of its President, Nazabaev, who has seen the country emerge thanks to a resources boom after becoming independent. Much of the 9th biggest country in the world is steppe though, where nomadic people live in huts/tents called yurts. A train journey across the wide spaces reveals this stunning 'steppe'. Semey in the north was once the home of Dostoevsky, and you can visit his house there or visit a museum dedicated to Kazakhstan's most revered poet, Abay.

Kyrgyzstan

Family on the Kyrgyzstan countryside

For more information, tips and stories see my ebook: Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

Stunning mountains in the east and south and a very likable capital in Bishkek where the opera is cheap and the parks are full of table tennis tables. Bishkek is a smaller version of Almaty, with its own charm and beautiful on a summer or spring day. The parks are lovely and the museums are interesting and offer perhaps a different impression of history than one you've had before.

The hiking up in the region of Karakol and beyond is stunning, the mountains are beautiful and I found myself at a little hidden treasure in the valley of Altyn Arashan. There's also the mightly Lake Issyk-kul with a variety of activities and so much more. Further to the south-west of the country is the more Uzbek area around Osh, which when stable is said to be fascinating.

Uzbekistan

Bukhara

For more information, tips and stories see my ebook: Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

Islamic Architecture, deserts and a busy and big capital in Tashkent. This is Uzbekistan, home of the best accommodation in Central Asia - Bread and Breakfast places for $15-$20 that are comfortable with hosts who really look after you. Tashkent features wide roads, theatres, museums - including one to Timur, a mighty Uzbek warrior and rival to Genghis Khan, and Navoi Park, a huge city park that includes a small lake and beach which is very popular in the summer. All through Central Asia you can see people swimming in fountains too, the kids love the water.
Head westward and you feel like you're heading east. It becomes a desert, and the cities of Samarkand and Bukhara are full of beautiful and historic Islamic buildings including mosques and medressas. Marvel at two of the Silk Road's most stunning cities, stay in the old town where you are firmly in the Middle East.

Tajikistan

Border of Afghanistan and Tajikistan

I would have dearly loved to get to all of the Central Asian states, but Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were left out sadly owning to time. Tajikistan in perhaps the most mountainous of all the states, featuring the 5000 metre plus Pamir mountain range, passed many centuries ago now by Marco Polo. For trekkers this is THE country to get to without a doubt in Central Asia.

Turkmenistan

The astounding Ashgabat.

One country that I am desperate to visit because it is so 'out there', Turkmenistan had a charismatic and somewhat bizarre leader, Niyazov, who renamed himself Turkmenbashi - leader of the Turkmen. The capital Ashgabat is apparently full of monuments to him in somewhat Soviet style. Rich on oil, the country has very strict and somewhat expensive visa rules, with a topography similar to that of Uzbekistan - a fair bit of desert.
It sounds like another world, what I have read about Turkmenistan. And that floats my boat. Even just for a few days, I would love to see the place and say I've been. Ashgabat sounds like it is opulence gone mad full of palaces and monuments, and a lot of marble. Elsewhere there are a series of burning craters, created from gas exploration which are again out of this world.



Not only do I want to visit Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, I want to go back to the three countries I've been and explore further. Hopefully, one day, I can because it is such a brilliant part of our world. Next time you're planning a trip, and you want to think outside the box, think 'Central Asia'. It's something special.

One last class – what would you teach?

So, this week sees me in the home stretch of teaching in Japan. I’ve been teaching here for two years now and I’ve done lessons on all sorts of topics from favourite foods (and favourite this and that!) to ‘virtual water’, do google that if you’re interested. Once you start reading, you won’t be. So for my last lot of lessons I wanted to do something special to me and interesting to the students. Well I try to make every lesson interesting for the students. I have done a range of lessons on different travel-related topics which often involve an English grammar point, but this week I was given the topic of ‘your favourite character’ to make a lesson for the first years.

So yes, my friends will know where I went for that topic! I finally got to do a lesson about Doctor Who! Well, it’s not my first, I have used Doctor Who here and there in a couple of lessons, but never as the central theme of a lesson. And so I spent the weekend creating a short video about Doctor Who (none of my students have heard of Doctor Who except through me of course) introducing the character of the Doctor and choosing some choice bits. I wanted to explain why he is my favourite character – so I talked about his ability to change his face, about facing danger, being brave, funny and caring for his friends.

