When I lived in Uzbekistan, most of my food shopping was done at outdoor markets. I really came to appreciate the social interaction and feel of community at these markets where each vendor specializes in selling only one or two types of products. This forces you so interact with so many people just to make a pot of soup. There are the onions and garlic vendor, the spice vendor, the meat butcher or the chicken vendor, and vendors for each kind of vegetable like the tomatoes pictured above. As a stranger living in a strange land the markets gave me an automatic community to interact with. My market routine became an essential part of my daily life. Whether you're visiting Uzbekistan to see the famous sites in Samarkand, Bhukara or Khiva, make sure you take in the vibrant and friendly outdoor markets, too.

The city of Nukus is located in the Karakalpak desert of western Uzbekistan and is the gateway to the famous shrinking Aral Sea and the graveyard of ships stranded in the sand. Once controlled by the Soviet Empire, Uzbekistan has a history of repression and is currently ruled by a strict dictatorship government. Freedom of expression is not a given right for it's people, and voices against the government are duly hushed. When I stumbled upon these hand-prints on a school in Nukus, it symbolized to me the possibility for future generations of Uzbek citizens to break free one day, emerging from the darkness of dictatorship and reaching up into the clear blue sky of freedom. These are my thoughts and dreams for a beautiful nation with a lot of potential. However, the Uzbeks that I showed this photograph to just thought the kids were naughty and made the school filthy, and they should be reprimanded for the mess. Oh well, a mess to some is unlikely art to others. Nukus is easily reached by a 1.5hour flight from the capital city of Tashkent. From there, you can arrange tours to see the ship graveyard in the Aral Sea. Then I would recommend going south by bus to Khiva for a day before continuing on to Bukhara, Samarkand and back to Tashkent to complete your trip.

If there is one thing Uzbek cuisine excels at it is pilov. The mix of rice, raisins, chickpeas, oil, meat and spices is enough of a reason to deal with all the militia... Just remember they call it ‘osh’... took me a week to figure this out. Yeah I am special, but it was well worth the wait.

I visited Khiva, Uzbekistan this Fall as part of a five country trip through Central Asia. While visiting the well preserved city of Khiva, I stopped at the popular food market. I got used to expecting the unexpected, but even so, I was surprised to see these delicious looking cakes displayed in an old Pall Mall cigarette box at the market. An odd pairing, but an entertaining find.

Language gaffes are frequent when traveling, even when you know a fair bit of the language. Sometimes you can't manage to say the simplest things and end up relying on embarrassing pantomime to get your point across. After trial and error at buying different cuts of meat from this meat vendor in Andijon, Uzbekistan, I finally found a cut that was tender enough to not require hours and hours of braising to make it edible. When I asked him what this part of the meat was called, he replied “meat” in Uzbek. Upon asking him again in my broken Uzbek he kept repeating “meat”. The problem was I didn’t know how to say “part” in Uzbek and just kept pointing and asking "What is this?". We went back and forth like this for long enough that the wasps gathering on the slabs of meat (yes, wasps eat meat) were starting to annoy me before it occurred to him that I was asking for part of the thigh. But instead of giving me the Uzbek word for it, he just slapped the inside of his leg grinning happily that he finally figured out what I was asking for. Unfortunately, every time I bought meat from him thereafter, I had to reach down between my legs and slap my inner thigh to tell him what I wanted, not exactly the most modest thing to do in a Muslim culture where most women still wear full-length long skirts everyday.

I will say a hundred times over, my experiences in Uzbekistan were less then ideal. I guess the great Silk Road cities had been built up so much in my mind that reality could never be satisfactory. In response to this feeling, I spent a lot of time roaming in the old parts of the cities. On one such adventure with 2 French accomplices, we followed our noses to a local residence. The one thing you can count on in Central Asia is to be fed. It took 3 seconds to be invited in, meet the family and be treated like family. Maybe the country has commoditized their history, but it has not overpowered their sense of hospitality. I wish Canada, especially Toronto, would learn a thing or two about this.

