My last two posts about the September trip to Central Asia focused on Uzbekistan; the first part dealing with Tashkent, Samarkand, and Shahrisabz while the second talked about Bukhara and Khiva. However, the trip also included four days in Almaty, Kazakhstan and another four days in Istanbul on the way back home. Let’s look at what Almaty has to offer, as well as some of the sights in Istanbul we didn’t explore back in December 2019.
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| Helen and I at the top of Shymbulak peak near Almaty |
In Part 1 of my Uzbekistan series, I talked about getting there, as well as the experiences visiting Tashkent, Samarkand, and Shahrisabz. While Samarkand may get the most tourists in that country, a trip there can’t be complete without also visiting Bukhara and Khiva. Those two cities will be the focus of this post, while Almaty is featured in a separate write up.
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| The Ark of Bukhara seen from Bukhara Tower |
Back in September, Helen and I went to Uzbekistan, Almaty (Kazakhstan), and Istanbul. While I did write a post in October explaining some urbanism observations – including the awe-inspiring Tashkent metro – I never got around to writing about the sights themselves. Let’s look back at that trip to see why you may want to consider heading there in the future.
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| A view of Samarkand from Hazrat Khizr Mosque |
Happy New Year, #BikeTO! Hope 2025 has gotten off to a good start for you. With today being 4’C with some light drizzle in the morning which tapered off later, I went to the 13th Annual New Year’s Day Ride hosted by Alex which started at Yonge & Queen’s Quay. It was my second New Year's Day ride after last year’s one.
Yesterday, about 30 people took part in the last Critical Mass ride of 2024. A reasonable turnout considering the Holidays, while the 2’C temperatures and lack of precipitation made for great riding weather. Here’s a picture of the group at the start of the ride.
While trying to describe 2024 from a Toronto cycling perspective, the phrase "flip turned upside down" from Will Smith’s “Fresh Prince of Bel Air” song had come to mind. Especially considering the record number of cyclists killed and the Ford government’s passing of their anti-bike lane Bill 212 (which also calls for accelerating Highway 413 construction). Let’s recap 2024 to see why that was the case.
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| Winter conditions along the Sherbourne cycle track this afternoon |
It’s hard to believe, but another year is almost over, and it’s been quite the rollercoaster with the Bill 212 fiasco and all. With two more weeks to go, a lot has popped up which warrants a roundup post of its own. This includes a couple of updates regarding Bill 212, the East Don Trail, the Ellesmere Complete Street project, and some upcoming group rides. Let’s dive in to see what December 2024 has to offer!
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| A banner ridiculing Doug Ford's war on bike lanes found over the Gardiner (via Martin Reis) |
