As our journey into Central Asia slowly ended, Tashkent was our final stop. We thoroughly enjoyed the exotic and surprising nature of Uzbekistan, but also grew weary of challenges. Finding marts and grocery stores for water or any food was a constant struggle, which left us frequently hungry and dehydrated. This cut into the experience … Continue reading The Subway Palaces of Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Our first 24 hours in Uzbekistan was by far some of the most challenging on our trip. We had experienced language obstacles before, but Hannah and I typically had enough command of Spanish, French, Greek, and English to navigate the issues. The lingua franca in the former Soviet countries is Russian or the native language, … Continue reading Bukhara, Uzbekistan: I Am So Hungry, I Could Eat a Horse! (and did!)
Prior to our travels, I could not have found Azerbaijan on a map without a bit of effort, but the country and region have a rich history reaching all the way back to the Paleolithic period. Much of the country was frequently traversed by Silk Road merchants during the hay-day of overland trading. This resulted … Continue reading Azerbaijan: Christmas Between the Caucasus and Caspian
The transition from opulent Dubai to the post-Soviet landscape of Tbilisi was a massive culture shock. Red rusting steel and bulky concrete apartment blocks popped in and out of my view as our driver took us from the airport to our Airbnb. Our home for the next 5 days was in need of major repair. … Continue reading Tbilisi, Georgia: A Foodie’s Paradise in a Former Soviet Republic
It had been weeks since Hannah and I found ourselves in a truly major city. Budapest was alive and we could feel it in the large number of people and endless attractions and things to do. In fact, we became worried we might not fit everything we wanted in during our short 4 night stay. … Continue reading Budapest, Hungary: Mentored by a Local
It's A Ritch Life 