If you wander off the main paths in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, and explore the labyrinth of narrow winding streets, you may be fortunate to find this monument symbolizing world unity. This madrassah or monastery is called Chor Minor, meaning the four minarets. Its sky blue cupolas of glazed tiles are stunningly beautiful. Its unusual architecture and the general proportionality of the monument have made it a favorite place for many visitors to Bukhara.

You never know whom you are going to meet when you travel. The provider of the gorgeous platter of food in the previous picture was this awesome guy here. Turns out, he is a chauffeur for nursing homes in New York City (that explained the Brooklyn accent) and was back home for the holidays. Sometimes we forget that cab drivers and other workers have lives and stories that go beyond their job. It was great hearing his perspective on working in America, and us as travelers.

I visited Central Asia in 2011 and had a two-day stay in the historic city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. Khiva has a long history as a side branch of the Silk Road. Today it is a well preserved city full of wonderful mosques, tombs, palaces, alleys and medressas. Every stop on my walk through the walled city brought unexpected delights. Here I was treated to a colorful display of handmade puppets, cleverly staged for sale on the brick steps of a palace courtyard.

Men always find a place to meet. Depending upon the region of the world, men gather in bars, on street corners, in teahouses, in city parks, at cafes, or elsewhere. There they may have a bite to eat, a drink, play games or just talk. Here in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, the local men like to hang out in a private corner outside the the famous Kosh Medressas, or twin monasteries. I enjoyed watching these men socialize with one another, and I loved that they proudly wore their local skull caps. The skull caps, called tubeteikas, are the national headdress throughout Central Asia. For men, the rounded and slightly pointed caps are usually made of black satin or felt.

On a trip to Uzbekistan, I visited the historic city of Khiva. The old part of the city is a charming place to spend a day. It is a walled city that was part of the Silk Road. You can wander through this very walkable town admiring the historic monuments and old homes. The mosques and madrassas are everywhere and you can't resist the many photos you will take. I also enjoyed the shopping in the old town because there were so many items unique to Central Asia. I loved the colorful display here of the hats and gloves. The skull-caps or Tubeteikas are folding hats and are the national headdress of Central Asia. The colors and motifs will make your heart smile. If you are planning a trip to Uzbekistan, I recommend a visit to Old Town Khiva. Be sure to spend a full day here to learn about the history of Khiva, and to allow ample time to eat, drink and shop!

On a trip to the "Five Stans," I visited the ancient city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan. Bukhara is over 2,000 years old and is the most complete example of a medieval city in Central Asia. The historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is an open-air museum. There you will see remarkable mosques, minarets, and madrassas....it is a feast for the eyes. Competing with the architecture of Bukhara is the opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind treasures from Central Asia. Shopping here is exciting and colorful. I couldn't resist the silk displayed here. What better souvenir of a visit to the Silk Road! If you are planning a trip to Central Asia, you must visit Uzbekistan, and the ancient city of Bukhara. Plan to spend at least a day here learning about the past and enjoying the beauty of the old city. You will enjoy the history, the shopping, the food and the endless photographic opportunities.

If you ever decide to go to Bukhara, I highly suggest the Amulet Hotel which is located in the center of the old town, in an old Madrassah that has been converted into a bed and breakfast. We became particularly close with a younger fellow who helped to run this hotel that his family owned. He bought us mint tea and sweets whenever we came back to the hotel after a long day, played backgammon with us, and even came to the train station to help us buy our tickets. When we left, he carried our bags and hailed us a taxi, and even negotiated the price. And while his sympathetic character was not particularly unusual (as most Uzbek people, we found, are incredibly gentle and generous with their kindness), we were able to connect to him on another level. It turns out his grandmother had been from Bashkortostan and thus, he had learned to speak Tatar as a child. He summoned up all the words he could remember so he could communicate with us most easily. Amazing soul. Had to hold back tears when he hugged us goodbye.

If you are in dire need of some fresh salad in Uzbekistan, Minzifa is the place to go. You can enjoy a plate of beet salad and a beer on top of the roof terrace while watching the sun set over the landscape of the Bukhara skyline.