Our last vacation in Central Asia was a whirlwind tour of Uzbekistan. We explored Tashkent, Bukhara, and Samarkand, before returning to Tashkent. I took these pictures with my iPhone so they aren't so great—this trip was one of the key reasons why I switched backed to my SLR camera. Still, it was a memorable trip, and even though it's old, and I shared most of these pictures on Facebook long ago, here it is again.
We spent the first day or two in Tashkent, the rather grandiose capital. Although it is dominated by its Soviet core, there are still flourishes of the Silk Road here and there.
Our next stop was the medieval fairytale of Bukhara.
Our chief destination was Tamerlane's capital at Samarkand. The modern quarter doesn't have much to show, but the ancient center, once the gleaming jewel of the Silk Road, is still awe-inspiring.
A short train ride brought us make to Tashkent and the modern world (or at least the 1970s, apparently). And so our vacation ended.
© 2026 Hector Gonzalez