Category Archives: Travel
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Fashionably Early!
We have a 3.40 start to walk into historical Bukhara before sunrise. Any initial grumpiness fades rapidly as we realise how beautifully the main buildings are lit. A small courtyard with a dingy green pool becomes a source of fascinating Continue reading
Onward to Bukhara
Our day starts with the long drive from Samarkand to Bukhara. As I now expect, it’s a modern, divided multi-lane highway. There are no craters (so a distinct notch up on Mongolia) although in places the surface has been repaired Continue reading
More Mausoleums
We skip the dawn shoot because it’s raining again, albeit not as dramatically as the previous day. I got some stick over dinner from the non-Brits for my use of the BBC Weather App, but they then have to acknowledge Continue reading
Train To Samarkand
We have an early start to catch the train to Samarkand. The name romantically conjures an elderly steam train, or maybe an elegant Pullman service along the lines of the Orient Express, but of course it’s actually a modern electric Continue reading
Very Important, or Very Naughty!
Over breakfast I meet Mehmet, the tour leader, and then Ingrid, the final guest in this rather select tour. After breakfast I decide to go out and explore the park in the centre of Tashkent, which isn’t far from our Continue reading
The Silk Road Saga
I’m off on my travels again, this time in the footsteps of Marco Polo, visiting Uzbekistan and four cities along the Silk Road. Uzbekistan is a former Soviet republic, independent since the 1990s, south of Russia and North of Iran Continue reading
Seeing in the Dark
Adding a low-light specialist camera to an established micro-four-thirds kit Since 2014 my primary camera system has been Panasonic Micro-Four-Thirds (MFT). I’ve worked through several generations, from the 12MP GH2, through GX7, GH4, GX8, G9 to the 24MP G9ii, enjoying Continue reading
Farewell, Ernie
I was very sad to hear the news this morning of the passing of Reggae great Ernie Smith. A great entertainer, he had, for a Jamaican reggae singer, an unusual rich baritone voice, with which he rendered both his own Continue reading
I Wuz There!
I don’t think anyone took a single photograph of me in Zimanga, apart from the group shot which I initiated, so I made damn’ sure that there were some photos of me in Mongolia. Fortunately not only did other members Continue reading
The World’s Worst Panorama 2025
Here’s my now-obligatory group panorama for the 2025 Mongolia trip. From the left: Vince, Oyu, Mike, Yours Truly, Denise, Marco, Bayar, Ebu, Yasmin, Ann, Lee, Sarah, Christian, Steph Continue reading
Thirsty Friday
Friday starts with another late breakfast. One could get used to this. The group then divides, several electing to stay around the hotel for the morning, but I join a group who go across town to a viewpoint which is Continue reading
Cows to the Left of Me, Gers to the Right
Lee must be losing his grip. We have a morning off! Most of us lie in for a late breakfast around 9, then spend the morning pottering. I walk out to try and find some shops, but completely miss the Continue reading
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