Two Days in Samarkand – what not to miss (Part One)

Two Days in Samarkand – what not to miss (Part One)

My impromptu Silk Road trip to Samarkand and Bukhara lasted six days, including two long flights, and time was a bit of an issue. What to do if you have limited time, want to see everything, but don’t want to spend a ton of money 

Hotel Rahmon, Samarkand: A model of hospitality

Hotel Rahmon, Samarkand: A model of hospitality

On my recent flying visit to the Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara, my first contact with the locals was in this guesthouse I had just booked quickly in order to crash somewhere upon arrival. I had already booked some fancier hotels in Bukhara 

Travelling to Uzbekistan in 2019

Travelling to Uzbekistan in 2019

Uzbekistan has been a rather difficult country to travel in the past.  Most of us would need to apply for a visa, customs rules were extremely strict, immigration was difficult. And once there, you had to change currency at an unfavourable official rate in a 

Hiking to Gergeti Trinity Church for the Unfit

Hiking to Gergeti Trinity Church for the Unfit

No trip to Georgia would be complete without seeing the Caucasus Mountain Range. The easiest mountain trip is three hours up the Georgian Military Road which runs from Tbilisi to Stepantsminda. We had two weeks for Armenia and Georgia, were travelling independently, and had wine tasting, 

Yerevan to Tatev and back in a Day’s Journey

Yerevan to Tatev and back in a Day’s Journey

When you travel to Armenia, you will undoubtledly be offered a tour of the Country.  But will you really need one to see the noteworthy sights, or are Armenia tours something for those who like their trips super organised? And what about Tatev, pretty much 

Buying a Caucasian Carpet 101

Buying a Caucasian Carpet 101

When you travel with a backpack and a limited amount of cash, buying a carpet it probably not very high on your list. Of course not! And neither may be shopping. But then, we are past the age of thirty, we have a home that 

A Love Letter to Yerevan

A Love Letter to Yerevan

Would you have thought that Yerevan is a green relaxed city? I wouldn’t. A trip to Armenia didn’t really appear on my radar until I made plans to visit Georgia. And I thought it would be nice to see the some ancient Armenian monasteries dotted 

Eleven Alternative Reasons to Visit Georgia 

Eleven Alternative Reasons to Visit Georgia 

We returned from a (unusual for me) Easter Holiday… ummm, over six weeks ago.  We even celebrated Easter twice.  Once in Armenia – a country that is so special that it has its own church and a quarter of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre 

Haiku No. 5

Haiku No. 5

It’s been 5 months since I last posted Haiku, and 1 month since I last posted anything here. I am so sorry! This is not how I planned it. I returned form Armenia and Georgia with a notebook and a card full of pictures. Every 

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Bangkok

An Ode to the Atlanta Hotel Bangkok

The Atlanta Hotel in Bangkok is one of the oldest hotels and one of the quirkiest places to stay in this thriving and expanding city. Set deeply back in the 1950’s, lacking the ultramodern comforts that have become standards in city hotels, and applying a 

Haiku No.3

Haiku No.3

This haiku just came to my mind, literally, while I met with the ladies of our newly founded cat rescue to go through our website, and we talked about countries we had loved to travel in. My friend is saying People smile and dance in