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	<title>Farflungistan</title>
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	<description>Travel photos and some words about my travels throughout the world</description>
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		<title>Amsterdam: April 2022 so far in photos</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2022/04/10/amsterdam-april-2022-so-far-in-photos/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 10 Apr 2022 18:31:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[These are things that the cheery brochures will not show present day reality. Snow on April (fools) 1st, rain, sun, flowers, wild life and work being done around the city with no determined end date. Temps are steadily rising, flowers can&#8217;t be stopped and rain is more the norm this month. As the dutch saying<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2022/04/10/amsterdam-april-2022-so-far-in-photos/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Amsterdam: April 2022 so far in&#160;photos"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3954</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">20_12774</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Travel back to Europe 2022</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2022/03/18/travel-to-europe-2022/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Mar 2022 09:35:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Amsterdam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amsterdam Pride]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amsterdam Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe Travel 2022]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[European Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holland travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holland Travel 2022]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kings Day]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Netherlands Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Post Covid Travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3906</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Come visit Amsterdam]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3906</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">ima_7633</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Spring Awakenings</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2017/03/27/2017-3-27-springawakenings/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Mar 2017 10:23:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amsterdam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cherry Blossoms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Holland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nederland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Netherlands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pink flowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sakura]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spring flowers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Westerpark]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Spring is here, cool winds are turning into warm breezes,&#160;and things are changing quickly in the great outdoors. &#160;Color is bringing life back into the landscape, days are getting longer,&#160;the sun is casting deeper shadows, animals and smiley-faced people are more present and active. &#160;Out with the grey and in with the colors of a<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2017/03/27/2017-3-27-springawakenings/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Spring Awakenings"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">4509</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">IMG_0283</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Sakura in Westerpark - Amsterdam27-03-2017&#038;nbsp;1/800 sec @f/8 ISO 100,Canon Macro 60mm Lens, post-production in Lightroom</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>The Folly of Man</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/21/the-folly-of-man/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Apr 2013 14:28:47 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Moynaq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uzbekistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aral Sea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karakalpakstan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soviet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USSR]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3323</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Old ships rest on the bottom of what was once the harbor in Moynaq, Karakalpakstan. The Aral Sea has retreated hundreds of kilometers to the north leaving a vast seabed exposed to the blazing sun in its wake. When will humanity learn the consequences of its actions?]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3323</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">The edge of the Aral Sea in Moynaq - Karakalpakstan</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Unfinished Business</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/19/unfinished-business/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:11:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Khiva]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uzbekistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kalta Minor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Minaret]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3325</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The 19th century Kalta Minor minaret stands magnificently in the afternoon sunlight. Its architect, having completed only 26 meters of the structure, fled after fearing that he was going to be put to death by the Khan. As good excuse as any I suppose for leaving something so beautiful incomplete.]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3325</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">Khiva</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Reticulum of Light</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/18/reticulum-of-light/</link>
					<comments>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/18/reticulum-of-light/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:43:41 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Konye Urgench]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Temur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Timur]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3320</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		
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			<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3320</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Konye-Urgench</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Dreaming Under a Multitude of Stars</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/17/dreaming-under-a-multitude-of-stars/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:44:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Konye Urgench]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Temur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Timur]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3317</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Konye-Urgench (&#8220;Old Urgench&#8221;), once one of the greatest cities on the Silk Road, was the architectural inspiration for much of the region until it was finally laid waste by Timur in the fourteenth century. The hypnotically elaborate facades of this style exude a deep perception of geometry, proportion, and color that is utterly captivating. Perhaps<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/17/dreaming-under-a-multitude-of-stars/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Dreaming Under a Multitude of&#160;Stars"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3317</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Konye Urgench</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>In the Light</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/13/in-the-light/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:33:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Darvaza Gas Craters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvasa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvaza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gas Crater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karakum Desert]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3306</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Darkness envelopes the cool desert night with only the flickering of the crater to guide our way.]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3306</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">In the Light</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Into the Realm of Hephaestus</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/13/into-the-realm-of-hephaestus/</link>
