Uzbekistan Visa!

Got it!  Yippee!  Now there is only one more to go and Turkmenistan is proving to be a bit of a challenge.  20+ days from today and i'm on my way.

Uzbekistan!

I received my Letter of Invitation from the Uzbekistan government today.  My visa is in process. Now I only have one challenge left and my documentation will be complete!  Turkmenistan is the challenge.  I was asked this week to submit some additional data.  It's a waiting game.

I've been researching travel guides for a few weeks.  Even though the overland truck comes equipped with a library of books and maps, I really want to have some of my own with me.  The challenge is in keeping my load as light as possible.  With just the necessities for the trip, I'm pushing my weight limit.  Books weigh a lot...so I've decided to copy text from websites I've discovered and drop it into PDF files that I can save and store on my iPhone.  By the time I'm done, I'll have an organized pocket library that covers geography, history and culture without the endless and useless lists of hotels and restaurants.

I'm now also fully packed.  My bags are full of the gear I will need.  I've even got all of my clothing selected and added.  The weight at this point is sitting at 42 pounds.  I've got to get it down to 35.  So over the next five weeks I'll be making some decisions.  Ugh!

Azerbaijan Visa is Complete

Just got word that my visa to Azerbaijan has been approved.  Yippee!  Two down and two to go.  Still waiting on the Letters of Invitation for Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.  With those done, the only thing left is to figure out how to get from Beijing to Ulannbaatar, Mongolia.  Flying is the easy option, but I really want to take the train.  Although it's a 22 hour ride, the whole "changing wheels on the car" thing at the China/Mongolia border intrigues me and I would really like to take some time to view the scenery east of the Gobi desert.  Once I'm in Mongolia I'll be west of that region the entire time.  The obstacle that stands in my way at this point is how to buy tickets in advance.  They are limited and sell out quickly, AND they only start selling 30-60 days prior to the departure date.  At that point I'll be in the middle of Kyrgyzstan and may have problems with phone and email.  I'm researching the opportunity of having my Dragoman agent in the US do this for me in exchange for a reasonable fee.  We'll see...

My Transportation for the Next Five Months

This is an overland tour and as such, we will be traveling in a custom designed and reconverted 4X4 cargo truck.  The trucks are designed to be solid and sturdy so we don’t need to stick to the tarmac or follow the crowd. These are rugged vehicles that will get us off the beaten track, so there’s no air-conditioning here, but they’ve been custom-built for this style of travel and are fully equipped for camping with comfortable coach-style seating.

Key features of a Dragoman truck include:

• Roof seats for great views
• Integrated cab, so you are sitting with your crew rather than just be driven around by them
• Coach style seating: all facing forward apart four seats facing backwards around two tables - great for card games or diary writing
• Side awning for sun/rain cover
• Luggage locker
• 350l fresh drinking water tanks plus 60-80l jerry cans
• Long range fuel tanks
• Audio equipment with MP3 player connection
• 12v charging points (some models only)
• Hidden safe to keep money and passports secure
• Integrated fridge
• Large equipment storage areas for food, cooking utensils, expedition equipment etc.
• Book shelf/library
• Map board