And then we took the train to Bukhara, another important ancient city – so here goes another long post…

After arriving, we had lunch and met our new tour guide, Raisa. She was accompanied by some apprentices, Vlada & Michel. We had a full day of visiting sites, woke up the next day and did even more.

We walked around the charming old town (which reminds me to Cadiz) and visited several craftspeople, learning about their work and potentially buying some. We heard much about history & culture.

In addition to mosques (including) & madrasas, we went to the Samanid Mausoleum, the Ark Fortress and archaeological site, a huge necropolis, the Emir’s summer palace, and more….

I apologize for not taking better notes and not remembering all the details (but shame on WordPress for not saving stuff and for scrambling the media library, messing up this post in particular).

That evening, on my own I visited an ancient Jewish house and a monument to Ibn Sina (AKA Avicenna).

This batch includes a spot back in Samarkand, a couple of ceiling selfies, some locals, craftwork, and ancient archaeological sites…

We were offered the opportunity to go up on the roof of part of the old city. Again, silk carpet weaving, metal and ceramic plates, a Turkish bath, real and fake stork nests, and a very deep well, etc…

The third in our series of ancient towers, this one not destroyed by Genghis Khan (unlike the rest of the city) so that they could see trouble coming from a distance. Note the moon, a badass blacksmith, yet another wedding photo shoot, and the lights reflecting on the pool in the old town near our hotel…

This batch starts with Raisa’s favorite location, Ismail Samani’s mausoleum (which grants wishes if you walk around it three times), pomegranate juice, a bike mishap, and fun on the bus…

At the Ark Fortress, which featured executions in front back in the day. Note the prison cells. The tower used to be for water, now it’s a restaurant…

Bolo Haouz Mosque, in a different style, some pages from the Koran, and the archaeological park on a hill looking over the city (note the pano)…

More mosques, museums, and maps. (the five fingers = the five pillars)…

This batch continues with the mosques, but has some of the summer palace, getting in on the wedding pix, an old school fridge, and our Chinese van…

This batch is particularly hodgepodgy! Summer palace & necropolis, vases & fire features, wasps, shoes, and the pigeon people… (We learned that the Emir’s had multiple wives AND a harum. And that while Islam didn’t like fire worship, the Zoroastrians kept it going.)

We had seen a lot, but I did more. This old Jewish house has been around for 500 years, and there had been a thriving community, but when the Soviet Union finally ended, many left for Israel. Interesting pix and an ancient couple of rooms kept under lock & key…

I also walked around, talked to a local soccer team, and visited the statue of Ibn Sina, next to a college or medical institute. The Old Barn had a tap and the moon was full…! Also, one pic of our Italian disco restaurant (too gimpy to dance)…

That was our last big tour day. Now, as I post this, we are about to have our farewell lunch, then take a long train ride back to Tashkent. While our Intrepid tour is almost over, Miko and my colleagues have encouraged me to check out Khiva, a third ancient city here in Uzbekistan. I don’t fly to Istanbul until November 4th. Stay tuned…

Thank you in advance for checking out this very long post, but there’s a lot to see in Samarkand, the ancient capital of the empire of Amir Temur (AKA Timur or Tamerlane).

First up, our great Uzbek train, samsas in a tandoor for lunch, and a great artisan garden along a highly rechannelled river. First, a papermaking factory, the property has evolved into a series of craft workshops. Papermaking, linseed oil grinding, textiles, and ceramics, etc…

Here’s some special attention to the ceramics…

Next up, a trip to a silk carpet factory. Saw the process from silk spinning and dying to tying the knots and salesmanship. Even the landscapes, lions, and other non-designy rugs and hand-woven silk…!

