Another day exploring #Almaty in #Kazakhstan. So much to discover from the metro system, to the wooden cathedral, to the streets and murals.

#Art from around #Almaty in #Kazakhstan. Street art, state art, traditional art, and some international art from the Almaty Museum of Arts.

Another epic day. I went on an #Enduro adventure with two locals from #Almaty in #Kazakhstan. The ride featured a narrow ridge with steep drops on both sides, a big rock obstacle that I accidentally did my first ever wheelie over 🙀, deep sand descents and climbs, and lots of technical riding.

Today I visited the largest camp in the #gulag system of the Stalinist #USSR, Karlag in #Kazakhstan. It was a very sober visit. Over a million people were held here over its 30 year existence and they were forced to do hard labor in the fields and mines of #Karaganda. Many of them died there.

Riding the Kazakhstan Temir Joly (Kazakh Railways) #train from #Almaty to #Karaganda in NW #Kazakhstan. 13h overnight in a sleeper carriage. Woke up to the beautiful golden #Steppe.

I had a nice first day exploring #Almaty in #Kazakhstan. Leafy boulevards and parks with fountains. A bustling "Green Bazaar" farmer's market. Old orthodox churches and historical buildings. It's very different from other cities in Central Asia I've been to.

Some more photos from #Kazakhstan: a campfire, an abandoned #observatory, and meeting my French friends and their truck.

The #Kolsay and #Kaindy Lake region outside of Almaty in #Kazakhstan is very beautiful. Stunning mountain lakes backed by snow covered mountains and dark green forests. And all of this rising above deep valleys and the famous gorges of eastern Kazakhstan.

What it feels like racing across the #desert in #Kazakhstan on my Honda #CRF300L motorcycle. There's a definite truth to the saying "it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow"… Plus it's just FUN to race across a desert even at non-pro speeds. Location: Altyn-Emel National Park

Eastern #Kazakhstan has some amazing canyons, gorges, and lakes. I've been exploring #CharynCanyon, #BlackCanyon, #TemirlikCanyon, and #KolsaiLake.

A reminder that the #GoldenRule is so easy to do. Yesterday, I stopped to help this guide who was stranded when his SUV broke down on a remote rode in #AltynEmelNationalPark in #Kazakhstan. Together we fixed the problem and he was able to continue. So easy. Such a great interaction. Loved it.

Today I drove into #AltynEmel National Park in #Kazakhstan to look at the amazing geological formations and colors of the #Aktau Mountains. #geology #mountains #landscape

I've been asked a few times to show where I stay on my trip. Some I’ll stay in a nondescript hotel, but I really try to find cute and unusual places. Last night was one of those! Livin' the #cabinlife outside of Almaty in #Kazakhstan

I had a wonderful day in the mountains outside of #Almaty in #Kazakhstan today.

Photos from a hike in Ile-Alatau National Park, the #mountains outside of #Almaty in #Kazakhstan. It's amazingly so different from Kyrgyzstan which is literally just over the big ridge south of here.

I'm Backh in Kazakh. I crossed the border from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan this morning, and spent the afternoon in the golden foothills of #Kazakhstan in near perfect weather.

Exploring the #mountains of #kyrgyzstan south of Lake Issky-Kul on my motorcycle. I rode all the way up to Pereval Barskaun, then through Seok Pass.

Photos from the south shore of #IsskyKul Lake in #Kyrgyzstan.

I had a really special experience when I was the sole foreign guest at a party in #Kyrgyzstan celebrating the completion of a newly built house. It was a magical and unexpected evening with many new friends.

Exploring Kan'ony Aksay (Aksay #Canyon) on the south side of Lake Issyk-Kul in #Kyrgyzstan on my #motorcycle. Deep sand is always a challenge… but it's all good and made for an adventure! Каньон Аксай, Kan'on Aksay, Kyrgyzstan

More photos from the #WorldNomadGames in #Kyrgyzstan - a real 🦄 #unicorn, friends I last saw in Georgia, horse racing, cultural dress, a 🐪, and the winning Krygyz kök-börü team after beating the Russian team.

At the #WorldNomadGames in #Kyrgyzstan! Beautiful singing, Golden Eagles, #Buzkashi (teams on horseback carrying a goat), circus performers, and delicious food. It's quite the extravaganza!

The #WorldNomadGames in #Kyrgyzstan are incredible! I had an amazing first day at the #Nomad Village in the #Kyrchyn Gorge. Beautiful costumes, wonderful singing, horse riding, eagles flying, wrestling, tug-of-war, and delicious food! The highlight were the incredibly friendly and welcoming people.

Here are some scenes from a day adventure #motorcycling around #Kyrgyzstan. First I took a rough road up to #SongKul Lake. Then across the cold plateau past yurts, horses, and cowboys, to the #AshuuPass. I then descended all the way down to the town of Kochkor. Amazing! Tiring!

A time-lapse video of climbing and descending #KaldamaPass (Pereval Kaldama) in #Kyrgyzstan. It was cold at the top! 40 minutes in 2m54s.

We are hiring our first intern. This is a paid internship for a designer based in London. Details on the post. www.hardproblems.com/articles/des...

We're hiring a part-time design intern in London

Hard Problems is hiring a paid design intern for 9 months in London. Design, writing, and podcast production with a small non-profit helping designers work on the things that count.

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I'm almost finished driving the #PamirHighway in #Tajikistan. The route follows the border with Afghanistan for 3 days, just separated by a river flowing down a steep gorge. Huge mountains are on all sides (K2 is only about 200km away).

Some snapshots from the last week in #Tajikistan. Huge #mountains, beautiful #landscapes, #apricots 😋, and so many wonderful people.

When I arrived in #Tajikistan I drove up into the the Fan Mountains and the #SevenLakes (Marguzor Lakes). It's a beautiful narrow valley where the Shing River forms 7 sapphire colored lakes. I road up to the 7th lake and did a beautiful hike along the shore and up a steep gorge.

Some snapshots of my time in both #Tashkent and #Samarkand in #Uzbekistan. A mashup of #SilkRoad and Communist #architecture.