In 6 hours I’ll be flying to Uzbekistan via Bangkok for the trip I’ve been planning for the last 8 months. This would be a 22 day long trip and will see me and 3 other friends backpack through this fairly unheard of region. We’ll horse ride up spectacular mountains and staying in traditional nomadic yurts in Kyrgyzstan and will visit ancient Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
I’ve been asked many times over the last couple of months why I chose Central Asia. “Isn’t it dangerous/old/hard to get to/never heard of?”. Yep… that’s why I’m going 
Windows Live Writer, which I’m using to write this blog entry, doesn’t even have the word “Kyrgyzstan” in its dictionary. Its registering as a spelling mistake.
The idea came from a way-out-there plan to backpack the length of the Silk Road from China to Europe. However, that would have taken more than a couple of months to complete and not compatible with societal expectations of how young Singaporean professionals should be spending the formative years of their career. So, the compromise was to travel just a section for now. Central Asia was finally chosen as it was exotic and difficult to travel, something we all felt we should do while we’re still young and energetic.
For me personally, the lure of Central Asia is that its steeped in rich history, being at the crossroads of European and Far East trade. It has been conquered numerous times by factions from both sides, with each conquest leaving a unique mark on the culture of the region. Even more interesting is the fact that it used to belong to the former USSR and is just now emerging from decades of communist rule. I always find ex-Soviet block countries mystical and fascinating (hence, my trip across Russia and Mongolia 3 years ago). I really hope that I will get some great opportunities to talk with locals. The human stories often trump the scenery and spectacle of ancient architecture. That’s one aspect of travel which, unfortunately, many travelers overlook and miss out on.
My intention is to update this blog as I go along on this trip. However, Internet access will probably be infrequent, and judging by my track record of updating this site, you shouldn’t expect too much from me
