Where the past meets the present: The people, places and stories of Central Asia
In the first part of my blog, my journey into Central Asia took me to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, where I had the fortune of beholding great mountain ranges, picturesque valleys and magnificently constructed architecture.
I had last left off at the Krgyzstan border where my fellow explorers and I were looking to cross over into Uzbekistan and here my tale continues.
Once we crossed over from Osh, Kyrgyzstan into Uzbekistan, after the long and arduous border crossing, our aim was to drive to Tashkent.
The 450-kilometre drive took us through the Ferghana valley, the birthplace of the Mughal emperor Babur and many other great historical personalities, as well as the springboard of many invasions in all directions, particularly the south, into Afghanistan and India (through what is now Pakistan).
It is a very fertile valley hemmed in by mountains, providing both good sustenance to its inhabitants and a barrier to external invaders. It is also the passage for the famous Silk Road. And quite literally so, for there are mulberry trees on either side of the road and beyond.
Crossing from one into another of Uzbekistan’s eight provinces by road, one passes through police checkpoints where identity documents are liable to be checked.
At one such post in the Ferghana valley, we had to get out of our vehicle and produce our passports for checking, as did our driver and guide.