Day 23: Samarkand to Turkmenabat (Turkmenistan)

We leave early this morning as there are over 350Km to the border with Turkmenistan.  Breakfast is a rushed affair and we are off.  The drive out of Samarkand shows us a different side of the city, one that has been completely renovated, for the first time since the earthquake of the early 60s and though it may now look a little gentrified, it is nevertheless remarkable.

My sore point today is our inability to visit Buchara, after Samarkand, one of the other key cities on the Silk Route.  Some of the crews have left earlier this morning or last night so as to be able to see it.  Someone has even booked breakfast for all at a local hotel. We have not been able to join because to do so would have obliged us to skip the timed start and lose the gold status.  Leaving on time and making a detour to Buchara would have forced us to miss our arrival time control at the border plus the risk of missing the border all together for the day.  All those who chose to go have had problems with their cars before and have therefore de facto out of the race.  We learned later they had a superb time and breakfast.  Damn!

Passing the border was less problematic than expected, despite the early warning by the organization (it’s called managing expectations) and the innumerable officers Mattia had to go through to get all the required stamps on his papers.

We arrive in Turkmenabat, a fairly anonymous town, at a reasonable time that gives us a little time work on a car.  We later look for a restaurant and find that George and Xavier are already there in a private room away from the deafening karaoke in the main one.  We later  learn that most of the restaurants play loud music. All public places are bugged by the government so this is the only way people can have private conversations without being overheard.

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One Response to Day 23: Samarkand to Turkmenabat (Turkmenistan)

  1. Patrizia says:

    ciao Andrea, un mio amico è appena tornato da Samarcanda e mi dice che la specialità del posto è il piatto riso e montone: hai avuto la possibilità di deliziartene anche tu? :-)

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