We broke the journey so it was fine. Much through what they call desert but looked more like semi to me. Scrubby zerophytic bushes, the odd patch of little yellow flowers and moving from very pale ground to more ochre sand.
Huge natural gas mine near Gazli built by Chinese.
But if you have a caravan the world beckons.
A lonely place to work.
Stabilising the sand.
Huge solar farm.
Electricity going everywhere.
We saw these old abandoned carriages frequently.
Pipes for the gas.
Bridge over the Oxus.
The train to Khiva starts on 1st May hence our road trip.
Once there is water there are abundant crops, particularly fruit trees, grapes, rice, cotton and vegetables. There are enormous green houses too for exotic fruit that can't cope with the cold winters. Plenty of trials and experimental work going on. The country is so much more technically advanced than one would ever imagine. Only by travellinh do you find this out and its easy to be stuck in the mindset that only the West and China and perhaps India are trailblazers. We are wrong.
Reeds have many uses.
Nearer town.
These wet fields will dry out then be planted.
A lot of work is still manual but machines are used on the big fields.
I think there will be too many people tomorrow.
Some scenes along the way.
The young will want to move away
There are universities and institutes of technology all over.
A piece of land of about 4000 square meters can be acquired to build a house but you never own the land, it just gives you the right to build which is on a rolling 99 year lease.
Sat in the evening sun and had a salad and lemon chai for about 10 dollars. Then a good hairwash and shower as last night no shower except for small one in small bath and I didn't trust myself getting out. Have one very sore toe.