Khiva, Uzbekistan

Konye-Urgench was a major stop on the branch of the Silk Road that headed north of the Caspian Sea. Once a massive capital of the Khorezmshah Empire in the 12^th century, the site lays in ruins after being decimated by Timur who feared that Konye-Urgench was becoming a rival to Samarkand. The UNESCO World Heritage Site now houses a few remaining monuments, mausoleums and a tall minaret with a curiously tilting top portion.

The afternoon was spent crossing into Uzbekistan. There were multiple check points, forms to fill out in duplicate by hand and a ride on a barely functioning van through the sweltering heat of no-man’s land. However, the guards and customs agents were unbelievably friendly – smiling and chatting with people as they made their way through this bureaucratic maze. I only wish that we could have taken pictures to give an idea of the experience. Apparently, it is frowned upon to take pictures in a militarily sensitive areas.