Just back from a trip to Denver for a New Year's Slim Cessna concert but still managed to find some connections to the Central Asian world. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science was hosting a high profile exhibition on Genghis Khan, with Genghis' portrait plastered all over town. I've been told the exhibition is light on actual artefacts (which is understandable for a nomadic empire) but I can't say for sure because the exhibition was sold out. Who thought the Mongols were so popular... Moral of the story: book your tickets online. If you're headed to Denver the exhibition is on until February 7th 2010. If you can't make it, I recommend the companion book, which is discounted at Amazon.

On the way back home we pulled into Boulder to track down the Tajik teahouse there. Apparently the chaikhana was built 20 years ago by Tajik craftsmen as a gift to Dushanbe's sister city Boulder. It's a perfect replica with lovely carved pillars, alabaster plaques and swirling painted arabesques. They even serve plov and shashlyk if you're feeling mutton withdrawal symptoms, though the prices will shock you if you've ever chowed down a dollar plov in Dushanbe.