As all conversations suddently seemed to be leading to Uzbekistan, I felt it was time to take the road there – or rather the train. What I discovered was a country of interesting traditions and lasting legacies.

My tour with Great Rail Journeys took me through four cities on the ancient Silk road. I started my journey in Khiva, arriving on a cold, sunny day in November. My nose was pressed to the window as we passed through the different landscapes of double-land locked Uzbekistan on our way from Urgench Airport to Khiva. From acre after acre of huge orchards to the arid landscapes of semi-desert. As we passed through the gate into Ichan Qala, the medieval citadel in the heart of Khiva, I had my first glimpse of its majestic buildings I was itching to go exploring. But first it was breakfast and my first experience of the great

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