Photos are a huge part of our travel experiences. It’s wonderful to immerse ourselves in a new country, culture, food, and people, and keep those memories in our minds. Even better, we have amazing photos to look back on whenever we want.
This year, we traveled through China, Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, England, and finally returned home to Canada. We’ve sifted through countless photos to share some of our favorites, taking you on a journey through our year of travel.
In Yangzhou, China, we met a wonderful woman in the Old Town. Shanghai’s incredible skyline was a frequent delight, and we often visited Suzhou for weekend getaways, where motorcycles, bicycles, and street vendors were everywhere. Yangzhou was our home for a year, with colorful blossoms gracing China during March and April, especially in Hangzhou.
We savored countless dumplings, loving their delicious taste and affordability. Six days in the Gobi Desert left us awestruck, especially with sunsets over the stunning dunes. We camped near lone gers in the Mongolian steppe, trekked independently for eight days, and spent nights under double rainbows. We spread some Canadian cheer, saw cheese drying techniques for nomads, and camped along Lake Baikal, the deepest and oldest freshwater lake.
In Kazakhstan, the Nur-Astana Mosque at sunset was breathtaking, as were Big Almaty Lake and a traditional Kyrgyz yurt. Our three-day horse trek to Lake Song-Kul brought us to a 3,000m high pass, and we admired the valleys during our trek from Karakol to Altyn Arashan. The 3,560m high Ala-Kul Lake was stunning, and Arslanbob charmed us with its picturesque village.
In Tajikistan, we met a Pamiri girl in Ishkashim and had spectacular views of the Wakhan Corridor from Abrashim Qala Fort. A Wakhi woman was harvesting in Langar, and the views from the Pamir Highway were unforgettable. We saw an Afghan man at the cross-border market with Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and a Wakhi girl in Langar.
In Samarkand, the Amir Timur Mosque was beautifully lit at night. Ashgabat’s white marble buildings were enigmatic, and we hiked around the desert village of Garmeh. We enjoyed an afternoon in the sun at Tabriz and were enchanted by the illuminated stained glass at Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz. The mud village of Karnaq and a Persian cat in Iran were highlights. In Kerman, we found Qalyan (water pipe) shops everywhere and enjoyed the abundant pomegranates. The troglodyte village of Kandovan and watching the sunset at the Kaluts in the desert completed our Iranian adventure.
Our second visit to London was as delightful as our first in 2011. We also enjoyed a Merry Christmas back home in Canada.
Reflecting on this fantastic year of travel has been amazing. Since returning to Canada, we’ve been very busy, so looking through these photos helped us appreciate our journey. Thank you all for following along, commenting, and giving us feedback. We really appreciate it. We have exciting plans for 2014, so stay tuned to see what we do next!
What did you do in 2013? Any plans for 2014? Share with us below!