Central Asia

I recently traveled through Central Asia with my Dad, brother and a family friend. It was by far one of the best adventures I have ever embarked on and I recommend it to any of you hardy travel buffs (keep it our little secret though...). We flew to Urumqi and then to Kashgar, both historical Silk Road cities in northwestern China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region. From Kashgar, we drove for two weeks through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan... and some of the most dramatic scenery I have ever seen -- from a lush valley of nomads, to crystal clear, turquoise-colored mineral lakes, snow-capped mountains and emerald-green farmland, to desolate, other-worldly 'desert' (for lack of a better word).

Fun facts about Central Asia:

- Al Khorezmi, a mathematician who lived around 800 AD, invented a familiar thing called the 'algorithm', which took his name. He also invented a little thing called 'Al-Jebr', which we know today as 'algebra.'

- Approximately 1% of the population of Kyrgyzstan is still nomadic and they live in yurts made of poplar wood and woven camel hair. To us, a yurt looked like it would take about a hundred years to pitch, but in fact, it takes four people (correction, four nomads) one hour to construct.

- Lemon Barf Detergent is a (if not the) best-selling detergent in Central Asia.

- A typical Kirghiz dowry consists of at least one yak. A marriage proposal involves first kidnapping one's future wife, and asking for permission from her parents later.

- Chinese border officials at the crossing between China and Kyrgyzstan take four-hour lunch breaks and the only transportation for passengers through the 8 kilometer buffer zone is a forklift. Travelers beware.

- Central Asians bake great bagels.

- Some yaks have natural highlights.

- Uzbekistan is one of two most landlocked countries in the world. You have to travel through at least two countries to get to the ocean. (Lichtenstein is the other).

- Tajik farmers cut off the ears of their dogs so that as puppies, wolves can't drag them away by the ears.

- It seems that most Central Asians appreciate George Bush for bringing down the Taliban.

- Judging from the terrain of Afghanistan (which we saw from across the river for about four days), we will never find Osama.

- It seems that most Central Asians look back on their time as part of the USSR with nostalgia -- a time when everyone had jobs, education, and stability. People still love Lenin.

- Central Asian hospitality is hard to beat.