Flew into Taskhent to join the Dragoman tour. We visited the great cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva; each were distinct and fascinating. Got very drunk with locals in Bukhara ( see picture above ) when celebrating the country's 10th year of independence. Travelled to Muynak to a seaport in the desert; the Aral Sea had shrank out of sight. From Khiva we crossed into Turkmenistan.