Forgive me in advance for not remembering the names of all our destinations. We went to numerous mausoleums, mosques, madrasas, and monuments. The first site, surrounded by a cemetery, featured the graves – inside mausoleums – of several prominent citizens and the relations of Timur. They all have similar architectural components, including arches, domes, ceramic tiles, and geometric designs…

So many pix! The end of this batch shows a map of the area, among other subjects…

A wall design in our little hotel in the old town, just adjacent to Amir Temur’s mausoleum, and a visit to Sam Craft, a local pub. That evening, we went to a light show at Registan Square, the main mosque/madrasa complex in Samarkand…

Our little hotel in the old part of town. And a visit to Amir Temur’s mausoleum. Prominently featured is Aziza, our tour guide, a charming woman who only two weeks ago gave birth to her third son. Amir Temur’s fake coffin is the dark marble, but his actual body – which was exhumed to study his skeleton and determine the shape of his face (countenance) – is down in the crypt at the end of this batch…

Next, we walked to Registan Square taking in the sites (including a pet shop) along the way. Registan features dozens of tourist shops, most just selling stuff, but some featuring local craftspeople. Note the woman doing embroidery! Also, some ancient coins, chess sets, etc…

A vast and impressive complex, we had some nice Turkish coffee, and learned about the difference between the actual ancient structures and the myriad restorations. There was a ceramic tile seller who was there primarily at the behest of the government to explain to tourists the different ways tiles are made in the restoration process…

This batch is all photos of the ruins of Samarkand in the late 19th & early 20th centuries before the extensive restorations transformed the area into the tourist Mecca that it is. Speaking of Mecca, that is the direction to which all mosques are built…

More miscellany at Registan…

After that full morning, we went to lunch, aided by a golf cart limosine. (Tho’ there are still some Registan pix.) After lunch we went to another market area, but at this point pix of nuts, fruits, veggies, meat, and miscellary have become less compelling…

Cute kids and ancient paintings are always good topics. While our tours for the day had ended with the mausoleum of the first president of independent Uzbekistan, Islam Karamov, five of us agreed to go to the ruins of the Observatory of Ulugh Beg, a Timurid Sultan, scientist, astronomer, and and victim of assassination. His observatory inspired several others, including the one we visited in Jaipur. Using his observatory, he was about to calculate the length of a year almost exactly, and is considered to be among the great early astronomers (see lithograph). We were toured around the museum by another Uzbek guide, then saw what’s left of the observatory…

Another long day ended with a demonstration at a family home on how to make Plov, a traditional Uzbek dish of meat, veggies, and rice. We also had a long conversation with the eldest daughter about her marital v. academic situation. She wants to finish university before being betrothed! Rushana (Roxanne) is only seven days older than Veronica!

On our last day in Kyrgyzstan, we took a van to the border and waited in somewhat challenging passport control lines. But we made it into Uzbekistan and spent some time in the town of Andjian. We went to the local mosque and picked up some supplies for the train at the local market..

It was a long train ride from Andjian to Tashkent, but we checked into a particularly nice hotel. The next day we took a Tashkent city tour. We walked past several famous buildings and went through the National History Museum. Then, we went to a large mosque/madrasa complex that features the world’s oldest Koran. Lots of pix of ancient Islamic texts. a few of the gift shops, and another adjacent mosque under construction…

For lunch, we went Besh Qozon (Five Pots), saw some bread making, then went to the Tashkent central market. We finished the tour with a subway ride to the station of cosmonauts, just next to our hotel…

Instead of chillin’ in the hotel (or even taking a swim, I went for a walk, back to where I’d seen some old books for sale. Near there I met a guy selling old Soviet medals and memorabilia. Another guy showed up to help with some translations. I wound up meeting Uncle Kolya and Elbek, and buying some stuff. Then, Elbek took me to another area where there was more flea market action. A very pleasant encounter. That evening, I met with Christiane Ochoa, a former student who is a diplomat with USAID in Tashkent. (Note the private Karaoke booth? Weird.)

