weld grind burn
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So I went back to the road, tripod or not.
It took a while to get back to Mirbazar, after all it was more than 100km from Samarkand. I took a cab, and on the way there I slept. When I looked out the window once, I saw rain outside. And then I was in Mirbazar, and the rain was gone. The Caboose had been waiting for me. Firuza wasn’t home, but her husband Misha was there, and a few of the kids were, too.
We took some photos, some of which…
…involved my hat:
And some of which…
did not:
And then I was on the road:
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Here’s my photo with the friendly dudes from the video:
One time a garbage truck stopped and the guys got out for a photo:
And one time these ladies stopped for me on the road:
Walking was good and easy. There were little shops everywhere:
And many people actually wanted their picture taken:
Still, I was sad. My visa for Turkmenistan had been rejected two times, which meant that there was no way to walk through that country. Sure, there was land, and there was a road on that land. But I wasn’t allowed to walk on it. Reason to be sad.
One time I ran into three truck drivers from Turkey:
They had passed through Turkmenistan on transit visas. I asked for their phone numbers, just in case I needed their help later.
These two stopped for a photo:
And then I saw a convoy of trucks that transported oversized metal things:
I had no idea what they were, but they had a warning on the side, a warning in English: DO NOT WELD GRIND OR BURN.
Sometimes I noticed gas stations that sold petrol next to the road:
Ever since my last stay in Samarkand, I had developed an eye for those rare places that had gasoline and diesel. Uzbek cars ran mostly on natural gas.
One time I ran into these guys fishing in a river:
I hung out with them for a while:
Only later did I understand that I had failed to photograph a crucial part of their activity –
the fish:
One of the boys asked if he could take a few pictures with my camera, so I said okay:
And I got some nice photos in return:
I reached the little settlement of Ziadin in the evening:
And yes, just like everybody had been saying, there was a hotel next to the road:
I got a room, and I was happy.
Then I went out and had dinner:
And everything…
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…was perfect.