Andijon - Ferghana - Kokand

Tuesday morning (26th November 2019) we had breakfast and loaded our stuff at the junkyard. Despite charged batteries, the car refuses to start. The engine only makes a clicking sound when we try to start it. Even jump-starting the car and Nurlan's help doesn't change the situation. After consulting my grandpa, a short-circuit in the new battery seemed possible, but now it seems unlikely again. I don't know what to do next. Nurlan takes us to an auto electrician and we manage to start the car while it's being towed. It purrs quite well. When we arrive at the workshop, we have to wait. The specialist is on lunch break. I use this time to search for the problem on my own. Eventually, I notice a spark at the negative terminal of the battery when we try to start the engine. I replace the clamp connection, and as soon as I finish, the electrician arrives. We try to start the engine again and it works, no more clicking sound. However, our Russian car still doesn't start, and it turns out that a connector in the control box had come loose during my inspection. After fixing that small problem, I have our spare light switch soldered, we buy some food for our last Som, and despite the late hour, we head to the nearby border crossing to Uzbekistan. The border is busy, but we manage to pass relatively quickly. It's already dark when we reach the larger city of Andijon. First and foremost, we look for an ATM that provides us with local currency. After a few attempts, I manage to withdraw half a million Sum, and the search for accommodation begins. We end up staying at Shoxrax Hostel, prepare a small dinner, and after taking another walk with Rango in the city, we go to bed.

On Wednesday morning, an old man visits us in our room, who probably got lost in the door (it can't be locked) or was just curious. An hour and a half later, it's time to get up around half past eight. I take a walk with Rango, we have breakfast in the room, and then check out. Before we continue our journey, we take a stroll through southern Andijon. At the same time, we look for some parts for my patched-up coolant hose assembly, but we don't find anything. After about 10 km, we're back at the junkyard, I clean the spark plugs and replace one before we drive to the supposed center of the city. Here, too, we take a short walk, stroll past a large mosque and through a bazaar before treating ourselves to a coffee and two pieces of cake. Rango, of course, has to wait outside the establishment. When leaving, however, I can't find the Dicke straight away, someone has moved it a bit. Then the three of us go back to the junkyard and head towards Ferghana. On the way, we have the motor oil changed, which has been pretty black since the beginning of our tour. Nevertheless, with all the miles we've traveled with junkyard, our Moskvich deserves a little care. After the oil change, it's barely possible to read the oil level, the liquid is so clear. Let's see how long it lasts. Then we continue, and despite some ignition problems (our AZLK is only running on 3 cylinders at times), we reach Margilon. Here we look for affordable accommodation, but we don't find anything. On our way to the neighboring Farg'ona, we have more luck on the outskirts of the city and can take a small room. The owner also has a dog, so Rango is allowed to sleep with us in the room.

With a walk around the neighborhood, I start Thursday (28th November 2019) with Rango. Then it's time for breakfast, we pack our stuff, and then we try to start the car. Without success, the ignition is increasingly causing problems. Fortunately, there is a small workshop nearby, and we have the car checked. After installing new spark plugs, the Moskvich is running again. Meanwhile, we have started a conversation with the workshop staff and some locals and have received an invitation to eat Plov. The help with junkyard's electrical system is also free of charge. So we park in front of the nearby guesthouse again and go to a restaurant with an Uzbek. Various appetizers are served - pickled vegetables, dips, pan-fried sheep's ass, and bread stimulate our appetite. More and more Uzbeks arrive until about 10 people are seated at the low table. Then there is plenty of the local rice dish, which is quite greasy but very delicious. We drink tea with the meal and have conversations. After one or two hours, we are taken back to our Moskvich and decide to walk to Ferghana. We need a digestion walk. The city is quite young and accordingly structured. Wide avenues are lined with buildings in Russian colonial style and partly socialist architecture. We stroll through a bazaar, pass the center with hotels, banks, a theater, and a library, cross the central park, and finally walk back to the north. Then we drive to Margilon. The city is much older but doesn't have much to offer in terms of historical buildings, apart from a few mosques. Since it is already getting dark upon arrival, we settle for a walk in another park and manage to get to a closed mosque. Then it's time for a coffee before we continue towards Kokand. On the way there, we refuel a few liters of fuel and can also refill our gas tank. Since the switch to gas operation goes smoothly, we reach the city shortly before nine. The price at the first guesthouse seems a bit high compared to the performance, and although we don't improve in terms of price in our next attempt, we are offered the more comfortable room in the hotel for €10 per person. After a little exercise for body and mind, we settle down for the night.

On Friday morning, after taking a walk with the Dicke, we have breakfast in the hotel room. After overcoming a few problems with starting the junkyard, we drive to the center of Kokand. Here we spend a few hours. We stroll through parks and past museums and theaters. We visit the Khan's palace, the cemetery of the Khans, and a facility called Jome Madrasasi (a kind of mosque or museum or both). In the afternoon, we set off for Tashkent. For this, we have to cross a mountain pass again, which junkyard manages even on gas operation. So it's not a big deal. During the descent, we stop for a coffee, refill our drinking water bottles with good mountain spring water, and reach the largest city in Central Asia in the evening. Along the way, we had booked the cheapest hostel, check in, and take another walk around the block. After organizing cash and food, we return to the hostel and after having dinner, we go to bed early.