We are leaving Khiva today for Nukus, the sixth largest city in Uzbekistan. It is the capital of the autonomous region of Karakalpakstan and famous for its art museum. That is not a spelling error. That is the correct spelling. Never heard of it? Me either until we went on this trip.

This is in western Uzbekistan and the home of the Karakalpaks, a Turkic people closely related to the Kazakhs.

The landscape through the desert appears dryer and the soil has turned black in some areas.

Nukus was at the center of the crossroads of the old silk road and there are ruins here to visit.

The farm land is irrigated with free water for the farmers and this system is a flawed one. Much of the water is wasted and the Aril sea is nearly dried up now. It has caused an ecological disaster of enormous consequences.

The salt from the dry ground blows across the land and arrives in the mountains only to melt the snow. The salt also damages the farm land and the future crops of the area. This causes endless problems.

Dust blows all over as well and causes many issues with the agriculture and the people’s health.

This will not be an easy problem to solve.

You can google me, R. C. Hand to learn more about myself and my novels. Or go to Amazon and look for The Adventures of the Smith Family and my other books.

Kazu, son of Oshida Kamasaki is a quick read. It is a fast paced adventure taking place in an ancient, Asian land. All of my books are available in paper back and on I phone.