					<comments>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/13/into-the-realm-of-hephaestus/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvaza Gas Craters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvasa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvaza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gas Crater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karakum Desert]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3304</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		
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			<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3304</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Darvaza Gas Crater:Karakum Desert:Turkmenistan</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Riding on the Edge of the Abyss</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/12/riding-on-the-edge-of-the-abyss/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Apr 2013 02:54:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvaza Gas Craters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvasa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Darvaza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gas Crater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karakum Desert]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3301</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Our Land Rover sits a little too close for comfort on the very edge of one of the &#8216;mud holes&#8217; at Dervaza (Turkic for &#8220;The Gate&#8221;) on the Turkmenistan/Uzbekistan border. These enormous sinkholes go down for hundreds of meters and open up into vast pools of molten earth. One has to take care of the<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/12/riding-on-the-edge-of-the-abyss/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Riding on the Edge of the&#160;Abyss"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3301</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8100/8519987031_9a5f919ea2_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Land cruiser Shadow next to a Crater in the Karakum Desert</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Oasis of Sand</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/11/oasis-of-sand/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:13:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karakum Desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kyz Kala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNESCO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Heritage]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3299</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The ancient Silk Road city of Merv in the Karakum desert (Turkic for &#8220;Black Sand&#8221;) reminds me of a bit of the fate of ancient Carthage. Tracing its origins to the 3rd century BC, it was the largest city in the world in the 12th century only to be razed to the ground some 300<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/11/oasis-of-sand/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Oasis of Sand"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3299</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8306/7982733073_93c1de9cf9_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">The Oldest Fortress of the Ancient City of Merv in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Pious Payout</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/10/the-pious-payout/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2013 07:13:21 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ancient Mary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hajj]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hajj Gurbanguly Mosque]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mosque]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.wordpress.com/?p=3293</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[When Turkmenistan&#8217;s President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedovmade completed his first Hajj, it was the perfect time for citizens of Mary to ask him for the funds needed to finish the building of Mary&#8217;s mosque. The money was awarded and the inauguration of the Hajj Gurbanguly Mosque commenced two years later. The President proclaimed its&#8217; opening was &#8220;evidence<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/10/the-pious-payout/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"The Pious Payout"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3293</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">The Gurbanguly Haji Mosque in Mary Turkmenistan</media:title>
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		<title>Friday Evening Traffic Jam, Turkmenistan Style</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/08/friday-evening-traffic-jam-turkmenistan-style/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:47:48 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Camels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karakum Desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Merv]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parthian Empire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parthian Ruins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNESCO]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3290</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Don&#8217;t you just hate it when you&#8217;re on your way to visit a ancient city that&#8217;s been abandoned for 500 years and you&#8217;re held up by a herd of camels? Yeah, me too. I mean who wouldn&#8217;t want to just gawk at these magnificent &#8216;ships of the desert&#8217; as they slowly made their way along<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/08/friday-evening-traffic-jam-turkmenistan-style/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Friday Evening Traffic Jam, Turkmenistan&#160;Style"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3290</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Road to Merv</media:title>
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		<title>The Sincerest Form of Flattery</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/07/the-sincerest-form-of-flattery/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:40:27 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Ashgabat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ashkhabad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blue Mosque]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Istanbul]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mosque]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3282</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The Ertuğrul Gazi Mosque, said to be patterned after the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, sits at the end of a grand boulevard of parks that are almost as empty as the mosque itself. Large enough to hold 5,000 worshipers, it sees only a small fraction of that since it&#8217;s &#8216;unlucky&#8217; or &#8216;haunted&#8217; due to a<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/07/the-sincerest-form-of-flattery/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"The Sincerest Form of&#160;Flattery"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3282</post-id>
		<media:content url="https://1.gravatar.com/avatar/105e893d277104437c02c9c24dc160e70b747652c647e5a0321841ec25a167a1?s=96&#38;d=retro&#38;r=G" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8517608025_e0ff104578_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">The Entry Courtyard to the The Ertugrul Gazi Mosque in Ashgabat</media:title>