I kept the message simple – a must for all lesson plans here, not always the easiest though with some of the topics I get thrown (see ‘virtual water’). I included some scenes from Doctor Who featuring the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth Doctors (unfortunately Adobe couldn’t handle the files from the tenth and eleventh because I had some moments in mind) and it was interesting to watch their reactions. Not a lot of dialogue of course. They laughed at Patrick Troughton posing for the camera as soldiers stormed past him, and went ‘awwwww’ in amazement as Tom Baker turned into Peter Davison. The Orgons they found particularly funny in ‘Day of the Daleks’ and then the video asked them – ‘who is YOUR favourite character?’ (well, it said favorite as we are using Ameriglish here).

Mickey Mouse has proved popular, I was expect a lot of Doraemon, according to the net the most popular character in Japan. Not one from the first class! Actually, in contrast to many of the typical ‘favourite’ exercises I’ve given my first graders, I had a surprisingly wide variety of answers. And no, none of the students can borrow my ‘Terror of the Zygons’ DVD. But I do hope one or two look ‘Doctor Who’ up on the net after that.

The white board awaits the students!

Imagine it’s your last class, what topic would you like to bring to your students that is important to you and who you are?

My final worksheet

Andrew is a travel blogger and the writer of the ebook series ‘Short Journeys’. Check out his travel writings at:

World Journeys

Introducing Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan

Central Asia. It's bloody brilliant. Seriously. In 2011 I visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, all brilliant places. My only regret is that I didn't work in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Oh and I should have spent longer in all three countries. For travelling, they were simply brilliant. As a backpacker, kind of perfect. The transport is rough and ready, but cheap and adventuresome. The accommodation was always decent, if a little pricey in Kazakhstan, but not for the other two places. 

I met wonderful friendly people at every turn. I saw nature, history, and simply some of the most stunning architecture I could imagine from the Islamic World. I saw part of the Silk Road, immortalised by the travels of Marco Polo, by which silk and other goods made its way from China to Europe. There was culture, opera, ballet, there were mountains and stunning scenery. One day I shall go back, yes I shall go back. I am already dreaming of the next opportunity to head to the region.

Meanwhile, I have been working tirelessly on the next book in the Short Journeys range, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Two countries rolled into the longest and most-packed Short Journeys yet. It is now available for Kindle. Here:

Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan (Amazon US)

Short Journeys: Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan (Amazon UK)

Blurb for the book:

Take a journey on the road less travelled to two neighbouring countries in Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The former is blessed with mountains and natural beauty, the latter with some of the world’s most stunning Islamic architecture. Both feature warm locals, adventure and a brilliant travelling experience for the traveller.

This book is the perfect introduction to the two countries. Chock full of experiences and tips, places to stay, money, transport and more. Although not a guidebook, this book is written with the goal of whetting the appetite for two countries which gave the author nothing but a great time. I visit Biskek, Karakol, Altyn Arashan, Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara. This book also includes a detailed account of travelling from Bishkek to Tashkent in one day, via Kazakhstan, a challenging exercise full of adventure.

Featuring over 45 photos of the region taken by the author, this book is full of love for a brilliant part of the world, the fifth book in the ‘Short Journeys’ range.

‘Short Journeys’ is a series of stories about my travels to different countries. Whilst they are not intended as a guide book, I have endeavoured to include information about where I stayed, what I ate, what I saw and how to go about it if you were to visit the countries in question. My previous writings – the ‘Dhaka to Dakar’ books, were simply travel experiences. This time I wanted to go a little further for the reader.

I wanted to include any stories and experiences I thought were interesting, important or amusing whilst I was travelling. I want to encourage you the reader to read, think about, and then perhaps go there yourself. You will find information on the places I stayed and visited, and how I got there and around. 

