Nukus, Khiva and Bukhara

April 18, 2023 to May 2, 2023

Nukus

Hauling our bikes and luggage off the sweaty 16 hour (but only 500Km) train from Beyneu we had finally arrived in Nukus, the capital city of Karakalpakstan. I was immediately shocked by how developed it was and how well dressed everybody was as we cycled through the city. It had a distinct soviet feel with huge government buildings scattered around which we were strictly told to get away from when we got close.

Later met up with our couchsurfing host Abdulhamid outside the city, learning English he was enthralled that a native speaker was staying but showed less interest in Seb (even though his English is probably better than mine). Nevertheless it was great to stay with a local and his other guest Matty from Iran and learn about the region. Again, unfortunately, we barely got to speak or see the women of the household as they tolled away in the kitchen and looking after children, something very common in Muslim countries. The price for the visit was to speak in his English class to all the students and to help with the exercises.

Was happy to meet another British cyclist, Nathan who left his job like me to embark on a world bike tour. Together we wandered around the hectic Nukus Bazaar, stocking up on snacks for the road, making repairs to shoes and clothing and refusing a very insistent lady trying to sell me a live turkey despite me arguing that it isn't practical for me to carry on a bike.

6 men crowded around Seb's bike, making suggestions and coming up with a smart solution to fix Seb's rack problem. Welding pieces of metal together they created a new essential part and the rack was fixed, free of charge!

Enjoyed the change of scenery from the monotonous steppe cycling along the Amu River, life was vibrant, trees were fruitful, and people were exceptionally smiley and talkative. We heard at least 10 times each day "Atkuda?!" (where are you from) followed by long conversations and usually an invitation for tea. Really hard to make any good distances like this but what's the rush? A slow pace is more enjoyable here, and slightly necessary with the bumpy dirt tracks.

A much larger portion of the country used to be like this before the unfortunate ecological disaster of the loss of the south Aral Sea and consequential desertification of the surrounding areas. During the soviet era, water from both rivers feeding it were diverted, mainly for the for irrigation of cotton, an unsustainable practice that is still occurring to keep up with the worlds demand of fast fashion. Its shocking hearing that all of this happened relatively and most locals remember a very different time and environment.

Khiva

Out of the farmland we'd been cycling through for 2 days emerged the large mosques, mausoleums and minarets of Khiva which filled the skyline of the old town. Although very touristy and a little Disneyland'esque it was incredibly beautiful with the blue mosaics that cover so much of the city, merging with the sky and contrasting with the orange brick.

Bukhara

Bukhara was similar in style and by this point, the countless grand mosques and mausoleums started to look the same. Despite this, it felt like a step back in time wandering around the old town, watching kids play in the street whilst craftsman sold their work and the call to prayer echoed in the background.

We slept in an old caravanserai with our couch-surfing host where the beautiful works of @b_photo_gallery were showcased. Here also were a group of travellers from over the world, each also on long trips and with fascinating stories.

Followed another dirt track along the canal with the alluring smell of roses for miles. A class of school children shouted "good morning!" in unison as we passed by, making me smile with joy. Later another group came over and spoke to us during one of our frequent mulberry breaks, tried to get away but we were roped into a group photo.

During one of our similar frequent Samsa stops, we were surprised to meet a girl in a small village who spoke perfect English. Her friends gathered round and stared at the red faced tourists escaping the sun as she told us of life here, her father gave us more samsa and offered for us to stay, the day was young though so we had to decline (not the samsa ofc).

Today's ride: 250 km (155 miles)
Total: 4,420 km (2,745 miles)

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