I'm not sure how Genghis Khan managed to sweep across so much territory, given all the consulates to visit, letters of invitation required, etc ...anyway, I'm in Bishkek. I need to be in Istanbul around June 12th to meet Ozge. Not a huge amount of map to cover, really.

Option 1

• Wait 7-10 days in Bishkek for Uzbek visa
• Bus to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• Wait 7-10 days for Azeri visa
• Wait 7-10 days for Turkmen transit visa
• Overland through Turkmenistan
• Ferry to Baku, Azerbaijan
• Overland to Georgia (no visa)
• Overland to Turkey and Istanbul (no visa)
• ...and arrive a week or two late.

Option 2

• Wait 7-10 days in Bishkek for Uzbek visa
• Bus to Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• Wait 1-2 days for Kazakh visa
• See touristy stuff in Uzbekistan
• Overland to Aktau, Kazahkstan
• Fly to Baku, Azerbaijan
• Get visa on arrival at airport ($100)
• Overland to Georgia (no visa)
• Overland to Turkey and Istanbul (no visa)
• ...with time to spare.

(thank you, this guy)

update: except ... flights from Aktau to Baku are supposedly $700 or so. Maybe not.