Also Available:

Short Journeys: Kazakhstan (Amazon US)

Short Journeys: Kazakhstan (Amazon UK)

The Return

From this:

to this:

The date is fast approaching now, in May I will be returning to Australia to live with my wife. The final, main piece in the puzzle has been put into place now - my wife's partner visa came through yesterday ending months of stress and worry about it all. We are very thankful. We worried a bit, probably unnecessarily, but we didn't really have any contact from the embassy (in Seoul as the Tokyo consulate does not process visas) apart from responses to emails sent telling us to wait. There were just two of them.
It took about six months in total, and considering they quoted us about 9-12 months, that's not bad at all. And now we face the big move. I haven't lived permanently in Australia since I left in 2011 on my big trip, that resulted in marriage and two years living in Japan.
From one winter to another, at least the Melbourne winter can't rival the Iwate winter for cold and misery! It feels like this winter started years ago. The car park is still covered in ice and snow, though today we've some sunshine even if it's not so warm (about 3 degrees).
And all the things that need to be taken care of now, despite the fact that they've been on my mind for months, come into sharper focus - work, car, moving etc. Settling back into life. Having a TV! I havent had a TV for three years now!
Don't worry - the blog will continue. Both here and on Word Press, for the moment at least, and I will still be writing. Tomorrow will see the release of the latest Short Journeys - Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. This is the cover I have chosen -

And of course, if you're looking for my writings in ebook form, each ebook has a page devoted to it at my Word Press site -

World Journeys

Do visit it!
And thanks for following, a new chapter begins...

One Night in Central Asia...

When travelling, you experience many things. Highs and Lows, adventure, challenges, places and situations that you planned, hoped to make, and then sometimes, there's that experience where you wonder just exactly how you managed to get there. And you consider maybe it's just a weird sort of dream.

The shack.

I've been working on and am now editing the next 'Short Journeys' - this one is a double feature on Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and I came to writing about the absolutely stunningly beautiful Altyn Arashan in North-Western Kyrgyzstan. Sure, maybe you're going to find that a hard one to find on a map, it's really just a little valley amongst some mountains with a few shacks and yurts, a river and hot springs and not much else. Heck, there's no electricity. However, it's a pretty special place. And the afternoon and evening I spent there was memorable.

The legendary Valentine

The man who owns and runs 'Yak Tours' is a Russian gentleman (and yes I think he is) called Valentine. He organised a jeep up to Altyn Arashan and I would hike back to the nearest town Karakol the next day. The jeep ride itself was an adventure as we had to stop to refill the radiator and then a hill was too slippery for the jeep so I and a the other two passengers had to push it up the hill.

Helping out with some wood chopping.

I stayed in the 'Yak Tours' shack. A two story ramshackle house that had seen better days and was the largest structure up in the valley. A car battery provided very minimal lighting and the toilet was... outside. Wherever you could find a spot. The shower was... the river. But heck, it was grand!

Then some friends of Valentine's arrived. A whole group in a sort of army truck thing and they took over the place. I joined in as best I could with my two words of Russian and none of Kyrgyz. The food was shashliks. Lots of them. Very popular in the region along with plov, a rice dish. And vodka. Lots and lots of vodka. And toasts as well, the toasting didn't stop. Even I made a toast, none of which I can remember. There were a few kids there, one 11 year old boy was the only one bar Valentine who spoke English.








Later in the evening one guy brought out proper army-grade night vision goggles! That was something too. Eventually the night came to a close. It was a remarkable 12 hours or so. I'm still not sure how I got there, I do remember the hike back to Karakol the next day wasn't so easy though, it was around 20km but I accepted a lift with 2-3km to go...





Have you ever had a similar experience? This is the sort of thing that happens in ex-USSR countries sometimes. Great hospitality - I was the only foreigner at the shack. They took me happily under their wings. The ebook is coming soon before the end of February. Stay tuned!

The morning after inside the shack.

Top Ten Countries Number One - Iran

10 – Slovakia

9 – Romania

8 – Mali

7 – The United Kingdom

6 – Japan

5 - Central Asia

4 – Laos

3 – Ethiopia

2 – India

1 - Iran

Eman Khomeini Square, Esfahan.

‘What? Your number one favourite destination is Iran Andrew? That’s the axis of evil! That’s where all the terrorists come from!’

Well, throw away all your preconceptions about Iran because for me it was the ultimate backpacking experience. I spent a month there nearly ten years ago now and it hasn’t changed as my favourite backpacking experience. I doubt it ever will. Why? Because it is a simply wonderful country to visit as a backpacker. Disregard what you think you know about the place and the people. There is not a country I have visited (and I’ve visited 69) with friendlier people. No, I’m not talking about the government or the theocracy, but the real people who are nothing but genuine, warm, hospitable folk prepared to open their doors to you at the drop of a hat.

