A brief note to say that we may be out of internet contact in Turkmenistan until 12th June. We will be back in blighty for just two nights in June and in Oxford all day on 14th June. If you are free, please do come and see us for a BBQ and a catch up! We'll be at Laura's mum's at Bartlemas House. No mobiles but the landline is 01865 250690 and the postcode is OX4 2AJ. The house is up the unmarked lane between the big oak tree where the brick house is and Bartlema...

Nukus Art Museum really lived up to its name. The adjoining ferris wheel was only marginally less exciting.

I can confirm, categorically, that Nukus is the least interesting place we have visited so far. The 'newly renovated' Hotel Nukus leaves so much to be desired that it has set a new benchmark. You might ask why we have come here and we have been asking ourselves the same question. The hugely promising Nukus Art Museum promises to waste literally minutes of our time with its doubtless impressive collection of things we have already seen, poorly displayed and dimly ...