Maurice O’Reilly continued his adventures from China to France with the ‘Old Silk Road’ section. Starting at Chinas most western city (Kashgar) the journey continued through the Irkeshtam Pass in Pamir Mountains (known as the roof of the world) then into Kyrgyzstan. Visting the fertile Fergana Valley which has been inhabited for over 3000 years with a stopover at Sary Tash; principally known to guarantee diarrhoea amongst most travellers! Later Brian sadly, witnessed the much burnt-out capital city Osh which had suffered riots the previous year.
On into Uzbekistan where the government buildings are astonishingly palatial for a country. It was here they discovered that there was no diesel fuel throughout the whole country. Being resourceful they managed to find Black Market fuel at the 4 major cities across this Central Asian region. This section ended in the heart of the Silk Road at the city of Samarkand renowned for its Islamic architecture.
U3A Beachside - Papamoa, Mount Maunganui, Te Puke 