Qazaqstan or Kazakhstan is a huge country in Central Asia that might pique the curiosity of digital nomads and adventurous travelers. Here’s how to get a SIM card in Qazaqstan and what to expect from the internet situation. Intro to Qazaqstan Qazaqstan sprawls over an indecently huge swath of land from Volga Delta and Caspian sea in the west all the way to the Tian Shan mountain range and the infamous Xinjiang region of China to the east. While most of it is an open steppe, it can be quite diverse: offering more of a desert vibe next to theContinue reading
Central Asia
Eat, Pray, Plov: Trying (+ Failing) to Be a Vegetarian in Uzbekistan
Jonas and I spent 30 days in Uzbekistan. Though since April 2020 I consider myself mostly a vegetarian, he’s more flexible and sometimes eats meat and fish. But this is about my eating habits and struggles to be a vegetarian in Uzbekistan. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan and have been to Uzbekistan, I’d love to hear your experiences and tips if you found something that worked for you. You can comment at the bottom of this article. Other vegetarians and vegans can then read your replies. Trigger Warning: there will be pictures of food with meat in this articleContinue reading
Kosmonavtlar: Hands Down the Best Station of Tashkent Metro
Kosmonavtlar is a metro station in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It’s the blue line (O’zbekiston yo’li) out of 3.5 active lines of Tashkent Metro. Taking photos inside the exquisite – often Soviet-era – metro stations in Tashkent was illegal until June 2018. Ever since loads of photos and videos of beautiful stations have popped up on the internet. However, I’d like to draw your attention to the best one: Kosmonavtlar (Russian: Космонавтов)—or ‘Cosmonauts’ in English. During the first 16 days I spent in Tashkent, I visited a lot of metro stations. But somehow I only found out about Kosmonavtlar a few daysContinue reading
The Cutest Nameless + Abandoned Observatory in Samarkand
One completely spontaneous find in Samarkand was this adorably small abandoned observatory in Central Park (Uzbek: Markaziy Bog’—Russian: Центральный парк). We walked past it one evening (19th of July) on the outside and I snapped some photos. Since the best restaurant for vegetarians – Old City Restaurant – in Samarkand is located a stone’s throw away from Central Park, I knew we’d be back. Here’s a Google Satellite view of the observatory where you can clearly see the observatory’s round metal roof: From the ground behind the fence, it looked much like an abandoned observatory, but I couldn’t be sure.Continue reading
How to Climb the Minaret of the Ulugh Beg Madrasah (Registan)
Climbing the minaret of the Ulugh Beg Madrasah of the Samarkand Registan is not something that’s officially offered. I think this is one of these things you can still do now, but in a few years they will probably put this under lock and key and you can’t do it anymore. I am aware that by writing about this online, I might contribute to the early demise of this option. But it was the best thing we did at the Registan and I consider my blog our little secret and not a mega-influential thing. Here’s how to climb the minaret.Continue reading
Hey There, Tashkent?! Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan (Semi-Live Blog)
These events happened on Saturday, the 26th of June, 2021. We hoped to fly from Manas International Airport (FRU) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, to Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport (TAS), Uzbekistan. I’m trying to update this blog as a sort of semi-live blog while on the move. Saturday, 26th of June: 60 Days Up, Go to Tashkent, Uzbekistan?! Goodbye, Bishkek Time to go! Jonas woke me up at 7:00 to shower and finish packing. He pointed out that today was another one of those beautiful Bishkek days that’s clear and shows the mountains. Yesterday evening they were veiled in cloudsContinue reading
How to Get a SIM Card in Bishkek, or Anywhere in Kyrgyzstan
When traveling to Kyrgyzstan, it’s a great idea to not save on the wrong end and pick up a SIM card. We did that at the Manas International Airport in Bishkek on arrival. Mobile data is very cheap in Kyrgyzstan. Here’s how to get a SIM card in Bishkek without making the mistakes we made. FYI, the country code for Kyrgyzstan is +996 Which Kyrgyz Telecom Company Should I Choose? Before going to Kyrgyzstan, we looked on the prepaid SIM card wiki for the country. For us, coverage is the most important aspect. Though Kyrgyzstan has not the greatest mobileContinue reading