The Great Silk Road Adventure - Unassuming Uzbekistan

22 November 2018 - Buxoro - Toshkent

Bukhara Afrosiyob Train - Lotte Tashkent - Toshkent Airport - Changi Terminal One

The last leg of the journey is an arduous one and hungry one. 

We woke up at 3am to catch 5am fast train from Bukhara back to Tashkent. The 4-hour plus journey was uneventful and reached Tashkent early morning at 8.45am in time for breakfast at the hotel.

However, we were shell-shocked when told it was a USD25 per person breakfast as we had already checked out when we travelled to Samarkand on 17 November. Hence this the price for a breakfast meal -for public guests - and no discounts could be given no matter how hard I tried bargaining. 

In the end, I suggested a McDonalds breakfast for the morning.  To our dismay there are not a single American fast food joint to be found in this vast country. No MacDonalds, no Starbucks, no Burger King, no KFC.  Not a single one. This is despite common business marketing textbooks stating that a MacDonalds outlet opened around the world every 10 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21 Nov 2018 - Bukhara

Chor Minor- Korzinka - Sitorai-Mokhi-Khosa (Summer Palace of Moon-like Stars)

20 November 2018 - Bukhara

Amelia Boutique Hotel - Ark Fortress - Po-i-Kalyan Minaret

The amazing Amelia Boutique Hotel has a Jewish flair in its restaurant where we had our breakfast - a simple meal - prepared by a kind Uzbek auntie who is obviously a good cook!  Yummy - delicious!

19 November 2018 - Samarkanq - Buxoro

Samarkand Afrosiyob Train -  Bukhara - Amelia Boutique Hotel

Amelia is a quaint little boutique hotel just outside the Old Bukhara Town. Plenty of hotels dotted across the local populated areas each with own unique style. Competition is aplenty as well and all chasing the tourist dollars. Conservation buildings are bought or rented and hey presto, a rustic, old-world-charm hotel is born!

18 November 2018

Samarkanq

Gūr-i Amīr Maseloum - Registon Square - Bibi-Khanym Masjid - Siyob Bazaar (Central Market) - Shokhi Zinda

Situated in one of the routes in the ancient Silk Route, one would not have imagined Samarkand to move on with times. It is a very modern city indeed - with well-paved roads,  incessant numbers of white Chervolet cars,  traffic lights, hotels, new modern buildings - really unlike my impression of Samarkand.

Wonders of wonders, even the Registan Square Ensemble have surrounding car-parks, and well connected to multiple lanes of roads with streams of vehicles zooming past.  We saw princess-like brides dressed in white, with the groom and usual entourage of cameramen, bridesmaids and groomsmen.

The majestic Bibi Khanym Masjid situated next to the biggest Bazaar in Samarkand - Syiob Bazaar - is indeed a modern wonder listed under the UNESCO sites umbrella.

Shokhi Zinda Ensemble saw endless lines of visitors - colourfully dressed, I guessed - mainly from other provinces. Perhaps it was the Sunday effect.  Perhaps people are cheerful and delighted at having the day off.

 

17 November 2018  Tashkent - Samarkanq

Toshkent Railway Afrosiyob Train - Samarkand - Registan Square Ensemble

National food of Uzbekistan one must try is Plov.  Each tastes differently whether in Tashkent or Samarakand or Bukhara, accordingly to the taxi driver. To me, it's all the same, plenty of spices, and oily meat, either mutton, beef or chicken in heavily scented cooked rice.

The other national cuisine we tried is central asian-style dumpling soup called shurbo dushpera or tushpera, along with traditional tandoor bread called lepyoshka in Russian and non (naan) in Uzbek, Tajik, and Bukharian style.  Costs only around 5000-10,000 soms.

 

Another type of soup is meat-heavy Dimlama.  It is an Uzbek stew prepared with various combinations of meat, potatoes, onions, vegetables.  Super yummy and delicious! Meat (mutton or beef) and vegetables are cut into large pieces and placed in layers in a tightly sealed pot to simmer slowly in their own juices.  My all-time favourite!  A must try - only costs around 6000-12,000 soms depending on local food shop or restaurants, served piping hot!

16 November 2018

Toshkent Stone City - Capital of Uzbekistan

Metro Mustakillik Maydoni - Tashkent TV Tower - Chorsu Bazaar

One of the most amazing sights is the Chorsu Bazaar with vast potpourri ensembles of stalls - fruits, vegetables, groceries, bread, candies, spices, handicrafts, daily necessities, and meat - all under one roof, so to speak, in the immensely huge marketplace.

The latter I want to highlight - comprises of horse-meat, perhaps even camel meat but we are not able to differentiate as we are unable to converse in Uzbek or Russians with the stall-holders in the main Chorsu Market complex.

14 - 15 November 2018

 

Singapore To Ancient Silk Road or Modern Metropolis

Changi Terminal 1 - Toshkent International Airport- Lotte City Palace -  Kosmonavtlar Metro

10.20pm flight but the Uzbekistan Pilots and Crew decided to board the plan only at 9.55pm.  Endless lines queue at the board the plane, oh dear, it's a full flight, easily 100-120 passengers.  Tajiks, Kazakhs, Kirgizs, Turkmens, Russians, Chinese, Malays, Slavic are all here. Uzbeks are of a Turkic origins hence the exotic looks.

The plane was taxied along the runway round and round for at least 20 minutes, before parking itself strategically and getting ready for take off.  The time was almost 5 minutes to 11pm!   My goodness!  We are late!

The eight-hour flight is uneventful and we cross a few time zones I supposed, night becomes day, and becomes night again as we landed at Tashkent International Airport at 3.30am Uzbek time!
 
By and large, the local population are receptive to foreigners but we do get curious stares from strangers as they are not used to that many aliens (foreign visitors) at this time of the year. As always, some folks are friendlier than others, and we do get offers for assistance whenever we seemed lost in the metro! 

We were queried often "Are you Koreans?" as the locals are curious about our origins, but most of them will think we are either Japanese or Koreans. Actually the latter are more of a trail-blazer these days, less thanks to the Korean Wave but more from Samsung and LG whose marketing advertisements splash across billboards in the city!

Some folks are shy but majority are non English speaking, and hence tend to stay away from us. Many, however, especially the youngsters, are embarking on IELTS, and I suppose English will be as common as Russian in time to come!