MORE BERRIES THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A SALAMI AT - Samarkand and Tashkent, Uzbekistan

......previously, our first few weeks in Uzbekistan in the deepest southern town of Termez.........

As a large portion of the Uzbek population were visiting relatives during the end of Ramadan, we reluctantly had to change our travel plans. The train we were hoping to take from Termez to the Fergana Valley was full, so we chose to go as far as Samarkand, and spend a few days there before returning to Tashkent. 

The magnificent Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Samarkand

We normally travel in platzkart class on Russian-style trains. As it's the cheapest class, and for us, perfectly comfortable, we never had need to think about upgrading. However, this time, due to the busy time of year, we could only book kupe class, the next step up. It was a good opportunity to try something new. But as it turned out, kupe lacked the open and social feeling of platzkart that we enjoy, with only 4 beds in a compartment instead of 6 or 8, and a door that closed. There was no AC, only a tiny window in the top, next to our heads, and we were glad for the fresh air when we boarded as it was baking hot. As the journey went on, though, and the night cooled considerably, fresh air tuned cold, and Sal in particular, had no sleep due to a chilly wind coming in the window all night. 

Kupe class on Uzbek train (we were up top)

It was our third visit to the important Silk Road city, and although we were not as awe-struck as the first time, the magnificence of Samarkand never fails to impress. We arrived early at our favourite guesthouse in Uzbekistan, a homely, leafy family place set around a central courtyard. We were immediately welcomed with a huge breakfast, after which we thankfully collapsed into a comfortable bed to recover from the trip. 

Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

We spent three relaxing days, wandering around a few of the lesser visited sights we missed on our other visits- it is difficult to see past the mammoth and sparkling big sites in Samarkand, such as our favourite, Shar-i-Zinda. 

A few remaining tiles, Ishratkhana, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

A quiet spot, Ishratkhana, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

A beautifully calm morning was spent visiting the mausoleum of famed Islamic jurist Abdu Durum. It was a quiet complex, with few people around - the couple of men that were praying there gave us some pastries and water. The ancient setting around the fish pond and the surrounding four huge plane trees was pleasing and cool and we sat there for quite some time.

Quiet place to pray, Abdu Durum Mausoleum, Samarkand

Handsome minaret, Abdu Durum Mausoleum, Samarkand

Peeking in the entrance,  Abdu Durum Mausoleum, Samarkand

Wooden carving on ceiling, Abdu Durum Mausoleum, Samarkand

Lovely setting around a pond, Abdu Durum Mausoleum, Samarkand

Stunning colours, Abdu Durum Mausoleum, Samarkand

We wandered up the hill to see the stunning view from the ex-president Islam Karimov's mausoleum (he was born and grew up around here). It was interesting to see so many local pilgrims here, praying and visiting the tomb. A thought-provoking comment about Karimov from the legendary Central Asian planning website Caravanistan:

"Karimov stole billions from his people and stymied the economy, forcing millions to find work in Russia as badly treated migrant workers.

He also closed the borders, restricted religious freedoms, forced children to pick cotton (while draining the Aral Sea to water that cotton), had thousands of opponents murdered and tortured, and thousands more jailed. Yet, you will find his mausoleum thronged with pilgrims searching for a blessing from the revered forefather. In Central Asia, ancestors have a presence in daily life after they passed away; they spread their spiritual energy and mediate individual relationships with God. Even if they ruthlessly oppressed you."

What a view from Karimov's tomb complex, Samarkand

Locals praying at the tomb

Highly decorated and popular place to visit, Islam Karimov's mausoleum, Samarkand

Samarkand bazaar was a wonderful mixture of produce, handicrafts, gourmet treats and practical items. The touristy spice stall vendors were hell bent on selling tourists saffron, ladies in scarves sold diary products from buckets on the ground, nougats and halva were piled up in tempting piles, and the aroma of fresh bread came from the bakery section as famous Samarkand-style round loaves were baked and raced around in delivery carts. The fresh fruit was what we were eying, and we ended up with bag loads of gorgeous strawberries. Apricots and cherries were also coming onto the market, and boys juicing strangely pallid pomegranates stood on every corner. Around the edge of the outdoor market were the shops selling a huge array of cheeses and salamis - they really love their salami here. 

