In Жаркент, One Last Stop Before Китай

Just like it was for those silk traders of yore, our route through Central Asia hasn’t always been easy. They had to suffer pretty serious inconveniences, like bandits, Sogdians, and months of long days on stinky camels. And recently, we suffered one long day on a hot, stinky bus. If this comparison isn’t apt, well, tell that to Asiman.

In Almaty, We Like Them Apples

Almaty has got to be just about the pleasantest city we’ve been through this summer. Set on the edge of the vast steppe at the foot of the Tian Shan mountains, this town is very Russian (lots were moved here during the USSR, and never left), very laid-back (a Kazakh characteristic, I’m told), and pretty darn upscale (this country’s got oil, tons of it, and the fancy shopping malls to go with it).