Tehran, the capital of Iran, is a massive city with corresponding traffic and noise. Tehran is one of Iran’s many capitals throughout history as the country has had numerous ones

Isfahan is Iran’s most popular destination for visitors, thought of as “the St. Petersburg of Iran”, it is rich in culture and history, and used to be the capital of

Probably the most mysterious of the countries on this trip, Turkmenistan has a monumental capital built completely out of marble and a burning crater known as the “Gates of Hell.”

Like the caravans of ancient times, I will rest and recuperate at the Silk Road crossroads of Samarkand, a city built for travelers and traders.

The Aral Sea has shrunk dramatically since it was drained in Soviet times. The ecological costs were high but millions of people have settled in areas that once were deserts.

Finally, on the last leg home, Silk Rider will take a couple days to enjoy the Caucasus in Spring, a place he is returning to after visiting on an earlier