I have to admit that I was a little scared. First, the little incident in Kyrgyzstan that served as a prelude, then the story of a cyclist I met on the road - poor guy had been attacked by four men, who stole everything except his passport and bicycle then left him in the middle of the desert tied up with the cover of his sleeping bag around his head - and Jehan's SMS message - stating that he had been attacked, fleed a home at night and spent another one in jail... It seemed almost impossible that I would ...Read More
The Kyrgyz side of the border was so easy to cross, it will be hard to describe. I knocked on the the door to notify the soldier of my arrival. He wouldn't know if I entered on my own will. He put on his hat. It had a soviet emblem on it. Looks like they didn't feel any need to change the uniform after the independence. He called his friend to have his photo taken on the bike. When that was over, I reminded that I was actually there to cross the border. So they asked for my passport. They ...Read More
I planned to ride to Tashkent from Samarkand until I came across a border crossing on the main road. It was surprising to see one because my maps indicated a straight highway within Uzbekistan. It seems like Kazakhstan has claimed some of this land recently so I would have to exit Uzbekistan if I wanted to continue. Having a single entry Uzbek visa I decided to take the southern route to Fargana Valley. It felt a little rebellious to steer away from the capital, the control freak central authority to this fertile and disobedient valley where the infamous Andijon events ...Read More
I left Bukhara after an unsuccessful internet connection attempt. When I left the cafe, there were a dozen little Bukharan boys on bicycles admiring my motorcycle. I may be a little older, motorized, and a bit further away from home, but basicly we belong to the same category. Boys on wheels! We played a bit and I gave them some baloons. Then they escorted me out of the center since the road I came two days ago was now closed.
On the road, I met some other boys in uniforms with guns and sticks. They were doing radar speed checks ad ...Read More