Uzbekistan – The Silk Road by train

Uzbekistan stretches between the Gissar Mountains and the Aral Sea. The country is characterized by seemingly endless sandy deserts and oases, and was once one of the most important powers in the region.
For thousands of years, here on the Silk Road, there was only one means of transportation: the camel. That changed after Russia annexed the territory of what is now Uzbekistan, building a railroad network there.
Today, the Silk Road Express is still the main transport route between the green east of Uzbekistan and the dry deserts of the west. Uzbekistan has been an independent republic since 1991. In Samarkand, much has been done in recent years to attract tourists.
There’s even a tourist police force in the city. Its most famous policewomen are twins Fatima and Zukhra, who were English teachers before they joined the force. Their beat is the famous Registan Square, and going on patrol among the tourists also means dealing with constant requests for photos.
The Gissar Mountains are actually the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. Here, over millions of years, the deepest caves in the world have formed.