“Rescue Me” (Aretha Franklin)

From Bukhara we headed into the desert for two nights bush camping in the desert by Lake Aydar. We arrived at the lake in the late afternoon, and after checking out one site near the water the crew decided to push on a little further round the lake to find a better spot. We drove on for a while, however it was more like the campsite chose us as our rear tyre suddenly sank into the mud! After a little understandable cursing and exclaiming, the crew started the long and arduous task of digging the truck out, while the rest of us started to set up camp or headed into the water to cool off. We were camped in the middle of what seemed at the time to be nowhere, however our guide Jalol wandered off over the hill and returned triumphantly with an old truck (I don’t know where we find these guides who can just magic up a truck in the desert, but that was our second!). There was a collective intake of breath as the truck pulled on Penelope, and much cheering (and sighs of relief) when she was rescued and headed off to more solid ground!

We spent the whole of the next day just chilling by the lake. We got the boats and bikes out, and set up some shade with the kitchen tent (there does seem to be a dearth of trees in the desert – who would have thought?), and spent the day in and out of the water. Tim kite surfing:

At night we had a celebration for Terry & Lesley’s 31st wedding anniversary which was a couple of days prior. We had a feast of bbq steak, coleslaw, potato salad and, most importantly, fruit punch! After dinner Sam, Mike T and Edel treated us to some songs around the campfire (including the very touching “Every bladder hurts” to the tune of “Everybody hurts” by REM.

From the desert we headed to the relatively tropical city of Samarkand, one of the most important Silk Road cities, and the birthplace of the current president, and one of the icons of Uzbekistan history, Temurlane (Temur the Lame). It is my favourite of the cities we have visited in Uzbekistan, and it is filled with the most beautiful mosques and madrassas, fewer shops than Bukhara, and has a lovely feel to it. We did an epic city tour which covered the Registan Square, said to be the single most impressive sight in Central Asia, and the Necropolis, a collection of mausoleums which is absolutely amazing. We wandered through the market and managed to buy some apricots and sugared peanuts (with significant assistance from Jalol to avoid tourist price!) and in the afternoon headed to Temurlane’s mausoleum, one of the most important sites in Uzbekistan. It was an incredible feast of blue and gold on the inside, with intricate delicate designs covering the walls and ceiling.

Crofty & C at Registan Square:

Me in Samarkand: Inside Temurlane's Mausoleum:

The food in Uzbekistan has been a feature – we have sampled many of the local dishes including Shurpa (a beef broth with a piece of beef, a piece of carrot and a piece of potato in it – excellent for those of us (basically all of us) who have had dodgy stomachs during Uzbekistan), Shashlik (meat on a skewer), fried noodles (a bit like nasi goreng with noodles rather than rice), Lagman (a delicious noodle soup with diced vegetables), Manti (noodle dumplings filled with minced beef) and cabbage and peppers filled with minced beef. Meals are also served with salads, the traditional tomato and cucumber salad, a yoghurt and cucumber dip, a glass noodle salad and sometimes a mushroom salad. Oh, and of course Pizza Stella (pizza with ham, chicken, pineapple and mushrooms – not Uzbekistani, but delicious nonetheless!).