Oct 3-4 Finally in Uzbekistan

Location: eastbound along the road between Beyneu, Kazakhstan, and Nukus, Uzbekistan.

When we left Beyneu in the morning a very strong headwind was blowing again. Also the road to the Uzbek border turned to gravel about 14 km out of town so we knew we could not reach the border today. We hate having to take lifts but since we had already lost four days of our Uzbek visa we decided to hitch hike the last 40 km to the border so we could cross before night fall.

The line ups were endless. I have never seen anything as chaotic, inefficient, humiliating and dirty as this border crossing. Garbage everywhere. Hundreds of people crowded behind metal gates, waiting to be let back into their own country, and countless overloaded cars with luggage hanging out of the trunk and stacked several layers high on the roofs. Some people who were nowhere near the front of the qeue said they had already been waiting here since 7 in the morning. The officials were unrightfully demanding money and simply making everything very difficult for their own citizens. The customs office had luggage strewn all over the floor, desperate mothers were trying to keep their kids calm. Meanwhile just two officers sat at two little desks scrutinizing the customs forms being handed to them. The whole scene reminded me a bit of images I have seen of concentration camps.

As soon as we were recognized as tourists, an officer whisked us to the front of all the queues. Within about half an hour we were stamped in. We were very glad because this border was such a horrible place and we just wanted to get away but we felt so guilty walking past all these hundreds of people who we knew will probably be waiting all night and maybe another day to be admitted into their own country. Amazingly enough nobody complained about us getting first priority. In fact, they seemed to support it, waved and smiled at us. Crazy place.

This part of Uzbekistan is rather sparsley inhabited, very dry and very very flat. The only shelter are the numerous little dirt mounds next to excavated holes in the ground. We have no idea why they exist but they make great campsites, hidden from view and sheltered from the wind. When you stick your head over the edge it feels like peering over a massive table top.

I loved the dense little blooming shrubs next to the road. At first sight the desert looks so bleak and dead but if you stop and take a closer look you find a surprising amount of life and beauty all around.