Nukus Riding into Nukus I made straight for the hotel I’d picked from the Lonely Planet: the Jipek Joli. It was a bit more than my budget but there wasn’t much choice in Nukus and I wanted somewhere nice after another few days in the desert. I was also going to spend a rest day…
Leaving Beyneu I was both sad and happy to see the back of it; sad because it had at least had warmth, clean toilets and electricity and happy because it didn’t have much else to recommend it apart from the three things I just mentioned. I was also quite nervous about my knee failing again…
I arrived in Beyneu about five days earlier than I had expected having decided to accept a lift from someone across the desert. This turned out to be a stroke of luck as if I had only had the one rest day here that I had planned I would only have been able to do…
I spent a few relaxing days in Aktau and managed to not get involved with anything too strenuous: lots of internet surfing in cafes and a few drinks with some locals met on couchsurfing. While there I was also lucky enough to meet another cycle tourer: Helen Lloyd. Helen was just reaching the end of…
Arriving in Baku I was immediately struck by how different this city appeared to be from the rest of Azerbaijan. On the surface it seemed modern and bustling; there were impressive skyscapers and some really amazing modern architecture giving it a distinctive skyline. There was also a wide variety of restaurants serving many different cuisines…
Riding ROUND 