Christiane has had an amazing life so far. I recruited her as a promising scholar for the Naturalist Academy and she was in Mary Lynn’s choir. After graduating from the newly built CSU Channel Islands (during which time she also lived and studies in Spain & Peru), she went to Madagascar with the Peace Corps, got a masters in public health from Columbia, worked in Oregon, and now has an amazing job with the United States Agency for International Development. (Her boss, Samatha Power, Obama’s UN Ambassador, had just been in town the day before.) More on Christiane in a subsequent post…

Once again, I’m adding a clips-only post. I may add more videos as we proceed. In fact, I have added more, and may add more. Once again, thanks for watching…

First up, wild horses along a ridge at the Fairy Tale Canyon near Lake Issyk-Kul…

Miko planned a special event early in our tour – a recital of indigenous Kyrgyz music by local musicians. Here are three clips…

Love those time-lapses. Here are just two from the van…

Yurt building is a process. You might have seen the pix? Here are two time-lapses of putting up a demonstration yurt…

From the amusement park in Osh, Kyrgyzstan…

From the train in Uzbekistan (Andjian to Tashkent)…

This lil’ firecracker was busking in the market place. Sample the goods…

Another busker under an intersection…

Birdsongs for lunch…

Started as a paper factory, this was like an artisan collective featuring various crafts & and waterworks…

At the silk carpet factory…

Light show at Registan…

Traditional music in Samarkand…

Electric golf cart limo ride to lunch…

Fun in Bukhara: kids racing, kids busking, pigeons flying…

The train from Bukhara to Tashkent…

The water fountain light show at Tashkent City Park…

I reckon that’s enough, it covers our Intrepid tour, but if there’s something cool before I leave Uzbekistan I’ll add it to this post. Cheers…

Because of the change in our itinerary, I’ve just been going with the flow, and we’ve been going hard. Up with the sun, and at it all day ’til sunset. While we’ve slowed down a bit here in Osh, the last two days have featured long drives. Fortunately, there have also been quite a number of stops along the way.

This first batch is all about a famous strong man & wrestler Kozhomkul, born in 1888, died in 1955. A huge and powerful fellow, apparently he could carry a horse, and moved some of the large stones in front of this small museum dedicated to a big man – and evidently a good guy.

In addition to the paintings and photographs of him, you can see the size of his feet, a snow leopard he captured by hand, and his pants were just one piece of his XXXXXL clothing (see pix!). There were also several other photos of his relatives, sons, and prominent men of the town. You can see the board game he liked to play, and the rocks he picked up. Note the interpretive signage…

This is a batch of random stops on a road that took us over a high pass. First, a Soviet era bridge, a stop for fermented mare’s milk and dried cheese balls, another statue of Manas, and entrance signs to a couple of the seven provinces of Kyrgyzstan. Many a glorious mountain, etc…

Our waitress at a lunch stop wanted to take some selfies with us. A furnace, and more mountains. We stopped at one of the many cemeteries along the road, and experienced a couple of reservoirs and hydroelectric dams. More statues and a herd of camels…

Just before arriving in Osh (the second largest city [southern capital]), we went to another ancient site featuring another tower we could climb – the Uzgen Minaret. There are several shots of the view from the top through the windows. Adjacent is a large mausoleum, and other archeological sites. Note the doors, windows, and ceiling selfies. We were the only ones in another small museum featuring a variety of artifacts found in the area. Don’t miss one pretty wildflower, church/mosque views, a Krygyz couple hailing a taxi, the river that flows through town, and an ice cream place near our restaurant…

Nice digs in Osh: the “Tes Hotel,” and a wonderful dinner at “Ethnic,” a restaurant near a huge park featuring a large amusement park. The next day we climbed the historic and sacred mountain of “Sulaiman-Too” – a UNESCO World Heritage site. We hiked up the mountain to the museum built within a cave inside. On our guided tour, we learned about the various peoples and religions that once inhabited the region. Again, we experienced artifacts from pre-historic shamanism, to Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Islam. In addition to myriad archaeological artifacts, there were several dioramas…

