“It’s decision time again; our love will stretch a little bit” – Everything But The Girl. Possibly the most important thing you can do when backpacking in Kyrgyzstan is to stay at Apple Hostel in Bishkek. Things run extremely smoothly from here. Not only is it the best hostel in the city (and probably the…
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“Before you take my heart; reconsider.” – Texas. On route to Afghanistan from Uzbekistan, I had a night and half day to “kill” in the city of Termiz. Billed as a backpacker’s classic, this joint arguably looks out of place in Uzbekistan. I could easily have jigsaw puzzled this place into El Salvador, Honduras or…
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“The place is quiet and so alone. Pretend there’s something worth waiting for” – Richey James Edwards. In December 2015 I finally made the sad and solemn trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The accident at Chernobyl which occurred in April 1986 shocked the world and was one of a few controversial blemishes during Soviet era-USSR.…
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“It’s all too beautiful” – Small Faces. When you are backpacking in Afghanistan, be sure to visit the country’s holiest shrine and arguably the coolest looking Islamic complex in Central Asia. This one is a stunner. Despite my previous visits to the Middle East’s largest Mosque in Adana, Turkey and my trip to the world’s…
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On my return to magnetic Kyrgyzstan, I set about checking out some more sights in the country now that the visa applications were over for a while and next on my list was Burana Tower. I teamed up with local company I’m Nomad, thanks to my friends at Silk Road Explore for getting me in…
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“It’s a radiation vibe I’m groovin on” – Fountains of Wayne. It had been a truly incredible day of travel and to a place with a sad history – the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. It’s a day I’ll remember for a long time, but after this final part of the story, it’s time to close the…
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“Out comes the goalkeeper [Rinat Dasaev no less]. Nat too sure this time. And it’s a goal! Terry Moore taking the credit for that” – Northern Irish commentator (1988) commenting on the night Glentoran were 1-0 up and just a goal away from taking the mighty Spartak Moscow to extra time in Belfast City. My…
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“Somebody save me” – Theme Tune from Smallville which features Clark Kent (not Tash Kent). A few Uzbeks have been in touch recently – Bek and Akmaljon. They don’t like the way I have written about their country but I can only write about what really happens when I travel. I don’t want to be…
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For whatever reason life dealt me, I ended up in the city of Shymkent in southern Kazakhstan recently and after negotiating my way across the Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan border despite not having a Kazak visa on the same passport, I finally arrived in this backpacker’s gem – Shymkent. You might have read how I found…
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On this adventure through Central Asia, I have already written about my wonderful stay in Pamir Lodge and the spontaneous live article from Khorog. This is a region known as Gorno Badakhshan and you need a separate permit to visit, away from the main part of Tajikistan, so pick up your Gorno Badakhshan permit and…
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