Lonely Planet (I love you) recommended a diversionary stop off to admire some millenia old forts an hour or so off the Khiva-Bukhara road.
Although we started out before dawn the diversion cost us several hours, resulting in us crossing the Kyzylkum in the sixty degree heat of the day. We suffered engine failure and both perished in throat racked, parched agony whilst the crows feasted on our desiccated eyeballs...
We took in three that were covered in the guide, and also marked as POI's on the very useful Garmin OSM maps on the satnav. Two of those three were quite good and one was a small pile of mud in the middle of a farmers field.
We had been meeting up along the route in Uzbekistan with a lovely backpacking couple from Switzerland - Patrizia and Simon. They had been planning a trip out by taxi on the strength of the LP recommendation, so we texted them and gave an alternate point-of-view.
One surprising thing was that these forts were completely deserted, unprotected and unmonitored.
We just drove up, had a look, and drove off again!
Judge for yourself:
The locals took an immediate interest in us, and when shown our "Point-It" book of translation images they took great delight in learning the English and providing us with the Russian and Uzbek translations.
A most pleasant hour whilst the engine cooled ended with them insisting on paying for our drinks...Uzbeks - lovely people!