To Start… A city forever suspended between east and west, at once Asian and European, one of the most historically textured cities I have ever visited! Magical, mysterious and crowded with over twenty million inhabitants. Called a “jungle” due crowded streets and traffic but clean with little street crime. I felt safe and welcomed throughout […]
Istanbul’s Magic Jungle: A City on Two Continents Read More »
The walls of the Khiva’s Ichan Kala or “Old Town” are a living museum and one of the most intimate ways to connect with the city’s soul is through its woodworking tradition, an ancient art form that continues to flourish today. A Legacy Carved in Wood Wood has long held a sacred and functional role
Khiva’s Ancient Art of Woodworking Read More »
There are places in the world that exceed your dreams. Registan Square, the architectural heart of Samarkand, Uzbekistan, is one of those rare places. It is the real world setting of the enchantment of One Thousand and One Nights and storyteller Scheherzade, one of the greatest Arabic, Middle Eastern, and Islamic contributions to world literature,
Registan Square: The Beating Heart of Samarkand Read More »
—solemn, symmetrical, and magnificent in its melancholy.” Lord Curzon, British statesman 19th c. The colors had begun to deepen in late afternoon shadows when we arrived in Samarkand, tired after a long bus ride through the desert but the mood changed instantly. We were in a sacred place, the burial monument to the legendary Tamerlane,
My Visit to “One of the Noblest Monuments of Asia” Read More »
Bukhara, one of the country’s oldest and continuously inhabited cities, a major center of trade, scholarship, and religion on the Silk Road for over two millennia. Today, it’s known for its remarkably preserved Islamic architecture, old city atmosphere, and its role as a spiritual and intellectual heart of Central Asia. Over 2,000 years old: Bukhara’s
Fairy Tales, Poets and Silks: My Love Affair with Bukhara Read More »
Khiva’s roots stretch back over 2,500 years, but its golden age began in the 16th century when it became the capital of the Khanate of Khiva. As a major oasis along the Silk Road, it prospered from trade — and infamously, from a large slave market that once operated within its walls. The real magic
Captivating Khiva: An Astonishing Life Inside the City Walls Read More »
Nestled in Uzbekistan’s remote northwest, Urgench might not be the first name that jumps out on a Silk Road itinerary — but you don’t want to miss this gateway to one of Central Asia’s most fascinating cultural crossroads. From the grand courtyard houses of Ulli Khovli to the enduring traditions of the Turkmen people, this
The Quiet Magic of The Turkmen: Nomads of the Steppe Read More »
The term “Silk Road” evokes images of camel caravans crossing deserts, laden with silk, spices, precious metals, and exotic goods, and was the intrigue for my 8,650 mile journey to Central Asia. That along with stuff of legend; the conquests of Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane. For over a thousand years, the Silk
Tashkent: A Vibrant Clash of Exotic Culture and Commerce! Read More »
Before landing in Tokyo I was perfectly content with a plastic tray of wannabe sushi from the supermarket. Not any more. The preparation, presentation and consumption of this oh-so-subtle symphony of flavors, textures, aromas and colors and its accompanying description raised my culinary bar to previously unscaled heights. A caress of freshly “grated over sharkskin”
Enjoy This Sushi Symphony: Japanese Food as Performance Art Read More »
Thousands of vermilion Torii gates blazing in the August sun which straddle a network of trails behind its main shrines. The trails lead into the wooded forest of the sacred Mount Inari. I was fortunate to visit on a steamy August day… A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance
A Hike of 10,000 Torii Gates: Kyoto’s Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Read More »