We travel not for trafficking alone;
By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned:
For lust of knowing what should not be known
We take the Golden Road to Samarkand.
-James Elroy Flecker
In September, 4 good friends and I set out to discover the beauty of Uzbekistan. We began our journey in the West of the country, visiting the once flourishing town of Muynaq at what was once the Aral Sea. Made our way East to the amazing city of Khiva, visiting a couple of ancient kala fortresses along the way. After that we crossed the desert and embarked on the Silk Road city of Urgench. On the way to Samarkand, we spent a night in the desert and camped in a traditional yurt. After a 3 day visit to Samarkand, we traveled onwards to Uzbekistan’s capital, Tashkent and ended our trip with a 3 day trek in the Ugam-Chatkal national park.
