Why Did I Go to Central Asia?
“Marco Polo! We should follow the Silk Road!” As my husband grinned, thrilled with his brilliant idea, I blinked, lifted my jaw from the floor and shook my head. He’d done it again. My knees were weak. A falling-in-love again moment. I’m doomed by the way this man and his madcap, audacious, why-the-hell-not ideas get Read the Rest…
Silk Making in Uzbekistan
Part II on our visit to a traditional silk factory in Margilan, Uzbekistan. This time focusing on the process used. Silk Making: Silk Worms It starts with harvested silkworm cocoons… Silk Making: Extracting the fiber Then soaking the cocoons to soften so the fiber can be extracted… Silk Making: Spinning Thread Then stretching the raw Read the Rest…
Traditional Silk Factory Margilan Uzbekistan
These women are silk-weavers at the Yodgorlik Silk Factory in Margilan, Uzbekistan. This “factory” is the largest traditional silk factory in Uzbekistan – with silk-worms, mulberry bushes, drying cocoons and reels of hand-spun natural silk. On the day we dropped by (unannounced), we were the only visitors and I think these weavers were a little Read the Rest…
Wandering in Valparaiso Chile
I will always remember our day in Valparaiso, Chile as a perfect example of how travel dreams don’t match reality – and that’s OK. I think I secretly thought Valparaiso would be even a tiny bit like the busy trade port described in Allende’s Daughter of Fortune – Panama Canal be damned. It wasn’t. There Read the Rest…
Souvenir Shopping in Chile
For a day that started with a 4am wake-up call to get to the El Tatio Geyser field at dawn, BigB was surprisingly still cheerful at our mid-afternoon souvenir shopping stop. This grandmother had knit the hat he’s modeling (which we bought) and didn’t need much persuading to join him in this photo. Read more Read the Rest…
Planning a trip to Paris with teenagers
Paris with teenagers. Sigh. I can hear you all sighing at the idea of Paris in a very “we’ll always have Paris” way. Me? I’m wondering what to do with two digitally-obsessed teens for a week in Paris. This is a new kind of family travel planning, but I’m always up for a challenge so Read the Rest…
Arriving in Arequipa Peru
Arequipa Peru is a beautiful city. But. We arrived at 6am. Our overnight bus from Cuzco was comfortable but the driver channeled Ayrton Senna all the way down the Andes. Let me tell you, staying asleep around hairpin turns at 90mph is just not possible. This princess is not good on no sleep. I was Read the Rest…
The Best of Bodrum
Best of Bodrum The best holidays are the ones that you remember forever, and there’s something about the city of Bodrum that makes it hard to forget. Perhaps it’s the food, or the potent sense of history that envelopes the town, or maybe it’s the bustling markets and beautiful beaches. If you’re searching for sun Read the Rest…
What ELSE to See in China
What to see in China? Beijing, Shanghai, the Great Wall…But when you’re done with those, what else should you see in China? Here are five ideas. We spent seven weeks in China in 2011. We traveled up the South-Eastern seaboard and right across the country from Beijing to Far West China. It was an incredible Read the Rest…
Crossing the Kyrgyz Uzbek Border
“No, no, no. This is not right!” The female border guard admonished me in stern tones, dismissively tossing my completed customs form into her trash basket. My temper at the petty bureaucracy flared. Ire duly raised, I opened and then quickly closed my mouth. Best not to antagonize. The object was, after all, to get Read the Rest…
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