Faces Of Uzbekistan
These pictures were shot at Imam Bukhari Mausoleum and outside Ulugh Beg Observatory in Samarkand today.
bicycle
Registan Square In Samarkand
Registan Square with three mardarsahs. Ulugh Beg Madrasah, Tilya-Kori Madrasah and Sher-Dor Madrasah. The Registan was a public square, at the heart of ancient Samarkand, and is now included in the UNESCO world heritage list.
The Bicycle Master In Samarkand
For about one week, my bicycle was having a serious problem with the lower gear shifting and the rear wheel was once again a bit wobbly. After searching for a while I found a bicycle shop in Samarkand today, but the mechanic told me that he would not be able to fix the gear problem … Read more
Samarkand
After three days of hard cycling and covering 270 kilometres I reached the historic city of Samarkand today. Though I was totally exhausted due to today’s ride, I still spent like over four hours walking in the city. I mainly stayed at the Registan square where the city’s most iconic ensemble of buildings are located. At … Read more
Samosas from Bukhara
Samosa seller at Labi-havz in Bukhara, Uzebekistan. Unlike Pakistani Samosas which are deep fried, the Uzbek Samosas are rather baked in a Tandoor oven.
Nasreddin Hodja
Nasreddin was a sufi satirist known for his witty anecdotes which contained bits of wisdom. His jokes and stories have been translated to many languages including Urdu language where he is known as Mullah Naseer-ud-din. Uzbek people believe he was born and lived in Bukhara. Here are a couple of anecdotes about him. One evening … Read more
Bike Fixing In Bukhara
My bicycle suffered few blows during the ride in Turkmenistan. Today I went in search of a bicycle repair shop in Bukhara. After asking for directions innumerable times, I found myself in an old narrow-streeted bazar with shops full of used spare parts and mechanics, both men and women, busy in their work. I just … Read more
Mad Cycling In Turkmenistan
This is how I look after cycling like a mad man over the past six days. A five-day Turkmenistan transit visa and almost 500 kilometres to cross desolate stretch of Karakum desert meant there was absolutely no leeway whatsoever, and it was going to be a race against the time. Day 1 was spent getting … Read more
Mashhad
For the last three days I am again stuck in Mashhad as Turkmen consulate hasn’t issued me a transit visa yet. They have asked me to come back tomorrow again, which turns out be my last day on Iranian visa as well. Yesterday I went to a bicycle shop to get my bicycle repaired, and … Read more
Esfahan Naqsh-e-Jahan
Best view of the Naqsh-e-Jahan square in Esfahan, Iran with the Loftollah mosque on the left and Shah Mosque in the middle.
Reunion With Mohsin
A reunion with my dear friend Mohsin who flew in from Qatar to visit me in Mashhad while I am waiting here for Turkmenistan transit visa. As I had few days visa left, I came by train to Mashhad to apply for Turkmen visa, but the consulate here was closed for one week for no … Read more
Chinese Visa
It turns out it was indeed wise to apply for the Chinese Visa in Tehran as it couldn’t have been any easier. All it was required was a filled application form, which included the itinerary details, a passport photo, and a visa support letter from the German Embassy in Tehran. Apart from that, no supporting … Read more