Nathan's Insights

World Traveller: 7 Continents, 90 Countries, 871 Days Overseas

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  • World Trip 2023: Day 24 – Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Monday 22 May 2023
    Highlights: Welcoming new tour members, exploring Tashkent

    Today was effectively a rest day as we lost seven tour members in Alicia, Andy, Adam, Anne, Sue, Carmel, John who finished their tour and we waited for new tour members to join us.

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  • World Trip 2023: Day 23 – Khŭjand to Tashkent, Uzbekistan

    Khŭjand, Tajikistan – Panjshanbe Bazaar

    Sunday 21 May 2023
    Highlights: Panjshanbe Bazaar, Tajikistan to Uzbekistan Border Crossing, Exploring Tashkent.

    Today was my last morning in Tajikistan and the start of exploring the fourth Stan, Uzbekistan, of my Five Stan tour.

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  • World Trip 2023: Day 22 – Gazza Village to Khŭjand, Tajikistan

    Istaravshan, Tajikistan – The Mug Teppe Fortress

    Saturday 20 May 2023
    Highlights: Exploring Istaravshan, Hazrati-Shoh Mosque, Mug Teppe, Museum of Sughd

    Today we left the remote Gazza Village as we travelled back into more populated areas. This started with a visit to the Hazrati-Shoh Mosque which is located in historic town of Istaravshan. here we learned about the Five Pillars are the core beliefs and practices of Islam:

    • Profession of Faith (shahada) – reciting the following phase: ‘There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God‘
    • Prayer (salat) – pray five times a day.
    • Alms (zakat) – donated a fixed portion of their income to community members in need
    • Fasting (sawm) – Fast during the daylight hours of Ramadan.
    • Pilgrimage (hajj) – at least once in their life visit Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
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  • World Trip 2023: Day 21 – Gazza Village and Voru Village, Tajikistan

    Voru Village, Tajikistan – The hike begins

    Friday 19 May 2023
    Highlights: Hiking Voru River, Visiting the remote Voru Village

    Today I woke up in this remote area to birds tapping at the window and the sun rising across the mountain range. Today was to have one included hike and one optional hike.

    The morning hike was along the Voru River up to an even more remote village in this area whose history goes back many hundreds of years, the Voru Village. We left our village around 8.30 am for a nice hour plus hike.

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  • World Trip 2023: Day 20 – Dushanbe to Gazza Village, Tajikistan

    Sughd Province, Tajikistan

    Thursday 18 May 2023
    Highlights: National Museum of Antiquities, Rudaki Park, Iskander Darya waterfall, Gazza Village area

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