First and foremost the entire team of Discovery Central Asia wishes all those who have been so badly hid and who have lost so much recently the strength and courage you will need to rebuild your lives and your livelihood. We join the rest of the world - our thoughts are with you though never have we felt further from any ocean.

Just as way south, international organizations and institutions here are actively involved in supporting those who provide tourism services. One focus is on the area between Khiva and Muynak, Ancient Khorezm, fascinating and as yet hardly discovered, the former delta of the mighty Amu Darya river, the legendary Oxus, crossed by Alexander the Great. Thanks to Unesco Uzbekistan, the ladies of the Golden Heritage of Karakalpakstan Crafts Center in Muynak, next to the ship graveyard, will soon be expanding the range of their products and be able to serve tea and snacks and Ayaz Kala, the fabulous yurt camp right by the archaeological site on a plateau overlooking the Karakalpak plains is to be equipped with a solar energy system and water supply and soon a map and brochure set will be available for travelers to these ancient lands in north-western Uzbekistan that has so much to offer, including at its center the Savitsky Karakalpak Art Museum, extensively featured in this issue. By the way, the FoNM Friends of Nukus Museum prepare an exhibition of paintings and graphics in Tashkent planned for February 05 showcasing highlights from this cultural oasis.

I am just back from a tourism round table in Khiva, where the major, a man with a great sense of humor and a passion for tourism, successfully makes sure the city preserves its spirit and its face. The people of Khorezm and their culture lend a whole new and unique aspect to traveling around Uzbekistan.

If you frequently tune in to Deutsche Welle World TV, watch out for a feature on Bukhara and specifically our lady entrepreneurs who run the famous small B&B s. Their website www.dreambukhara.org gives you a good overview. The annual Silk & Spice festival in Bukhara will take place from May 5-8, 2005, worth a mark in your calendar.

And another key date: The Great Game Challenge in September/October 2005, by the Princes Trust UK. 50 candidates are to make their way from Bukhara to Khiva, through the Kyzylkum Desert, clad in period costumes, with extensive media coverage and VIP attendance.