Whilst the actual distance to Termez is not great the apalling road conditions made a it a long day in the bus. Fortunately it was broken up with a visit to the of Shakhrisabz, an important city in the reign of Tamerlane. Without doubt the most impressive building here is the Ak Saray Palace, or what's left of it. The entrance arch is/was 38 metres high. The sheer scale of this 14th century building is difficult to comprehend. From here it was a further 5 hours to Termez and an early evening arrival. Termez is probably best known for two things. It is located on the Oxus River and on the far bank is Afghanistan which makes Termez the maincrossing point between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. The other notable thing is that it was once a major Buddist centre, an unusual occurence in a predominantly Islamic area. The remains of a mud walled Buddhist complex still remain, with huge earthenware storage pots still partially buried. Whilst the temperature throughout the trip has consistently been in the mid 30's today seemed unusually hot. Probably heightened by spending much of the day walking around in the full force of the sun. Leaving Termez we stop at the village of Jarkurgan to view a medival minaret. It is unusual in that it's decoration is limited to the brick patterns, rather than the standard blue ceramic tiles, and the fact that the architect managed to have his name incorporated into the structure.