The family I was 'kidnapped' by in Kerman.

People joke about being ‘kidnapped’ in Iran, about a family taking you in and it becomes impossible to leave not just because they don’t want you to, but principally because you are taken care of so well that you lose the urge to move on in your trip! It happened to me after crossing the Pakistan border. Met a guy as we crossed, stayed with his family in Kerman and was there for ten days. I don’t even impose of relatives for that long! Usually…

It’s good value for money Iran, and no mistake. The buses are comfortable, there are a plethora of historically important or just stunningly beautiful sites across the country, a month was not long enough for me there. You get decent hotels for little money, hospitality, kindness, adventure… the only catch is it’s pretty hard to get in if you’re from the UK and close to impossible if you’re from the US.

Karanagh

Yazd is a wonderful city, lots of mudbrick buildings and alleyways and lanes to explore. Not too far from Yazd is the site of a Zoroastrian temple, at the small village of Chak Chak, in the middle of a desert built into the side of a hill. It’s really beautiful and I did it on a day trip which took me also to the abandoned village of Karanagh. A really special little village of mud-brick houses. There was a lot more to the tour as well, including Camel kebab for lunch.

Persepolis

Shiraz is another great place. It’s the spot to reach Persepolis from, an ancient ruined Roman city in the desert. Another day tour combined with a couple of lesser sites. One of those sites was Naqsh-e Rostam, four tombs carved into cliffs that were reminiscent of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. Lesser sites? If it was a lesser site, it was only just!

Naqsh-e Rostam

Shiraz has a great market, good for buying carpets if you so desire, some ruins of its own and a couple of shrines dedicated to poets – poets are very popular in Iran.

Esfahan or Isfahan if you prefer, is regarded as something like the ‘jewel’ of Iran, and it’s not hard to see why.

Esfahan

In the centre is one of the most impressive squares on the planet – the Eman Khomeini Square. It is named after the first Ayatollah, father to today’s Iran and be warned – it’s not the only place named after him in Iran. It’s not the only Square named after him in Iran. The square boasts an amazing Mosque at one end, a market, space, life, it’s where it’s at in Esfahan. Esfahan has a lot more to see though, beautiful gardens, a bird sanctuary and the river is awesome. Some of the bridges over the river have little tea houses built into them. It’s really charming and picturesque and the sort of place you could happily lose yourself in for days.

Tabriz, in the north towards the Turkish border, is another pleasant city with some nice parks and shrines to poets. It feels like a university-town. An easy day trip takes the visitor to Kandovan where people live in houses formed naturally by volcanic rock centuries or more ago. If you’re lucky you might get to go inside a house and see how it’s set up, it is truly a special little place. The spring water flows near the river at the base of the Kandovan cliffs. It’s highly prized and apparently has remarkable healing qualities. People come from far and wide to bottle some of this water and take it with themselves.

Kandovan

And then there’s Tehran. It’s not the monstrous of capital cities and it has a stunning mountain-backdrop, but I wouldn’t have it on top of your places to visit list. Simply, it’s a big city. It’s busy and even the Iranian hospitality is not quite what it is in other places. Mashhadd, a city in the north-east, which I didn’t visit as it was a long way from any of the places I did, sounds like a great place to visit, so if you’re headed to Iran, do consider this place.

Perhaps an odd choice for number one, for me it was an easy choice. If you’d like to know more about my time in Iran, it features as part of Dhaka to Dakar: Book One – Through Asia. The individual chapter is also available for kindle separately.

Dhaka to Dakar: Book One – Through Asia (Second Edition,Payhip)

Dhaka to Dakar: Book One – Chapter Five: Iran (Firstedition, Amazon)

And with that, my top ten countdown, began in November, is finally done. Do you agree? What countries am I missing which you think deserve to be in a top ten? Please do comment below. The blog will continue. I am going to do a series of blogs on top sleeps of various kinds and various regions, plus I want to write a little about the epublishing experiences I’ve had so far, and of course I am having experiences regularly to blog and post photos about. So – WATCH THIS SPACE!

