TASHKENT

Yesterday was a long and difficult one. We almost made the 700kms. without a puncture but alas just before Shymkent we had puncture #12We decided to leave it in a tire shop and check into the hotel! alas the hotel was further than we thought and Lloyd somehow found his way there and back. I was waiting outside the hotel for him when I heard a commotion and Flora was stuck over a culvert! It was very dark and hard to spot, however with the help of several local men we managed to move her without damage. Today we arrived in Tashkent after 3 hours at the border. There was much stamping of paperwork, and I was moved 4 times into different lines to be processed each time starting at the back of the line! Then Lloyd was stuck on the Kasakstan side with the car whilst I was in Usbekistan, so we passed papers to each other through the gate! Tashkent is a l.arge bustling city with European shops and the part that we are in is quite affluentMuch different to what I had expected. Tomorrow we are off to Samarkand and our last day off. We hope to do some sightseeingand shopping.