Multidimensional Travel

Question

_{This is part 11 of the puzzle series Around the World in Many Days. Each part is solvable on its own.}

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Deаr Puzzling,

This is a three-dimensional crossword. The five squares in the picture represent the five layers of a 5x5x5 cube. Across and down answers work normally along the layers, and “away” answers go through all layers along the Z axis, visiting every layer at the same position. The points where the “away” answers intersect with the layers have been marked in grey in the grid.

Every clue has an extra word, which must be removed before solving. Read the first and last letters of the extra words in clue order for an instruction on how to get the final answer.

Today I have toured five walled towns built around a desert oasis. Can you guess where I am?

Love, Gladys.

Solve on Penpa+

Across
3. Voluptuous tramp given tequila, cognac (5)
7. Rogue knife collector's first piece (5)
11. Nelson perhaps seen without cap over the tenth hill (3)
13. British and Russian tanks sometimes bear this symbol containing writings to describe eternal military offensive (5)
14. One admires exhausted basketballer from Brooklyn, a six-footer (3)
17. Plus-sized tribal samba dancing – it's native to Brazil (5)
18. Robin ordered to make exorbitant sphere (5)
21. Here one might find sweaters for twelve small, headless animals (5)
22. Bee is behind cloud – it may be on a retro jacket (5)

Down
1. City in the Andes is certain to contain fashionable clubs (5)
2. Academic particle physicists finally taking part in blessing (5)
10. When shown upside down, New York City almost makes a triangular Honda sign (5)
12. Six pairs practice East Asian career philosophy (5)
15. Visiting Bahrain orchards, sultan showers (5)
16. American court panel refusing to start unethical sea practice (5)
19. Nauseous bird's each leg deformed (5)
20. A drummer plays this and wife earns illegally (5)

Away
2. Music played in twelve repugnant bars in America's east, behind empty brothel (5)
3. Hysteria on vacation: Boss hugs honest man's tiny children (5)
4. Toothless carp seen with Ariel, principal heroine in Disney film (5)
5. Hang on toga, Mr Gore is banned from ringing (5)
6. Latest UK robot aircraft to protect German bomber (5)
7. Caught in Catholic limbo? Proceed towards the shallow heavens (5)
8. Pig in film, standing in front of kitchen's entrance, goes back to make infant food (5)
9. Polar opposites attending multinational union hub – in the end, trouble's come up (5)

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Gladys will return in Many Moons (and Suns) Ago.

Answer 1

Completed grid:

    # S # B #    N # O L D    # R # U #    # # # E #    # E # S #
    B U X O M    A # # # O    B A L S A    E # # # N    S A U N A
    # C # S #    B L I T Z    # I # U #    # N # K #    # G # A #
    C R O O K    L # # # E    I N O R B    M # # # A    B L U R B
    # E # N #    A N T # N    # S # Y #    # U # # #    # E # E #

Answers and explanations:

Across

3. TA | BUXOM | XO in BUM | Voluptuous tramp given [tequila,] cognac (5)
7. KE | CROOK | C + ROOK | Rogue [knife] collector's first piece (5)
11. TH | OLD | (-h)OLD | Nelson perhaps seen without cap over the [tenth] hill (3)
13. EL | BLITZ | B + Z containing LIT | British and Russian tanks sometimes bear this symbol containing writings to describe [eternal] military offensive (5)
14. AS | ANT | A + N(-e)T | One [admires] exhausted basketballer from Brooklyn, a six-footer (3)
17. TL | BALSA | (SAMBA, M->L)* | Plus-sized [tribal] samba dancing – it's native to Brazil (5)
18. ET | INORB | ROBIN* | Robin ordered to make [exorbitant] sphere (5)
21. TE | SAUNA | S + (-f)AUNA | Here one might find sweaters for [twelve] small, headless animals (5)
22. RO | BLURB | B behind BLUR | Bee is behind cloud – it may be on a [retro] jacket (5)

Down

1. FE | SUCRE | C in SURE | City in the Andes is certain to contain [fashionable] clubs (5)
2. AC | BOSON | S in BOON | [Academic] particle physicists finally taking part in blessing (5)
10. HA | NABLA | ALBAN(-y)< | When shown upside down, New York City almost makes a triangular [Honda] sign (5)
12. CR | DOZEN | DO + ZEN | Six pairs practice East Asian [career] philosophy (5)
15. OS | RAINS | substring | Visiting Bahrain [orchards], sultan showers (5)
16. SA | USURY | US + (-j)URY | American court panel refusing to start unethical [sea] practice (5)
19. NS | EAGLE | EA + LEG* | [Nauseous] bird's each leg deformed (5)
20. WE | SNARE | EARNS* | A drummer plays this and [wife] earns illegally (5)

Away

2. RT | BLUES | E in US, behind BL | Music played in twelve [repugnant] bars in America's east, behind empty brothel (5)
3. HA | BABES | ABE in B(-os)S | [Hysteria] on vacation: Boss hugs honest man's tiny children (5)
4. TS | MOANA | MOAN + A(-riel) | [Toothless] carp seen with Ariel, principal heroine in Disney film (5)
5. TA | CLING | C(-al)LING | Hang on [toga], Mr Gore is banned from ringing (5)
6. RT | STUKA | substring | Latest UK [robot] aircraft to protect German bomber (5)
7. SW | CLIMB | substring | Caught in Catholic limbo? Proceed towards the [shallow] heavens (5)
8. IT | KEBAB | (BABE K)< | Pig in film, standing in front of kitchen's entrance, goes back to make [infant] food (5)
9. HB | ENSUE | NS in EU + (-troubl)E | Polar opposites attending multinational union [hub] – in the end, trouble's come up (5)

Final extraction:

Extra words say TAKE THE LAST LETTER OF EACH ACROSS ANSWER THAT STARTS WITH B.
This gives us MZAB, and perhaps surprisingly there is indeed a place called M'zab which does indeed feature five walled towns built around a desert oasis.