No matter how many photographs you may see there is no substitute for first hand experience. That was true of the stunning Islamic architecture of Samarkand and Bukhara, and both are very different, the setting and simplicity of the caravanserai of Tash Rabat, and the atmosphere and excitement of the livestock market at Kashgar. A trip of this nature always has an element of the unexpected and unplanned. Crossing the frontiers was at times frustrating - and in one instance perhaps a little more than that, but what a story for friends back home! This was a wonderful trip, full of magnificent views and friendly people.