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"The day began with a visit to ancient Konye Urgench, once a great city and the center of the Islamic world."
KONYE URGENCH, TURKMENISTAN TO MUYNAQ, UZBEKISTAN:
"It is now more dusty backwater and the site itself was abandoned in the 18th century. We visited what is still standing and it was a fantastic taste of the great Silk Road cities to come. There was an issue with the border so I had to go ahead in a taxi with Michael to sweet talk officials but all was well and we made it through and into Uzbekistan very easily. I had yet to visit this part of Uzbekistan and it was awesome. We first stopped in Xojeli to visit the local bazaar and the friendliness and warmth was striking. We were around here for one main reason and that was to visit the Aral Sea disaster. Def some dark tourism happening here, but having now been I think contributing to the economy of that community is really important. I mean their entire livelihood and way of life was wiped out! The town of Muynaq really seems to be developing and hopefully that terrible luck is turning around. This used to be a thriving fishing village and rusted ships remain in the dried up seabed. A eerie vision of what once was. I can title this part of the trip a tour of Soviet disasters! We stopped above the ship graveyard for an explore and to cook dinner and found out we were just in time for a giant freaking rave. I mean what is life. I’m finding myself dancing wildly at a rave overlooking the Aral Sea in a sea of locals in the middle of nowhere Uzbekistan. We were meant to bush camp which isn’t really ideal in that spot, next to a full scale dance party and with a storm brewing, so I decided to boost morale with a bit of a treat and booked some rooms in a local hotel (even if several had to sleep on the floor). It was a real cultural experience all around today!! I will choose to forget the part where I was told the wrong location of the hotel and then they had given half my rooms away but everyone was happy and clean and especially thrilled about their beds and floor when the rain bucketed down shortly thereafter."
MUYNAQ TO AYAZ KALA BUSH CAMP:
"First stop today was Nukus, the capital of Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region within Uzbekistan with its own rich history and culture. The city is famous for the Savitsky Museum - the second largest collection of Russian Avant Garde art in the world outside of the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. It was legitimately remarkable. Stunning art and artifacts thanks to the efforts of Igor Savitsky. I could have spent half the day here but alas there was a huge bazaar to explore! On the way I asked a woman where I could get a sim card and she walked Al and I there and then took us deep into the market to have lunch at the buzziest spot. The samsas here were the best I’ve ever had. We also had a delicious meatball soup and left very very happy. Nukus really left me content snd surprised. I also found an impeccable flat white here! Then it was on to our bush camp directly under Ayaz Kala - the largest of the desert fortresses of ancient Khorezm. My last experience visiting this fortress was extremely memorable, but for all the wrong reasons! Maniacal drivers, murderous heat, the world’s worst music! But this time it was pure magic to camp there and watch the sunset over this incredible fortress."
AYAZ KALA BUSH CAMP TO KHIVA:
"We visited a couple more castles this morning and had our first bogging! Everybody did a great job pitching in and we were back on the road in no time! Khiva is a magical place to be. Another instance of feeling you’ve stepped back in time to a living, breathing Silk Road city. It has been a couple of years since I’ve been to this part of the world and these places hold such big memories for me. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel to be here and am very happy to say it feels good. I truly love this part of the world. Bonus: unlike last time, the temperatures in Khiva were manageable making it extremely pleasant. We had our last new person join us here so of course that meant a group dinner at the restaurant with the best view in town. We will leave with 23, an almost full truck as we continue traveling through the larger than life Uzbek cities of the ancient Silk Road."
KHIVA TO BUKHARA:
"Unfortunately a cold hit derailing my plans, but that still couldn’t take away from Bukhara. A stroke of luck brought mild temperatures as we explored the most complete medieval city in Central Asia with our guide Aziz. Sunset over Kalon Tower and a walk back through streets alive with lights and people ended the stay and made me forget how terrible I was feeling! Absolute bonus was finding a shirt I had been on the hunt for since my last visit. I don’t understand why this isn’t the most popular shirt here!! All you need is plov indeed."
BUKHARA TO SAMARKAND:
"We started this drive off the beaten path and visited a local market in a small town. Obsessed with central Asian markets and ones like these are especially fantastic because everybody is so friendly and welcoming. It isn’t everyday a giant yellow truck of foreigners rocks up here! Samarkand, of course, is the jewel of Uzbekistan. The most famous of the ancient Silk Road cities and for good reason! It is exactly what you picture in your mind and much more. Registan is the most iconic site and we started our visit with a light show there. It was cheesy as hell but there is no circumstance where Registan is not breathtaking. Samarkand is littered with amazing sites and we visited a few on our city tour, such as the Tamerlane’s mausoleum. You can’t be around here and not hear that name a million times. Almost as much as you hear about Genghis Khan. Both destroyed all they touched. Speaking of destruction, I took some of the group to a blues bar I had loved last time. They no longer played blues?! But they still made the ridiculous flaming cocktail I remembered. Karaoke followed for an extremely well rounded time in Samarkand."
Tajikistan next!