It has been a long time since I have had access to the Internet so this is a quick run through of the missing bits.


From Tblisi we headed east visiting remote shrines deep in areas once forbidden to even locals as they were used for military training. Then north to Tivoli, a rural area taking us to the less used border with Azerbaijhan. Our entry to Azerbaijhan proved uneventful despite Foreign Office website warning that RHD cars would not be admitted.
Our journey across Azerbaijhan was quite brief but interesting. WE started in the shadow of the Caucus mountains, running parrallel with the range. The country was rich and fertile with live stock on every road. We took a minor road, not intentionally but despite its status on the map it quickly turned into a cart track. Worse was to come as each bridge had been washed away by floods. We crossed four rivers by driving down into the river bed and carefully picking our way across the boulder strewn mud. The fifth proved more of a challenge. We had seen a lorry cross and decided to follow its path but before we were ready to enter the water a second truck plunged headlong into the torrent. It became stuck fast within moments and despite the efforts of other trucks to free him there he remained. Not only did he block the one viable route across but he also provided a stearn warning of what could happen if we got it wrong. It wasn't a hard decision to drive back ten miles and take an alternative route to our destination Shaki.







The following day we headed to Bacu the embarkation point for our crossing of the Caspian. ASs we drove we moved from rich and fertile to arrid semi desert. Cows were exchanged for camels and trees for scrub.
We spent a decent nigt in an hotel in Bacu and dined in the Old Town Bacu's only saving grace. Modern Bacu is a monument to the oil industyry and it stinks of it production. There is a facard of wealth that fails to conceal the squalor behind. Due to our restrictive transit visa for the vehicles we were forced to take them straight to the free area beyongd customs control and keep them there until the ferry was ready to leave. There is no schedule for the ferry, it goes when sufficiet cargo is at the port, and not before.
We camped on the port for a day and a half before we eventually started the clearance process to leave. We set off eighteen hours later. The twelve hour crossing became almost three days as we bobbed about a mile and a half off shore awaiting a free berth.
Arrival in Turkmenistan was at the same time a relief and a pain. They take form filling and process to a new level. Six hours after setting foot on terra firma we eventually cleared immigration. We were given just five days leave to keep our vehicles in the country.

In fact five days in Turkmenistan is more than enough. Police check points every few miles. A Government minder and bugged hotels don't make for a welcoming visit. We took in afew sights, the burning Gas Crater. Not a natural crater but the result of an accident in the Soviet era. It looked exactly as one might expect to see the gates of hell.
Then via Kunya Urgench and a curious soviet era guest house to the border with Uzbekistan.
We were again a little anxious as we had been warned by travellers coming from that direction that they too had banned right hand drive vehicles to stop locals buying cheap Japanese imports. Nothing prepared us for the kindness and helpfulness we experienced at the border. Embarrasingly pushed ahead of the locals we were given help and treated well and were through in about 45 minutes. This wonderful first impression of Uzbekistan has persisted. This is certainly the highlight so far. The cities of Khiva, Bukhara and now Samarkand have been both fasbulous in terms of spectacle and warmly welcoming.