CENTRAL ASIA 2026

Penguin Travel 

Someday I hope to visit remnants of the Persian empire, such as Persepolis. But, the US and Iran had been hostile for years, and now, finally at war. Maybe I could get some flavor of Islamic culture from Central Asia. Also, the great Tienshan Mountains (天山) divided Xinjiang China from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. To find out what is on the other side, I took Penguin Travel’s 21 day tour: “The five stans–Follow in the footsteps of Genghis Khan”. In the end, although local guides didn't give too many details, searching Google along the way with e-sim data, I attest that the tour dutifully accomplished delivering those bloody footsteps. By bus, train, and plane, we meandered 2000+ miles across Central Asia.  

Turmen Sweat-Blood Horse

The Khan

In Mongolia, the giant stainless steel equestrian monument of Genghis Khan must forever represent every citizen’s ultimate pride and identity. Once upon a time, their brother was the most powerful (ruthless) man on earth.  

“Pax Mongolia,” 100+ years of prosperity was attributed to the Khan. Mainly because he took over the Silk Road. Pay his toll coming and going, and anyone's religion, race, or creed wouldn't be a concern. Evidence of his accomplishments were exhibited in their national museum when I visited in 2018. No mention of his ethnic massacres. 

Asia to Eastern Europe was at this man's pathos. For 20+ years, 20 to 60 million, 10-15% of the human population died by his command.

The Terrain

From my plane window, the summits of Tienshan stayed in view for over an hour! Imagine Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang (唐三藏) walked from Xian China to Nalanda Monastery India, trekking over Tienshan twice! Genghis Khan and his horde, too!

Mountains were everywhere and rugged like the beginning of Earth–trekking or hiking, anyone? Below the blue sky were shades of gold and brown earth with olive colored weeds and shrubs. Now and then herds of single hump camels graze in their turf. Flashback to the Silk Road! The Toyota 4x4 bounced and tossed me and 2 mates on a thrilling 4 hour drive, on rocky unmarked off roads and iffy paved roads toward the Darvaza Gas Crater in the middle of the massive Karakum Desert. Time of my life!  

In a mountainous landscape, the appearance of a lake soothed and calmed the eye and heart. The Iskandarkul (Alexander Lake) in Tajikistan was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen anywhere.  

Cities and towns were up to standard. No graffiti anywhere was delightful. Except for road and construction dust and floating tree debris, places were decently kept. The Internet was fine, except in Turkmenistan. Soviet era landmarks remained solid to revere. Newer tenements looked utilitarian much like older ones.  Prominent commercial buildings were interesting mutants of classical styles. And then there was Ashgabat Turkmenistan, which was entirely white or off white, with or without gold trims, Las Vegas vibe, and man-made evergreen forests. Every stan has the requisite Islamic mosque, and separate old cities that interest tourists. Samarkand and Bukhara in Uzbekistan were most historically significant. Both major Silk Road hubs were entirely wiped out by the Khan. Timur rebuilt Samarkand 150 years later; his descendants rebuilt Bukhara several hundred years after.  

History 

Humanity doesn't change–destruction and construction repeat. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, aka Central Asia, had their share of man-made calamities. 2,356-2,353 years ago, for 3 years, Alexander destroyed Sodiana (Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan). 1,375-1,275 years ago, Islamic Arabs razed Central Asia and uprooted the fire worship Sodiana culture. 808-801 years ago, Genghis Khan blood-washed Central Asia. 104-35 years ago, the Soviet Union, dominated by Russia, subjected Central Asia to socialism, and divided it into the 5 stans of the current day. Much of the past was rubbish and ruins at the mercy of excavation and reconstruction. The rest is up to museums to do right.  The 5 stans finally became individually independent, reborn as new countries in 1991.  History continues.  

Travelers

Our group was 15 (14 plus a leader). The itinerary was  precisionally designed for comprehensive coverage of each stan, yet we had ample free time to roam after most early dinners. Because Central Asia would not likely be a top destination for the average vacationer, I had expected to be among some avid travelers. Travelers are a special breed in my book. They know that places, people and things are transient. They capture moments and move on. We had great verbal exchanges, perhaps truer than friends at home. Everyone was fascinating to me. That’s another star for this tour! Our 15 had been to more countries than 3-10 pairs of hands could count! At least two are still on the road (tour ended 6 days ago). Most or all had been DIY travelers. Coming to Central Asia, however, we all had the good sense to join a tour! Nothing was random; this trip was another Divine Blessing!   Special Thanks to Andrey, Anthony, Barbara, Caroline, Darshan & Linda, Doreen, Jeanette, Juan & Ross, Keith, Sal & Camy, and Yunen! 

