The Five Stans & Western China
Join resident Douglas Noble as he takes us to the lands of steppes, desert, and mountains, cross-crossed by centuries of invasion yet also the historic Silk Route trading corridors between the West and China. Douglas will share insights from his 2006 trip to Kashgar and its old city and animal market in Western China, then on to all five “Stans” (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan). He’ll share his experiences with a variety of peoples, architectural highlights, colorful markets, diverse countryside, and at least one local ruler who memorialized himself in a gold statue. Not to be missed!