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		<title>Pendulum of Reflection</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/06/pendulum-of-reflection/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:44:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Ashgabat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ashgabad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Islam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mosque]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Persia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3278</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Most Persian-style mosques are famed for their ornate surfaces and the interior of the Krezrety Omar mosque in Ashgabat certainly lives up to that rich history. What really catches the eye though is the unusual chandelier underneath the central dome. Oscillating, mesmerizing, and constantly reminding the faithful that the sumptuous surroundings are a mear diversion<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/06/pendulum-of-reflection/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Pendulum of Reflection"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3278</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7787999472_231a5c6f26_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Persian Mosque Krezrety Omar in Ashgabat</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Foreclosure of a Dream</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/05/foreclosure-of-a-dream/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:14:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Ashgabat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ashgabad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lenin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soviet Union]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3269</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[This unusually ornamented Lenin statue, one of the few still left standing in Central Asia, presides over the dismantling of his utopian vision. Perhaps it too will someday be glossed over in a sea of white marble, relegated to a brief moment of history.]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3269</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Foreclosure of a Dream</media:title>
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		<title>Hidden in Plain Sight</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/04/hidden-in-plain-sight/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:58:50 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Ashgabat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ashgabad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Independence Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saparmurat Niyazov]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soviet Union]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3257</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s sometimes hard for the eyes not to focus on President Saparmurat Niyazov&#8217;s shining doppelgänger in Independence Park. Gold, however, eventually looses its luster (or in post-presidential times gets replaced) and we have to look closer for the timeless, more subtle, effects at play. Do you see them? How many Rub el Hizb can you<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/04/hidden-in-plain-sight/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Hidden in Plain&#160;Sight"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3257</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8097/8515001007_980ea474de_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Golden statue of Saparmurat Niyazov in Ashgabat&#039;s Independence Park</media:title>
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		<title>Back to the Beginning</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/03/back-to-the-beginning/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2013 11:35:04 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Ashgabat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Akhal-Teke]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Golden Horses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soviet Union]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stans]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3243</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Ostensibly this is the Monument to Ten Years of Independence from the Soviet Union, with a wild herd of ten Akhal-Teke (&#8220;Golden Horses&#8221;) coming over a ridge. These steeds, prized for their speed, endurance, and adaptability, have been bred for thousands of years by local tribes. Those tribes would trade them for arms, gold, and<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/03/back-to-the-beginning/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Back to the&#160;Beginning"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3243</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8374/8518813198_68100185ca_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">The Monument To 10 Years Of Independence, Berzengi, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan</media:title>
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		<title>The End of the Yellow Brick Road</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/02/the-end-of-the-yellow-brick-road/</link>
					<comments>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/02/the-end-of-the-yellow-brick-road/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:26:55 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Ashgabat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nisa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ancient City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parthian Empire]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parthian Ruins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UNESCO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Village of Bagyr]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[World Heritage]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.wordpress.com/?p=3231</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The phrase &#8216;lost to the sands of time&#8217; tends to conjure up thoughts of mighty empires that have faded away into the desert. Nisa, the first capital of the Parthians, is no different in the dusty hills a short distance outside of Ashgabat. The spectacular mountaintop setting on what is now the Turkmenistan/Iran border belies<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/02/the-end-of-the-yellow-brick-road/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"The End of the Yellow Brick&#160;Road"</span></a>]]></description>
		
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			<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3231</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8517615495_c659f8fd24_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Rebuilt Sections of the Ancient Parthian city of Nisa</media:title>
		</media:content>
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		<title>It&#8217;s not easy being Green in Ashgabat</title>
		<link>https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/01/its-not-easy-being-green-in-ashgabat/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[farflungistan]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:30:26 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Silk Road]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Turkmenistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karakum Desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kopet Dang mountains]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Soviet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stans]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://farflungistan.com/?p=3162</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[If a visitor just stayed in Ashgabat and never left the city limits then they would never think that it is literally an oasis in the middle of the water parched Karakum Desert. Fountains are bursting out clean water and offer some much-needed relief from the heat.  The task of keeping the city and its<a class="more-link" href="https://farflungistan.com/2013/04/01/its-not-easy-being-green-in-ashgabat/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"It&#8217;s not easy being Green in&#160;Ashgabat"</span></a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">3162</post-id>
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			<media:title type="html">farflungistan</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8227/8591039239_3a9896d501_z.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">Plenty of water here in Ashgabat</media:title>
		</media:content>

		<media:content url="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8516119194_c943ea8f40.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">The Kopet Dag Mountains in the Suburbs of Ashgabat</media:title>
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