The hike on the mountain was as entertaining as the museum. Caves and rocks to slide on, vast views of Osh, and other explorers were part of the fun. We also went to a small mosque dedicated to Babur, a descentant of Genghis Khan and Timur (Tamerlane). There, I met a new set of friends…

After hiking down the other side of the mountain, we first went to a tandoori oven maker and learned their techniques. Then, for lunch, we had some samosas made in a tandoori oven by sticking them to the sides. After that, we went to the bazaar in Osh, another vast marketplace, and again I’ve documented only some of the many shops therein, and several cute kids. Eventually, I walked along the river that goes through town back to the hotel. Check out the amusement park, some hardware products, guys hanging out, and a romantic sign (Mary Lynn are you still here?)…

Today was our last full day in Kyrgyzstan, tomorrow we cross the border into Uzbekistan, and this post is already too long. Thanks for checking it all out, stay tuned for more…

Let’s open with a time lapse going up another valley off Issyk-Kul late. Spectacular scenery on our way up to another waterfall hike at a site made famous by OG cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin…

First however, we did another religion combo – a Chinese mosque and a Russian Orthodox church in Karakol. Distinctive Chinese architecture on the former, including some interestng posters. The latter was originally made without nails (tho’ we detected some), and while we entered it (unlike both mosques we’ve visited), we weren’t allow to take pix. Adjacent was a pretty, and apparently very good, school. A couple of wildflowers, and autumn leaves on the apricot trees. Also, there are many cemeteries on the side of the roads, and here’s another one…

First up, the gorgeous gorge, power pole construction (?!), and two monuments to Yuri Gagarin, who saw Issyk-Kul lake from space and then had to visit. A rock monument to the meeting of ancient tribes centuries ago, then a shorter hike to an equally lovely waterfall. Then, interesting things on the road, lunch, kids, and a bike shop. (Sorry, I can’t remember the little town…)

In this batch, a couple more cemeteries, and our session about eagle hunting. We learned about the practice (beyond falconry!), saw a couple of flights, and got to get up close and person with these magnificent birds. In addition to eagle hunting, we experienced dog hunting and archery, and learned about the events of the Nomad Games!

Our next interactive activity was Yurt making. We went to the workshop of a craftsman who showed us how they bend the willow branches (which makes Kyrgyz yurts different from Mongolian yurts). Cool spot next to the river with a few animal skulls and exotic chickens. Then, we went across the street to his home to set one up as a group.

On this tour, we’re using a Whats App group to share photos & videos, so yeah, a couple of the above and before have been shot by my fellow tourists. You can tell especially if I’m in ’em…

The next morning in Koshkor, we went to the Women’s Collective for a lesson on how to make felt carpets out of wool. They had quite a nice gift shop! (Kids, a got ya a lil’ sumpin’…)

A long drive along a beautiful river (means Blue Horse in Kyrgyz). We stopped for a great picnic lunch…

Made it to our guest house in a small village surrounded by hills and mountains, and before dinner got a lesson on how to make and fry bread Kyrgyz style…

Another eventful couple days. In fact, I was so worn out that I skipped dinner and went to bed early sleeping well under the heavy blankets. I’ll let you know what happens today…

The day after our city tour of Bishkek our new guide Miko (and driver Serge) took us to our first destination of many across Kyrgyzstan. Check out the map of the country and a MIG 25 before arriving at Burana Tower. While its history goes back a thousand years, the site is even older. There is an ancient fortress, a cemetery, and a small museum with various artifacts representing various belief systems…

Next, we went to lunch at the home of a farming family. Check out the dried dung in the barn, the animals, one of many berries, a trophy Ibex, and our hosts – on the wall and in person…

After a long drive on the southern edge of Issyk-Kul lake (the second largest alpine lake in the world [First: Titicaca]), we stayed at a yurt camp. In addition to the dining yurt, a couple of shots of lunch. Some road pix, a poor cow who’d gotten stuck, and the sun coming up over the lake early the next morning. That’s Aussie coule Tim & Casey on the lifeguard tower, and a close up of the clear water.

