A race across Uzbekistan
According to Paul, Uzbekistan was less eventful as he had to rush across it to get out and into Russia in time. ‘There was going to be some political summit soon and I was told they’d close the borders for an indefinite period of time. I didn’t want to get stuck, so I crossed Uzbekistan as quick as I could. It was extremely hot, dusty, and dry; Uzbekistan mostly uses LPG, so finding fuel was a really grueling task. I stayed in Samarkand for a few days, and then headed straight for the Kazakh border as I wanted to get out of the Pamir region and into Russia as soon as possible. I was in a rush, so I didn’t explore Uzbekistan more’.
Which country of Central Asia was the most impressive? According to Paul, Kazakhstan is a huge swath of flat wasteland, Kyrgyzstan – a rich green country, Uzbekistan felt like an industrial dusty desert, and Tajikistan was the most extreme, most remote, and most stunning of them all. ‘Tajikistan is the best place to ride hands down – it’s worth putting up with the boring flatness and corrupt police of Kazakhstan, it’s absolutely worth getting there. When you’re on the road indefinitely, places and faces sometimes begin to blur a little bit; but Tajikistan was definitely one of the most impressive corners of the world. I’m sure I’ll ride the Bartang valley again, maybe crossing into Afghanistan, too – the Pamir region is just incredible’.
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ENDS