The region’s cradle of culture for more than two millennia, Uzbekistan is the proud home to a spellbinding arsenal of architecture and ancient cities, all deeply infused with the bloody, fascinating history of the Silk Road. In terms of sights alone, Uzbekistan is Central Asia's biggest draw and most impressive showstopper. We started our journey in Tashkent and then flew to the desert city of Khiva, beautifully preserved, as it was hundreds of years ago, frozen in time behind mud walls in the middle of the Kyzylkum desert. We were greeted by a sand storm that grounded our very small plane and swept over the city. From Khiva we drove to Bukhara another oasis in the desert packed with ancient madrassas. We then took the a train that makes the English transport system look laughable through the desert to Samarkand, the jewel of Uzbekistan, to see the many temples, madrassas and tombs that line the streets.