Author Archives: laurapattara

OVERLANDING CHINA: SELF-DRIVE AND WITHOUT A GUIDE…IT’S NOW POSSIBLE!

Posted on October 22, 2014 by laurapattara

EDIT March 2015: please refer to the latest blog post about agencies helping overlanders cross through China unguided, after reading this! After our unforgettable and blissfully unguided self-drive traverse of China (and countless requests for more details from fellow travellers) … Continue reading →

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Overlanding China: the most rewarding trouble you’ll ever go to!

Posted on October 21, 2014 by laurapattara

Something’s not quite right. As I slowly awaken from my slumber and notice the day’s first light peeking through our window, the only thing I hear are birds chirping. Even though we’re staying in a guesthouse…there’s no shouting, no slamming … Continue reading →

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Overlanding China: A Journey Of Gastronomic Delights (And It’s Not The MSG!)

Posted on October 4, 2014 by laurapattara

We love the food in China. We really do. After enduring months on end of bland grub and unidentifiable meats in Central Asia we are absolutely relishing the taste sensations here. Everything is fresh caught, slaughtered or picked, cooked to … Continue reading →

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Crossing China’s Xinjiang province: Our Most Unorthodox Beginning

Posted on August 27, 2014 by laurapattara

Crossing into China’s westernmost province, from Kyrgyzstan, was never going to be a simple affair. Due to ongoing ethnic tensions there, and recent surge in sporadic violence between government forces and the Uighur Muslim minority, regulations state that foreigners driving … Continue reading →

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Kyrgyzstan: Where Central Asia Revealed Her Soul

Posted on August 13, 2014 by laurapattara

Kyrgyzstan is a land of unexpected surprises. One certainly wouldn’t know it by just looking at it on a map or by basing one’s assumptions on visits to any of the other Stans in Central Asia. Everything from the culture, … Continue reading →

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‘Things I Would Tell My 20 Year Old Self’ (but question is…would she listen?)

Posted on August 8, 2014 by laurapattara

Here I am, back online. I know I’ve been rather quiet on the writing front these last two months but let me assure you that all is as fine as can be.  Chris and I have taken a hiatus from the … Continue reading →

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Long-term Travel & the Importance of Social Interaction

Posted on June 10, 2014 by laurapattara

One need not be a Guantanamo Bay detainee to understand that having minimal social interaction can wreck havoc on one’s mental health. There is a very good reason why the use of solitary confinement is still widespread the world over … Continue reading →

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Welcome to Tajikistan…wanna plov?

Posted on June 5, 2014 by laurapattara

No matter what anyone tries to tell you, trust me when I say that patience is not an inherent trait, but rather a learned one. Learning it, however, is not nearly as easy as it sounds. After almost a decade … Continue reading →

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Uzbekistan: from tired overlander to reinvigorated tourist

Posted on May 30, 2014 by laurapattara

Within just 100kms of crossing the invisible border between Karakalpakstan and the rest of Uzbekistan, we join the tarmac highway once again. Finally, I think to myself, we can get some serious kilometres out of the way. Yet it barely … Continue reading →

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Karakalpakstan: the Stan the World Forgot

Posted on May 11, 2014 by laurapattara

It must really suck to be a Karakalpak. Once upon a time, you were one of Central Asia’s most avid farmers, then your land was prostituted, polluted and destroyed beyond recognition and, even after your livelihood was obliterated, you were … Continue reading →

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