Week 7 (Uzbekistan)

3/8

Rose at 5, breakfast and on the road for a long drive at 6.
Laterz.
Crossed the border to Uzbekistan at 14.00h. Took 3 hours and lots of forms to fill out. The same form, 6 times. Burocrazy. Then for the last part of the drive to Khiva. The first thing the catches the eye is that it's green again. No more desert as in Tukmenistan. Arrived at this beautiful hotel at 7. Really, really nice hotel. Clean, very eastern (not trying to copy the western style, but authentic), good rate for money exchange, friendly staff, etc. Love it here.

Went on line (after a long time) and found out that a friend had past away. I know she was sick (C of course), but still, it came as a shock. R.I.P. Mieke. I'm glad i have known you.

Then shower, a beer and some food at a local restaurant. Man, what a nice city this is.

Came back at 11 and slept like a log. Even skipped the invitation for a last sleep cap.


4/8

Rose at 7.45, the best breakfast in years followed. Man what a great hotel this is.
Now  paying some bills (thanks for sending them Kars), and updating blog, administration etc.
Later a long stroll through this beautifull little city. Love Uzbekistan!

Well, the long stroll wasn't that long. Just a cup of (far to expensive, rip off-ish) coffee and a 2 hour nap. Then diner with Marian which was very nice (again). Met some very kind locals,  that offered us wodka, beef and a conversation in which the admiration for Holland was expresssed extensively. Long stroll on the outside of the old city brought us back in our hotel, where i finally got enough wifi signal to finish all updating stuff. Listening to my own music on my laptop gave me a homesick feeling.
Anyway, the rest came to the hotel too, drank another one, chatted and went to sleep. tomorrow 8: on the road again. Laterz...


5/8

Rose at 7. Breakfast (the hotel serves  a great one) and ... err ... diahrea. On the road now to Bukhara.

The desert is back...

14.00h, being ripped off at the only restaurant in the Uzbekistan desert. What an assholes. I hope the place burns down, grrrr.
18.30h, arrived in Bukhara. First impression: cosy, but very touristic. Share a room with Carlos, Kate and Marian. Just had an ice cream. Now a beer and updating blog. Laterz...

The beers became two, three, etc... and there were guitars and a bar to play guitar in... Anyway, it was a fun night, but my head says "ouch" now.


6/8

Woke up, hungover, breakfast with Hans (a dutch tour operator we met here; nice bloke), showered and washed clothes. Updating blog.
Went for a stroll, but did not find that much interesting stuff.
Then the heat begun. It's over 40 C. Too much to handle. Slept and read. End of the afternoon for a 2nd stroll.
2nd stroll brought me to the bazaar and some great mosques/minaret-like buildings.
Had dinner with Kate and Marian, in a very nice restaurant, recommended by the Lonely Planet. Great food and affordable.
Played some guitar in the garden of the hotel afterwards, one beer accross the street and updating blog now.
Laterz.


7/8

Slept like a log for more than 9 hours straight. Woke up at 8, breakfast, said goodbye to Hans and off we are again. To Samarkand. Laterz...
Arrived at the nicest hotel so far (= clean toilets, kitchen to be used, airco, small swimming pool, even tv). Had 3 beers with the lads, met this new fellow traveller (Anton, Germany, nice bloke), tried to find a nice restaurant, but ended up, buying a loaf of breaf, eggs and tomatoes, together with Marian and so... make an omlet, which tasted nice. A last beer and a nice conversation with Brenda on these comfortable, seats/couches ended the day. Slept like a log (only to be woken up by Will and Alley, who came back at 4 am).


8/8

Woke up at 8, great breakfast, chatted on FB with Maria and then a long stroll with Anton to the big mosque and the local markets, which was great fun. Also bought a new pair of lippers, since i completely walked out the old ones (think the took me a couple of 100 km's).
Now updating blog. Laterz...
Later that afternoon a long stroll through the parks at the end of the main road. Nice, but not spectecular. Did FB stuff, took a swim in the hotels little pool, showered, made myself some fried eggs and tomatoes, a last beer and an early night. Fell asleep late though. Too much on my mind, but no worries...


9/8

Rose at 7.15. Diahrea for a change... yeeee... took the necessary medicines, breakfasted, put my stuff on the truck and now... on the road again...
Round 11, we hasd to replace a part of the suspension of the truck. Took almost 2 hours, but... very hostipable people and a very nice early lunch made it all up. On we drove, untill we got lost. It was hot and there was no wind, so some extra stops for cold drinks and ice cream (and get rid of our last Uzekistan Soms). All in all, we didn't make it to the border, so we bushcamped in Uzbekistan. James and I plyed one of my compositions on guitar, we had spaghetti and an early night with a decent sleep, despite the flat air mat.

Sorry for the lack of pictures.