Next, we drove to Fairy Tale Canyon (reminiscent of Bryce Canyon), and did some hiking. Note the legend! Amazing rock formations, and that’s me at the top of a hill in the last shot…

Our third hike of the day was to a water fall way up a beautiful gorge, after we had had a picnic lunch. Another drive eventually got us to a nice guest house in Karakol. Some pix of the Seven Bulls, a Soviet Lada and cows in the road, kids playing, and an amusing ad for chicken…

I reckon I should put more than two days in a post, but they’ve busy ones. Also, the wifi is occasionally sketchy, so ya gotta do what you can when you can (even at 2:30 in the morning!)…

Bishkek. The nice folks at the Rich Hotel allowed me to check in early, which in turn allowed me to rest up before my Intrepid tour started the next day. I explored the neighborhood, and a large cemetery, but mostly read, wrote, and researched. The Rich has a pool, as you can see, and here’s the welcome dinner.

The next day, we took the city tour and visited many of the main government buildings and various monuments. Hopefully, the mountains in back ground will be the focus soon. Lisa, our guide, explained lots of relevant history (LMK if you want the details), and check out that cute long-eared squirrel…

The batch above has two shots of a huge Lenin statue (also featured below) which was moved to a less prominent place after the independence of Kyrgyzstan following the fall of the Soviet Union. However, communist/socialist ideology has not been completely rejected, and check out the two shots of a statue of Marx & Engels in discussion. This batch focuses on statuary, often dismissed, but a place where history and honor are memorialized in art (questions?). Ya gotta love the jaguar – snow leopard – made completely of nuts! The stories of Manas, the folkloric hero of Kyrgyzstan, and Kurmanjan Datka, a female leader in the Khanate of Kokand, were particularly interesting. You can also see our tour guide Lisa, that cute squirrel, and some paintings depicting local culture and nature…

Here’re some pix of the cemetery I explored. Not very well maintained, but some impressive stones…

While we walked for most of the tour, we did get a ride to go see two prominent religious sites: The main mosque, a smaller version of the Hagia Sofia in Istanbul – a gift from Turkiye, and the main Russian Orthodox Church. Both are new or restored since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Like Almaty, Bishkek has a central market, the Osh Bazaar, but this one is huge. Here’s just a fraction…

Here are a couple of clips of the changing of the guard at Freedom Square in front of the National Museum, and one ceiling selfie at the Central Mosque…

I reckon that’s plenty (too much?) for one post. Today we are off to Issyk-Kul Lake and a couple of nights in a yurt…

One learns to love airports, maybe? Inside IST (Istanbul International) on the way to Kazakhstan…

My first destination: Almaty, Kazakhstan. However, this opening batch starts with a sculpture & planes at the Istanbul airport, and a poster at the Almaty airport (“One of the 14th highest…”).

The first and perhaps most charming site, the Zenkov Cathedral in the middle of Panfilov Park. Including some of gilded alter art inside. FYI, it was very early in the morning as my flight arrived at 4:30 am…

Next, a gondola takes one up to Kok Tobe, a hilltop amusement park adjacent to the famous TV tower. And, from various spots one can see spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountains.

The Green Bazaar is a large marketplace with veggie & meat mongers, clothing sellers, and you name it. Added a few more pix of the Zenkov, inside and thereabouts…

I stayed at two hotels in Almaty, the Dostyk and the Uyut. Here’s the entrance to the first from inside the conference room which features what seems like some Soviet Era art, glorifying workers and culture.

