Cumulative distance travelled to date: 2,048 miles – Temperature: 16 – 18°C

Prepping for the onward drive; jerry cans deployed, souvenirs ready to stow and ‘essentials’ brought forward (Fortnum’s coffee and loo rolls!!)

So, we were to have our bonus day in Burkhara. What a relief it was as we were both feeling a little jaded from the travelling. It had the feel of an Egyptian resort (sort of) but without the sea (obviously). We spent the day mooching through the streets and preparing for the next few days drive. It was during this time that I was duly reminded by Murray that while we were not working this was not a holiday but an adventure:

“The mission is the drive. Anything else is a bonus”

The Mir-i-Arab madrassa – another majolica tiled wonder

At the Kalon Mosque host of people arrived on Sunday morning to wash the pavements – akin to doing the church flowers, perhaps?

Ah, the allure of the signage . . oh, and the alley to our hotel

The amazing geometry of the old mosque cupolas

A proper Uzbek carpet – not required

The great fortified walls of the Ark, occupied since the 5th century but reconstructed over the centuries

The entrance to the fortress

The Juma mosque within the Ark – actually, no it’s not, it’s our hotel restaurant!

Another fabulous painted ceiling and carved pillar work from the 17th century

Ladies on their way to carry out the national pastime of sweeping! It is immaculate in Uzbekistan

The ancient form of earthquake proofing seen all around the fortress walls

The mighty Ark – the seat of the Bukhara khanate and a fortress notoriously occupied by the megalomaniac Emir Nasrullah Khan in the 1800s. From here the Emir sealed the fate of the two British officers Stoddart and Connolly, players in the Great Game. They came to their end here, the first having been imprisoned after offending the Emir on arrival by not dismounting from his horse, the second who failed to secure a communique from Queen Victoria to explain that he was not spying for rival khanates of Kokand and Khiva. They were tossed in the vile bug-pit in the local jail for many months before being beheaded in the courtyard with the Ark.

Doing the deal with a delightful young miniature artist who’s work we had seen in his studio the night before

Fabulous suzani embroidery

From an earlier era, the Emir’s throne platform

In 1920 the Ark was bombed by the Red Army devastating much of it. Since then the majority of the outer walls have been renovated but 80% within remains in ruins. The areas that were not damaged now form a collection of museums and a back drop for the local artisans to sell their wares.

After some discussion and consultation of maps and more fuel calculations the plan was set to drive to Khiva and then to cross into Turkmenistan in the north and finally head south, via the Derweze fire crater – the gate to Hell – deep in the Karakum desert, to Ashgabat.

Over supper in Palov, the plov restaurant and into our second bottle of Uzbek dry red ‘Bagizagan’ (try saying that after one glass, three glasses promotes fits of giggles) we found out the name of the Kyrgyz warrior on horseback outside Jalalabat – and no, Nick, it wasn’t our old mate Genghis (nice try!), it was in fact the ‘Hero Kurmanbek’ Having Googled furiously on the very slow wifi while waiting for our order we were no closer to knowing exactly who he was but could surmise he wasn’t the recently dishonoured former Kyrgyz president (to the amusement of the waiter who suggested he be their Kyrgyz ‘Temur’), now in exile in Russia after some terrible misdemeanour.

We had absolutely no idea what was going on here but it was colourful and rather fun and seemed to be the Uzbek version of the ‘Sealed Knot’ – lots of amateurs dressed up in traditional garb posturing – or perhaps it was another ‘wedding’? (Jamie – we saw that bride again! She really gets around)

The end of the day . . .