What a trip it has been.
4 countries
5 timezones
6 currencies
9 languages
2 earthquakes
1 coup
I had 2 huge nights, one when I crossed a border and one because I didnt cross the border.
I lived in the red light district, behind a brothel and twice lived IN a brothel. I even knocked back the chance to live in another one cos it was even too grubby for me. The best hostel I have ever stayed in anywhere in the world was in Xian and the worst ever were both in Kyrgystan. ( they know who they are) I stayed in places costing from $5/night to $40/night, but most were some where in the middle.
I took a lot of flights because of the distance I covered. I flew with, China Southern, Air Asia, Eastern China, Air Kyrgystan, Uzbekistan Air and Sichuan Air. There were some clasics in there. Other transport I had to use were, train, bus (hated sleeper bus), truck, car, taxi, mushrutka, even a scooter, not forgetting the old soviet 'commer van' I crossed the Irkeshtam in. The taxi drivers almost spoilt the holiday. Mostly only the ones I wasnt ready for, when I got dropped off when I wasnt ready for them. The scooter was a lot of fun....after I got used to him pulling out in front of the busses. Of course I also walked heaps.
The weather has been perfect. From minus 20 to plus 30. Even the days where the temp went down to minus 5 overnight werequite warm, after a cold start. The last couple of weeks in the Stans were quite hot on some days.
Shopping. There wasnt much to buy in the Stans. I joked about the tacky T shirts, and of course Ive got just enough, but there wasnt that many around. There was a lot of pottery and carpets but they are hard to carry when you are backpackin. Im no expert, but the quality looked pretty good and to watch the carpet being made by hand was incredible. I almost bought one.
The food ranged from OK to really good. I ate a rodent, a sheeps testicle (only a bit of it), heaps of meat on a stick (beef, chicken, horse and who knows what else), somsa and plov. I only ate plov once and that is enough for me for life. I hate mutton fat. I will nevr eat mutton fat again.
The biggest dissapointment was Kyrgystan. I was too early for the things I wanted to do and the cities are a dump. I wanted to go to the Jailoo's and go Eagle hunting and sleep in a yurt and drink fermented mares milk and eat a sheeps eye but they had a late blast of winter so that didnt happen. With subsequent events in that country maybe it is good that that didnt happen cos I might have got stuck there. I was supposed to be in Naryn when the trouble broke out there. CBT is great for the locals, and good for travelers, but it is set up to get the maximum amount of money from the travelers. It is probably a necessary evil in some ways.
Highlights.....Samarkand, just look at the photo's. I dont care if it is highly restored it is still one of the most amazing places I have been. Shah-I-Zinda blew me away. I knew nothing about it before I went there and when you consider who is buried there (or was) it is amazing. Xian was a great place made that much better by great accomodation. Han Tang Hostel is the best place I have ever stayed in and Tom and the girls made everyone feel special. The Muslim quarter was just the best market place in China. I was gonna say no highlights in Kyrgystan but who could forget Irkeshtam. Crossing the pass in that sweet ride was definately a highlight.
Would I go back again??? To China I definately would. China is a huge country and so diverse that you could do 7 weeks, see heaps, and it would be like going to half a dozen countries. Until I went there china was a country that didnt interest me but since I have been I think I will go back some day. I would love to go back to Kyrgystan, IN SEASON, and do the things I planned to do but I cant imagine that happening. Uzbekistan I will not go back to. Not for any other reason other that "ive been there done that". There is only so much tiles and majolica one you handle in one lifetime. Ive seen it now and there are soo many places I still want to see.