Keeping up With the ‘Stans

Ever mixed up Turkmenistan and Tajikistan? Or Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan? (Guilty, on both counts.) Gadling’s Aaron Hotfelder comes to the rescue with his handy series on Keeping the ‘Stans Straight. Not only are his posts helping to fill a gap in my geography knowledge, but it’s also refreshing, amidst a sea of “hot” 2008 destination lists, to read about a region that is still decidedly “not.” The latest installment: Afghanistan.