Bit soon after my last blog but what the heck - the internet connection speed for some reason is awesome (ie average for Europeans). Just arrived back in Samarkand from our visa shopping spree in Tashkent, so called international regional travel hub and good fun too. Steve has decided to have a holiday and so is leaving our bike quest and flying out to Thailand - on the way back to New Zealand, good luck, has been good cycling together. It's Keith and I now, setting of into the Himalayas on Sunday. More...

We've left our bikes in Samarkand and came to Tashkent for visas and all I can say is don't come here if you want to relax. The city is huge, you can't use the metro, as the police target tourists here, and there are no taxis, as we know them. Instead, you try to hail every passing car, and one of the locals will act as your taxi for a price. Its annoying to have to bargain for everything. We are capitalists, we are rich, so we pay more.... uh - more like, we won't come back nor will we recommend the place. More...

Now in Uzbekistan after crossing Turkmenistan the last 7 days.

Uzbekistan, currently in Bukhara, wow, great food and facilities, and the first tourists we seen since leaving Istanbul. Fabulous architecture, ancient buildings that have survived the ages. This is the most fabulous place since Istanbul 9 weeks ago, good food drink nice places to sit, friendly locals, winding old streets in the old town where we are staying. Although the internet is terribly slow here, cannot read my email but can update this blog. More...