Speaking of art, there was a lot just off the pedestrian street Arbat, featured in the pano. Some sites thereabout on the way to the Central Mosque – people and pigeons…

Here are two clips of some street musicians along Arbat…

Unfortunately, this was just a taste of Kazakhstan, a vast country with beautiful mountains and even some skiing. If there is a next time, I hope to experience more of the nature, and the vastness…

Since it was nearby, I dropped in on the Green Bazaar one more time. Nearby, some better examples of what it is known as Brutalist architecture (yes?). And some food pix, from the menu and on the table…

To be on the safe side, I left Kazakhstan a day before my Intrepid tour started in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. In the bus station, I met a new friend, Rajan. We talked for five hours on the ride (great seats in front, but it was raining). He’s an electrical engineer in India. Two shots at the border…

(If you’re checking this out Rajan, I’m afraid that new SIM card didn’t work [get an iPhone] since I called/texted, but no luck? Hope you had a great trip, and LMK when you finally get that US visa!)

We’ll wrap this post up with another time lapse from the bus in Bishkek. Next, more on Kyrgyzstan…

Hey Scholars, we start with a great Dan Newitt poster for his band, Pathetic Honey. A great musician, gifted artist, and nice guy – we gotta get him to put stuff in the SCAA Art Show!

After a nice sunset from our porch, two shots at the Geraci’s house, including Dan’s garage – another in my “man cave” series of my old buddies’ collections of stuff.

After parched earth, a pool party near the end of the season. Then, more this summer’s projects: solar panels on our new roof and lots of tree trimming.

Daddy Bob gave me this awesome mini-chainsaw used to sculpt some oak trees. Lunch in SC w/da kids, and my passport – a picture I need for my Uzbekistan visa – more on that in a subsequent post…

This next batch are all from summer ’23’s King’s Mountain Art Fair – a great local event that should inspire PAFF & SCAA. Included are some great collages (ceramics & objets trouvés) featured previously, and the extraordinary paintings of Rebecca Holland, all local artists.

Gratitude to you! Me, thanks to Covid, no haircut since Christmas 2019. That’s almost three years of hair, finally realizing my teenage dream, thwarted by parents, then cut short by new wave.

Next, a pine tree in the corner of our property about to get a haircut (eventually completely felled), and a dinner we had with Ruby & Boman, Dawn & Jason at Costa Noa (boys comparing hunting shots).

Then, next to two photos from San Francisco – a great view from a community garden and a raptor thereabouts – is Ryan, the guy who pumped our septic tank (another big job).

Next, our precious pool getting a new liner and steps to code. And this batch ends with Veronica & I kayaking in the Pescadero Marsh – something I’d done with Charlie, and newly relevant as she’s taking a course about Wetlands Ecology…

This summer’s art events included Pie Ranch’s “Joy Jam” which featured, in addition to great food & music, an art show. In addition to some student work – Corazones & Mariposas (shown previously) – a couple FLW stained glass paintings, other stuff not shown, and just for this gig, cuddling carrots. As well, are works by Delma Soult, Chuck Clark, Denis Shaw, etc.

The swirling specks obliterate a huge harvest super moon, and there’s a shot of our deck before I cleaned, powerwashed, and restained/sealed it. One shot of Veronica’s new room in Santa Cruz, the new farm house at Pie Ranch, and one each of a pelican and a whale, although that day there were a great many of both magnificent creatures…

Speaking of kayaking, here’s a clip of Veronica in the marsh…

Here’s Colin Williams (one of Teacher Carole’s sons) working on that pine tree. (Another guy went up taking off the branches, the next day he came down round by round)…

Another great birthday party for Terry Adams, his 80th! A poetry reading, and a bit of the band…

There may be a Part 5 of ’23 & me (I trust), but the next several posts will be about my long awaited trip to “the Stans” – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, & Uzbekistan (with a little Turkish dessert). Of course, I’ll save those details for now, but I am posting this from my first destination in Almaty (love the fast wifi!)

Much, much gratitude…