_{This is an element 7 of the puzzle sequence Around the World in Many Days. Each half is solvable by itself.}

Deаr Puzzling,

This time I’ve a shingoki puzzle for you. Draw a single loop that passes by all of the black and white circles within the grid, going horizontally or vertically by centres of cells with out crossing itself or branching out. Each of the letters W, X, Y and Z stands for a distinct quantity 2–5. Numbers point out the sum of the lengths of loop segments persevering with straight from the circled cell. For instance, if a circled cell has the quantity 3, the loop continues for one cell earlier than turning in a single path and for 2 cells earlier than turning within the different path. The loop should move straight by a white circle and should make a flip in a black circle. The loop won’t move by each single cell within the grid; a few of them will likely be left unvisited.

Today I’ve visited a metropolis on historical commerce routes, dwelling to kings of centuries previous. Can you guess the place I’m?

Love, Gladys.

Crossword on Penpa+
Shingoki on Penpa+

Across
1. Manly dictator besieging Switzerland (5)
5. Man largely unaffected by detonation (3)
8. Japanese firm scraping backside within the Mediterranean? (4)
9. Head of Khivans (a individuals from Asia) (4)
11. Flying is a no brainer? Foolishly not taking into consideration the extremes in aviation (8)
12. People on the internet web site lastly seen coming round to embrace Asian philosophy (8)
15. Almost a option to affirm love, for the Spanish gamers (4)
16. One who wanders from place to position, they are saying? (4)
17. To soccer league’s backers, a option to cheer the Spanish gamers (3)
18. Stop taking MDMA to be calm (5)

Down
1. Old girl received inexperienced mild to make a pot of espresso (4)
2. A singer pinching Gladys – that is comparatively painful (6)
3. Central Asian nomad’s sweetheart (3)
4. Go slower to seize Nordic metropolis (4)
5. Orders from above say: Fahrenheit items lastly beginning to get replaced with Celsius (7)
6. European author and not using a shread of tolerance (4)
7. In Washington I’m recruiting skilled leaders near worldwide interval of battle (7)
10. Woman in the end happening of man (one serving time in jail) – it is pure (6)
12. Hero in movie embraces king (the ruler of a big empire) (4)
13. Turncoating, heartless particular person from Qatar (an Arab nation) (4)
14. Must… hire… grownup… movies… (4)
15. Saint Anthony’s cross in the direction of agnostics’ and unbelievers’ principal characters (3)

Gladys will return in In Remembrance of Dark Times.