Tripod.com 2004-2010

Just found out tripod.com PERMANENTLY CLOSED as of April 5, 2026.  The Wayback Machine website only recorded the front page of my earlier travel blog. Cyber death! 

TAIWAN 2009 

We arrived in Kenting the previous afternoon and settled in at the A-Gong Resort Hotel for NT$1500 a night, just NT$300 more than the homestays on the same main strip, but much nicer. The strip came alive after dark. We strolled past food stands, trinket booths, dancing girls in front of pubs; there was a Seven-Eleven, an array of international eateries and beach souvenir shops; and there were also bicycle rental, scuba diving tour companies and no shortage of homestay apartments. At the farthest end were two swanky hotels, but where was the beach? And who was playing the bluesy songs? We walked down some wooden steps, and suddenly there it was! The breathtaking beach, clean and calm. The waves, soothingly rhythmic. At the landing, too, was the world’s most well-placed bar! Sunlight was settling, and then the beach was fading to darkness. Jeanette and I exchanged some stories, but mostly we sat in silence, smoking and sipping wine or beer. Four school girls were at the beach taking photos and hanging around for several hours. It got totally dark and quiet when I looked for them again, but I could make out only two couples left on the beach; one couple had lit cigarettes all night long. We moved our drinking down to the beach to see how it was by the waves. The smoking couple greeted us--the guy had just met the girl sitting there alone. For the rest of this special night, from strangers to strangers, we shared each other's painful experiences of love and life. (The photo was taken the next evening. When visiting Kenting, you must stop by to say "hello" to

i-Mark and have a few drinks at his mobile bar.

VIETNAM 2008 

From Hanoi airport to Hanoi central, I saw two accidents.  Imagine a family of four could sit comfortably on a single motorbike--baby in the front of the father (driver), another child, and then the mother at the back--going the speed of any car or bus.  Imagine a motorbike driver with 7 bottles (think giant Arrowhead) of water!  Imagine talking on the cell phone while driving a motorbike!!  Now pull back wider and imagine plenty of honking and all the motorbikes in the world on the same road with cars and buses.  Well, there was a traffic jam, and by the time I got to take a look, two women lied on the side of the road, about 10 feet apart, one dead.  The other one moved a little in a pool of blood.  Plenty of folks just stood around to look.    The other accident was a truck blocking multiple lanes with the front totally smashed.  When we got to town around rush hour with a million motorbikes, cars, and buses, our tour guide thought it was a marvelous idea for each of us to ride a pedicab to see this hub.  The pedicab sat the passenger in the front with the driver behind.  Imagine forging onto the herds of cars and bikes and street people; it was a wild ride and I inhaled a pound of dust and exhaust fume, but I felt incredibly alive and calm!!  In the morning I saw the Ho Chi Minh memorial; it was a nice square, perhaps not as grand as the Red Square or Tiananmen Square, but impressive too.  In the afternoon, I did the unthinkable, I crossed an intersection in Hanoi and was not killed.  As we stepped out from our exquisite dining experience back onto the wild sidewalk, a very thin man with nothing on his brown skin but a tattered pair of shorts stood looking on people eating noodles al fresco.As soon as one stood up to walk away, he grabbed the leftover and ran to the opposite side of the street. Seconds later he came back, returned the emptied bowl, snapped up a piece of scrap on the ground into his mouth, and quickly dissolved into the crowd. Today I'm in the middle section of Vietnam, a city called "Hue." Here I'm in a beautiful hotel after another great dinner--I'm being fed like a thanksgiving turkey 3 meals a day. Tourists are well taken care of as we carefully step over muddy pools and cracked roads into our 5-star hotels; I asked the tour guide how he slept last night; he said he found a local inn where he rented a bed, but he was kept awake because the ceiling dripped rain water most of the night. It is late evening, my 10 travel companions have bid me good night.  I am in the hotel lobby making use of the free internet. About 10 feet from me is a band playing romantic Schubert sonatas.

CAMBODIA 2008 - Excerpt:

HELLO from Siem Reap, Angkor Wat!    The Khmers had one great dynasty back in the 800's to 1400's, and then..did the people and the land just took a long snooze?  The magnificent Angkor Wat Temple was left swallowed up by trees and devoured by the jungle.  In more recent history, the tour guide explained, the government just gave the whole country to the French.  Unbelievably, when they asked for it back, the French gave it back.   Now the country survived Khmer Rouge and begins to heal.  Time to go see Angkor Wat.  Tomorrow will be in Hanoi.  11/12/08.

INDIA 2007 

  

JAPAN 2005 

GALAPAGOS 2004