Backpacking Basics

Hi Folks,

Well I have been thinking about epublishing, frustrated at lack of sales and all that, and I thought I would try my hand at a book about the basics of backpacking. A sort 'how to' guide for the first-time or inexperienced backpacker. And today I have published 'Backpacking Basics' on both Lulu and Payhip. On payhip you'll find it for 0.99 cents which is a bargain, Lulu won't give me anything until it's OVER 99 cents so it's $1.49. It will also be available tomorrow (Wednesday) on Amazon.

If you are looking for an ebook for yourself or someone else who is about to go backpacking, maybe for the first time, and trying to work out budgets and packing is proving a pain, or you want the lowdown into the hosteling experience, then THIS is the ebook for you!!!

LINKS:

Backpacking Basics (Payhip Link)

Backpacking Basics (Lulu Link)

The Blurb:

Backpacking expert Andrew Boland has backpacked in some 69 countries, but still remembers what it was like preparing for his first backpacking adventure fifteen years ago. In this book Andrew write about preparing and planning for the trip of a life time. He talks about how to plan your budget for a backpacking adventure, how to keep costs down and talks about some of the costs you may not have thought of before leaving.

Andrew also talks in some detail about the hostelling experience, with tips for surviving hostels and the pros and cons of staying in one.

This is essential reading for the inexperienced or first-time back packer. It will give you an idea of how to start planning, and how to organise your budget so you don’t get left short in the wallet in a foreign country. With 69 countries of experience, Andrew talks about his greatest passion – backpacking.

Thanks as usual. Next time, for SURE, Number One in my Top Ten Countdown! 

Ten Thousand Strong - Eight Years of Memories

Hi folks
I was going to do a short retrospective blog a couple of weeks back when this blog passed 10,000 page views, but other stuff seemed more important at the time. But today, it's time to look back a little.
I started this blog at the end of 2005, in fact I had one post in December 2005, not long before I took off on my ill fated 2006 journey to West Africa. 10,000 hits since then isn't really so many, I know, it took just over eight years. So what's that? 3 views a day? Well that's pretty sucky screw you guys, I'm...

:P

Ok know I am incredibly grateful for the support of everyone over the years who has followed my blog.

Since my first post, I have visited -

Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Burkina Faso, Jordan, the UAE, Ethiopia, Russia, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, the UK, Mali, Senegal, France, Germany, Vietnam, China, Laos, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Japan. Whew. I think that's all of them. Nope - Georgia! How could I forget Georgia? That's 31 countries! And I've blogged about and probably from each one.

The 2006 trip didn't go to plan. I got malaria and then disappeared from the blog under the misapprehension that no-one was reading it and subsequently freaked people out. I am still sorry about that one. This is my 273rd post. Recently I've noticed a lot of readers from the US have been tuning into the blog - so hello! And now a quick rundown of my travels since I started the blog.

January 2006 - My first trip to West Africa started in Ghana. I did not cope well.

February 2006 - I moved through to Burkina Faso. Just as I was feeling on top of travelling again, I got malaria.

October 2007 - It was time to travel again, I started with the Baltic countries - this is Tallinn, beautiful Tallinn.

November 2007 - Mali, with friends, an amazing experience back in West Africa. I had to returned first to Burkina Faso to cross to Mali by land because the main airport in Mali was closed for runway repairs. 

November 2007 - I made it to Dakar, Senegal, a place that was to finish my dream of going from Dhaka, Bangladesh, to Dakar, Senegal.

October 2009, Dubai, UAE. Yes it's 40 plus outside, but inside a mall you can go to the snow!

A challenge met and conquered - trekking the Simien Mountains in Ethiopia, November 2009

Big trip time again, and not long after March 11, I landed in Japan in 2011 as part of the trip where I was mesmerised by lights, karaoke, warm toilet seats and cosplay!

June 2011 - the sun beat down on me in Uzbekistan, but I was still taken by the beauty of this place as I explored Central Asia.

July 2011 - The UK. I got my geek on and met some of the legends of Doctor Who.

 September - December 2011 - I lived and worked in Georgia, teaching English and falling in love with a wonderful country. This is the capital, Tbilisi. 

January 2013 - Sri Lanka. I climbed a big rock and had my wallet stolen. 

And that's where I am today. Well, I'm in Japan actually. But things can change, and the journeying continues. Stay tuned to this blog for more! and Thank you all!