The wind has done us a favor and pushed us ahead for a change.  We quickly arrive in Kizil after riding through gorgeous treelines forgetting that a few kilometers further lies the dreadful desert. We visit the Thousand Buddha Caves, situated in a spectacular location between sandy hills and tall rocky peaks by the river bed.

Not much remains in the caves aside from some samples of half-destroyed frescoes depicting various buddhist themes.  Muslims have defaced much of the site through the centuries and Europeans stolen most of what survived (day 108). 

...Various ups and downs mark our route until the border. We have to wait until the following morning since the borders are only open on weekdays.  Our final goodbye to Adam and our van, who will return to Osh and leave the van there until Martin picks it up sometime in August.  We pack all our belongings onto our bicycles, which now resemble much more closely the passing Chinese trucks. After numerous controls we clear the Chinese border and meet our Chinese driver and guide, who speaks English.... 

Crossing the Fergana Valley has been quite invigorating. 

Plenty of trees and vineyards both in the fields and along the houses create shade.  Estates have more land, and houses have large interior gardens. Water fountains can be seen every 200 meters . Bicycles are the most popular medium of  transportation in these parts.  People go around listening to music through their mobile walking or cycling. School kids dressed in uniforms, women wash their carpets on the streets, working in the fields and at home, while their husbands relax sitting under some shade or riding a donkey.  It’s also easier for us to find shade to take our lunch break away from the early afternoon sun.....

Prior to our departure from Samarkand we had a brief television interview at Registan Square. 

During the next couple of days we both felt a lack of energy and fatigue. The sun, the heat, insignificant and sometimes serious stomach and intestinal problems gave us some tension. On such long trips and under such extreme conditions relationships are tested.  The will to resist, to fight and to move forward, even to transcend yourself is essential in order to maintain balance....  

...Morning comes and Danae and the others are headed to Khiva by train.  I and Jimmy – a Dutch who is traveling by bus and train for two years – have decided to visit Hazrat Davud, a Muslim shrine 40 km away from Samarkand....  A lady offered us a lucky charm as gifts as we were going up the steps to the peak.  We must have been the only foreigners while swarms of people from Samarkand and other parts of the country – they must have been several thousands – gathered to pay respect to Allah and enter the holy cave on the top....

In Bukhara...

We are later introduced to the 300 guests of the family and are invited to make a short speech on the microphone, which Bakhodir translates.  Then, we have to dance alone in front of everyone.  How to say no to that...

We entered the city of Bukhara, took a quick tour of the old town and found a proper Internet café, where we can now communicate with the rest of the world. We hope to reach Bakhodir on his cell phone so that we can experience a local wedding.  So far, no success…   We have begun to understand some Russian, and we can use some words to communicate.  It seems to be more than enough to connect to people.  They treat us like kings – guests are most important in these cultures, more so than family members.  We felt a bit uneasy because we got even more attention than the bride, who was involved along with the rest of the women in the preparations for her wedding.

...we found Gulia's home and talked to her mother, who is a doctor.  They found for us a small room to stay at, which is part of a typical Karakalpak house.  They couldn't host us, because families here are quite large and space is limited.  Gulia's mother and aunt, who is a nurse, came with us and placed an IV serum with some vitamins and anti-vomitting medication in Danae's arm. They stayed with us for a few hours, and Danae soon felt a little better.  She was able to eat again!

We have not heard from Vasilios in Danae after they were diverted by issues getting their Turkmenistan VISA, although Mark Van Essen reports that he will meet up with them in a few days.  Before leaving the group, they wanted us to report this message:

Please add to our recent blog the following:

Many thanks to our Consulates and Embassies in Baku, Tbilisi, Istanbul, Kiev, and Moscow.  Without their support our mission would have been seriously hampered by procedural delays and difficulties.  

If anyone wants to express thanks, you can visit the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Web Site when its up (in English, here).

Also, for your entertainment, the history of the last Skype conversation with Vasilios is included in the blog article.  Sorry, I know its slim pickings, hopefully we'll have an update soon!