Archive for September, 2022
A review of the 1931 classic German film “M”
September 30th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
German cinema in the 1930s gave the world some striking and innovative work and this thriller directed by Austria-born Fritz Lang is one of those classics. It is notable both for the unusual subject matter and the humanistic approach to that subject and for the original use of sound in its storytelling. Loosely inspired by […]
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How many countries are double landlocked?
September 30th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
A country is “doubly landlocked” or “double-landlocked” when it is surrounded only by landlocked countries (requiring the crossing of at least two national borders to reach a coastline). There are two such countries: Liechtenstein in Central Europe, surrounded by Austria and Switzerland. Uzbekistan in Central Asia, surrounded by Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. I have just returned from almost two weeks in Uzbekistan but I have never […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (27): conclusion
September 29th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
It was always apparent that this trip to Central Asia would be a challenging one. In the end, we visited four countries and not five (because Turkmenistan would not allow us entry); we made seven flights instead of nine; and we stayed at 16 hotels instead of 18. So, not quite what we expected, but […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (26): Tashkent in Uzbekistan
September 28th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
Our last day in Central Asia (Day 25) was one of the very busiest of a consistently full itinerary. In Nukus, the hotel offered the smallest breakfast selection of the trip. We left the hotel at 8 am and reached the airport in a mere 10 minutes and then the flight to Tashkent was just […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (25): Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan
September 26th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
It was our penultimate day (Day 24) in Central Asia and, leaving behind Khiva after three nights, it was back to travelling, back to bumpy roads, back to the endless desert. However, the temperature had suddenly fallen from around 35C to about 25C which was more comfortable. Over the last few weeks, we have spent […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (24): around Khiva in Uzbekistan
September 25th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
Day 23 found us still staying in Khiva and it was a light day with simply a morning trip to two nearby locations with a local guide called Enessa. On the outskirts of Khiva is the Palace of Nurullabay which was built between 1906 and 1912. Like the Summer Palace outside Bukhara, this is a […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (23): Khiva in Uzbekistan
September 24th, 2022 by Roger Darlington
We are now in Khiva (Day 22). Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand were all caravan cities on the legendary Silk Road, the ancient trading route that led from China through the Middle East and into Europe, and Khiva is the most intact and the most remote of these Silk Road cities. The place has existed since […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (22): the road to Khiva in Uzbekistan
September 23rd, 2022 by Roger Darlington
If our trip had gone according to plan, we would have driven into Khiva from the border crossing between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan a short distance away, having spent three nights in Turkmenistan. Instead on Day 21, we had to travel to Khiva by road from Bukhara, a distance of some 450 km (over 300 miles) […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (21): still Bukhara in Uzbekistan
September 22nd, 2022 by Roger Darlington
As yesterday, it was a slow day (Day 20) in Bukhara instead of an intensive day in Turkmenistan. We started by visiting the workshop of a world renown artist of miniatures. Davlat Toshev has exhibited in the Louvre and hopes to have an exhibition in London sometime soon. His work ranges in price from $50 […]
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Holiday in Central Asia (20): around Bukhara in Uzbekistan
September 21st, 2022 by Roger Darlington
At this stage (Day 19), the whole pace of our intensive holiday changed. Instead of crossing into Turkmenistan, we remained in Bukhara for a leisurely day In the area. First, we drove the short distance out of the city to a place called Sitorai Mohi Hosa. This is popularly known as the Mir’s Summer Palace […]
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