With my Aral Experience ticked off, it was time to start south towards Afghanistan. However, before I got there I had one last big place to visit - Samarkand!
The train came through Nukus on Monday and Thursday, arriving Nukus at 12:29 and departing at 12:44, arriving in Samarkand at an inconvenient 04:00. I sat in the train station and dozed for a couple of hours until the buses started running. Still killing time, I actually got off the bus at the Amir Timur statue and walked to the Registan from there.
26 January, 2011
Day 281: To being munchy
I have finally extracted myself from Siem Reap and after a couple of nights in the little town of Sra Em to see the Angkorian temple of Prasat Preah Vihear (an excellent day out) I've made it to the relative metropolis known as Tbeng (or Tbaeng) Meanchey. Tomorrow I hope to see the former Angkorian capital at Koh Ker, then the next day undertake a cunning manouvre to see the huge temple complex at Preah Khan.
However, for the time being let me tell you about Nukus and the southern Aral Sea. We'll need to travel back to the 20th of August. Got your time machine turned on? Let's go!
However, for the time being let me tell you about Nukus and the southern Aral Sea. We'll need to travel back to the 20th of August. Got your time machine turned on? Let's go!
22 January, 2011
Day 277: Sigh & Reap
Still in Siem Reap, still working my way through the ruins of Angkor. I set out upon this trip with three "musts" on my itinerary - the Aral Sea, Ha Long Bay, and Angkor. Tomorrow I hope to complete the final "must".
Meanwhile, back in Uzbekistan, it's the 18th of August and I am embarking upon a ride across the desert from Bukhara to Khiva, riding a shared taxi that cost me nearly twice as much as it should have.
Meanwhile, back in Uzbekistan, it's the 18th of August and I am embarking upon a ride across the desert from Bukhara to Khiva, riding a shared taxi that cost me nearly twice as much as it should have.
Myth dusting
I had what I consider an interesting insight the other day on the way that memory edits itself.
In 2007 during my last long trip, I bought a small silver pendant representing the famous Phaestos Disc. Like those silver or gold hearts that can be broken in half to share with someone, this could be broken in half. So much is fact.
Over time I built a romantic little anecdote around this pendant. It started out simply factual, but each time I repeated the story I "improved" upon it. Not unusual - I'm a storyteller and it's in my nature to attempt to make the most of a good yarn, filing off the rough edges in order to make it rounder, neater and hopefully more interesting. Usually I keep track of fact and fiction and don't confuse them, but in the case of the pendant, I actually believed the new version.
In 2007 during my last long trip, I bought a small silver pendant representing the famous Phaestos Disc. Like those silver or gold hearts that can be broken in half to share with someone, this could be broken in half. So much is fact.
Over time I built a romantic little anecdote around this pendant. It started out simply factual, but each time I repeated the story I "improved" upon it. Not unusual - I'm a storyteller and it's in my nature to attempt to make the most of a good yarn, filing off the rough edges in order to make it rounder, neater and hopefully more interesting. Usually I keep track of fact and fiction and don't confuse them, but in the case of the pendant, I actually believed the new version.
19 January, 2011
Day 274: Angkor WHAT?
OK, so it's been four months since my last post - when I was in Kyrgyzstan. I'm now visiting the temples of Angkor in Cambodia, getting here via Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan (again), China, and Vietnam. However, true to the tradition of this blog I'll take a ride in the time machine and continue from where I left off ...
Bopping in Bokhara
Escaping Tashkent, I took the night train to Bokhara. I was in 3rd Class ("Platskartny"). It was hot and crowded, but in the morning I hopped out in Bokhara and took a marshrutka to the centre. The Old Town turned out to be easy to navigate once I learned the main streets, as the alleys sooner or later run into a street. I did turn up an alley too soon while looking for my hotel, wandering a bit at random before realising I was lost. Just when I decided to head back down to the main street I looked up and realised that I was standing outside the guesthouse I was seeking. Within minutes I was sitting in the courtyard of Nasruddin Navrus, packing away a breakfast while waiting for my room to be cleaned. The room was large and air conditioned and cost $20 per day - not a bad price in Uzbekistan, where Government policies keep tourist accommodation prices high.
Bopping in Bokhara
Escaping Tashkent, I took the night train to Bokhara. I was in 3rd Class ("Platskartny"). It was hot and crowded, but in the morning I hopped out in Bokhara and took a marshrutka to the centre. The Old Town turned out to be easy to navigate once I learned the main streets, as the alleys sooner or later run into a street. I did turn up an alley too soon while looking for my hotel, wandering a bit at random before realising I was lost. Just when I decided to head back down to the main street I looked up and realised that I was standing outside the guesthouse I was seeking. Within minutes I was sitting in the courtyard of Nasruddin Navrus, packing away a breakfast while waiting for my room to be cleaned. The room was large and air conditioned and cost $20 per day - not a bad price in Uzbekistan, where Government policies keep tourist accommodation prices high.
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