Originally Posted by
Seat 2A
Hmm... have you been to Bhutan? How about Kyrgyzstan? Brunei?
Happy Travels!
Yes, all very interesting countries
:
A Journey Through Kyrgyzstan
Return To New Zealand Via South-East Asia
A Trip To Bhutan
Originally Posted by
Gardyloo
What a terrific read, and full of remarkable and revealing (and beautiful) photos. Thank you SO much!
45 years ago I went on an Intourist tour of Soviet Central Asia - mainly Uzbekistan but a couple of days in Tajikistan. The whole scene - the factory tours, the focus on giant monuments, the carefully curated "museums" and cultural sites... so very similar to your descriptions. Of course there were lots of ancient buildings and complexes from Silk Road days to balance out the Party landmarks, but what struck us was that in the markets and bazaars, in the streets and parks, life was being lived with joy, with laughing children, old men drinking tea... The banners and statues of Lenin were everywhere, but people just kept walking past them. Some of your images are disturbing, but many are hopeful, and we should focus on those instead of the creepy ones. Thanks again.
Many thanks,
Gardyloo, I would have loved to have been able to see the Soviet Union at its peak. So many different people, cultures and languages under one big communist umbrella
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Originally Posted by
as219
Astounding.
Despite my misgivings about the ethical and practical implications of travel to DPRK, I have to admit this is an amazing TR. Well done!
Thanks,
as219. Safety-wise there is no real issue, unless you do something stupid. Ethics-wise is up for debate I guess.