It was at Tokmak, about 50 kms from Bishkek in Kyrgyzstan,
that I joined the group journeying along the silk route.
I left the comfort of a 4x4 jeep for a Russian Army Zil!
We started on our way to travel to Son Kul but unfortunately the
Zil had a design fault which meant that the fuel easily
vaporised in the high temperatures and high altitude.
Consequently we did not make Son Kul that day but had to spend
the night in several home stays in Kochkor. Next morning we
continued our journey to Son Kul. In the afternoon some of the
party had a horse ride for a few hours before watching the sun
go down over the mountains.
A long drive to-day to Tash Rabat. Soon after leaving Son Kul
we climbed over the Moldo Ashuu Pass to see a wonderful vista
looking down into the Naryn valley. On our way we stopped at the
Taylik Batyr Mausoleum. By lunch time we were in Naryn. After a
rest, for the Zil that is, we continued on our way to Tash Rabat
making numerous stops to cool the carburettor and fuel pump. At
Tash Rabat there is an old Caravanserai. We stayed two nights
here giving some of us the chance to take a nine hour walk up
into the mountains.
Another early start for our journey over the Torugart Pass to
China and the city of Kashgar. The road once in China was
tarmac! The country side was much drier with wide rocky rivers.
Three nights in Kashgar gave us time to see the many sights.
A huge statue of Mao dominates the modern square with many
Communist buildings and decorations. The first morning we
visited the Aba Khoja tombs and the Silk Road Museum before
having lunch in a traditional Uyghur home. The old town was
fascinating with the small shops and traditional crafts being
made. Watching the world go by from the balcony of a chaikahana,
or tea house, was interesting.
Sitting in a street café with friends eating frozen yoghurt
and chai and watching the local people enjoying themselves at
night was also a memory not to be forgotten.
Visiting the Yakshambe Bazaar or Sunday Animal Market was an
experience not to be missed. The sheep and goats were lined up,
head to head, in a row each adjacent sheep facing the opposite
direction (see photos). There were large numbers of
animals and many people busy buying and selling. Soon it
was time to pack our bags and leave the bustling town of
Kashgar.
Our return to Kyrgyzstan was over the Irkishtam Pass and the
road to Sari Tash provided a backdrop of the snow covered Pamir
Mountains. Our stay with a family that night was either in a
yurt or their house.
Next morning leaving views of Lenin Peak, the second highest
mountain in the Pamir range, we journeyed over yet another pass,
the Tol Dek at 3615m. On arriving in Osh we stayed at a
delightful home with an attractive court yard.
Here we said goodbye to our excellent Kygyz guide, Paulina,
who had looked after us so well. We also said farewell to the
Zil. A busy day was ahead of us as we crossed into Uzbekistan.
In Kokand we visited the Khan’s Palace before we crossed another
border into Tajikistan. On the way to Khodjent we stopped for a
swim in the Kajrokkum reservoir. Our accommodation for that
night was in a hotel. This was a tall concrete block with basic
yet clean rooms. No complaints, we were tired after a long hot
journey.
The next morning we met our new transport. These were old
Russian cars. Volgas, and were to take us over the Fan
Mountains. Firstly we visited the Bazaar and Medressa in
Khodjent. Our journey over the Sakiristan Pass to Panjikent was
memorable. The driver of our car must have been a rally driver
in an earlier life! Our car was always in the lead and by the
end of the journey we were twenty minutes ahead and time to have
an oil and filter change before the others arrived! Despite this
the road over the pass gave some wonderful views of the
mountains and valleys. Our home stay was again with a very
friendly family despite having to sleep on the floor.
A visit to the ancient ruins of Panjikent started our day and
then the chance to look around the bazaar and for some a swim in
a rather green pool. After lunch we made our way over the border
to Samarkand in Uzbekistan. A late afternoon visit to the
Registan certainly brought out a few wows. It gave some of us
the chance to climb one of the minarets in the cool of the
evening.
Our day in Samarkand started with a visit to Timur or
Tamerlane’s Tomb in the Guri Amir Mausoleum. This beautiful
building houses the memorials to Timur, his two sons and two
grandsons. Another visit to the Registan enabled us to learn
more about the famous Madressas. A little to the north-east lies
the Bibi-Khanym Mosque near the bazaar.
After lunch we visited Uleg Bek’s observatory, here can be
seen a 30m astrolab built in the 1420’s to observe the stars. A
short distance away is the Shahr-I-Zindah or Avenue of Tombs.
These tombs mostly belong to Timur’s and Ulughbek’s families.
Driving to Bukhara the road passes through very arid
landscape and a short way before the city an old Caravanserai
with a well was visited. After lunch and a rest we were able to
explore the city in the cool of the evening.
A guided tour of the city enabled us to visit the Ismail
Samani Mausoleum, dating to the 10th century, this
fine building has had little restoration and the Bolo-Hauz
Mosque which although built in1718 has a painted porch built in
1917. The Arc dates back to the 5th century and was
occupied up to 1920 when it was bombed by the Red Army. Behind
the Arc is the Zindon or jail, which includes the ‘Bug Pit’
where Stoddart and Conolly, two British officers, were kept
before their execution. A visit was also made to the Kalon
Mosque and to the trading domes.
The road to Khiva again passes through a very arid landscape
with views, at times, of the mighty Amu-Darya or Oxus River. The
hotel here was in an old Medressa using the single scholar
'‘cells'’ as bedrooms. My room had fine view of the Islom-Huja
Minaret one way and the large courtyard the other. In the late
afternoon we had a brief walk around the old town including a
visit to the Kukhna Arc and the opportunity to climb to the
lookout tower.
The evening meal was taken in the open-air courtyard of the
old Medressa.
Khiva still retains its ancient walls and all the main
buildings are located within these walls. Walking around the
town with few tourists and locals was a delight. We visited the
Kukhna Arc again, the Tosh-Khovil Palace, the Islom-Huja
Medressa and Minaret (which some of us climbed) and the Juma
Mosque with it’s 218 wooden columns some dating back to the
tenth century.
Early evening we left for Urgench to fly to Tashkent and
London via Istanbul. We had crossed five land borders and
visited Kyrgyzstan, China, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The
group could claim residential links to Australia, Belgium,
Canada, China, Finland, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Kenya, New
Zealand, North Korea, South Africa, Switzerland and U.S.A.
If I have left one out I expect that I will be told!
A GREAT trip.
This successful journey was made with the support of Wild
Frontiers Adventure Travel (www.wildfrontiers.co.uk)