Paying for her strawberries, Samarkand bazaar

Gorgeous ceramic section, Samarkand bazaar

'Ere, try this one on for size

Yummy array of early spring fruit, Samarkand bazaar

The train back to Tashkent from Samarkand was aboard the very civilized and touristy highspeed Afrosiyob train, complete with AC, airplane-style seats, and a snack and coffee included in the fare. The only interesting activity was trying to board alongside a large group of enormous Indian tourists, causing complete chaos and noise as only Indians can. Half of them ended up to be in the wrong carriage, and had to back themselves and their considerable amounts of luggage out while everyone else was trying to board. Soon we all settled down and enjoyed the short trip in comfort. 

Back in Tashkent, we continued our casual sightseeing- an impressive graveyard full of Soviet-era busts of Russian officials, a madrassa converted into a traditional crafts workshop, and a palace which design was based on industry. A fantastic find was Mirabad Bazaar, much closer to us than than huge and famous Chorsu Bazaar. This charming market with friendly vendors had everything we needed all contained under an attractive round flat roof. We actually discovered a new, slightly more expensive strawberry variety that was so unbelievable delicious there's almost no words to describe. 

Imposing busts and graves, Chigatay Cemetery

Crafty Abdulkasym madrassa, Tashkent

Brutalist architecture, Friendship Palace, Tashkent

Friendship Palace, complete with bolts falling from the roof, Tashkent (spot the cap)

Mirabad Bazaar, Tashkent

Delicatessen shop selling all sorts of meats and cheeses, Mirabad Bazaar, Tashkent

All of a sudden a month had passed since our arrival in Uzbekistan, and it was time for us to leave the country. We had, by now, formulated some sort of plan, and decided to make a few stops in Kazakhstan on our way to Kyrgyzstan. We could hardly wait!! Please stay tuned, and we promise the next blog post won't be so long in arriving. We were a bit overwhelmed when we first arrived, and took a little while to get ourselves into gear. 

Giant plov pot, Tashkent

Moody under the city, Tashkent

Rush hour, Tashkent metro

More beautiful metro art, we are fascinated by it!

A few general notes about travel in Uzbekistan:

Having arriving into Uzbekistan from Penang in full hot season in April, where the energy was drained out of us, and the feeling of lethargy was difficult to shake, we absolutely revelled in the cooler spring weather of Central Asia. Days were sunny and warm, and nights just the right temperature for sleeping soundly.  

Unusual statue on a grave, Tashkent

As previously stated, accommodation costs had risen in the three years since we last visited in 2019. We stayed at a mixture of hostels and guesthouses, and the were all clean and friendly. Most accommodation offered a substantial breakfast, sometimes included and sometimes for a few dollars extra. We paid between £16- £22 a night for a double room, usually with our own bathroom.

Our comfy, homey room in Samarkand, Uzbekistan

I'm sure we've mentioned it before, but we absolutely love the ease of the public transport in Central Asia. In all the places we visited in Uzbekistan, local buses were one price for a single trip, no matter how far one went. In Tashkent, this was the same for the metro. 1,400-1500 som (£0.09-£0.10) was paid to the driver as one exited the bus. So easy. The long distance trains seemed somewhat pricey, but it's all relative. Our longest train trip, which was 14 hours, cost 170,000 som each, about £12.

Ready for boarding, Uzbekistan trains

Samarkand train station, Uzbekistan

It's probably pretty clear that we adore the fresh produce in Uzbekistan. Everywhere we went, seasonal fruit and veggies and freshly baked bread were available. Dairy products were delish and always full fat- none of this diet crap in Central Asia! Smetana (a cross between Greek yoghurt and sour cream) is our favourite, and this time we discovered Central Asian-style kaymak. We had tried kaymak in Serbia, but unlike it's Balkan cousin, the variety here isn't salty, more like a clotted cream. We tended not to eat out a lot, preferring to make ourselves picnics with salad, local pickles, eggs and smoky cheese, traditional round bread, and fruits and smetana. When we ate out, we enjoyed meat. Lamb, beef and chicken are usual here - on skewers (shashlik) and from a spit (doner) are the two most common types.

Yum chill and garlic

A takeaway meal, rotisserie chicken and Uzbek wine!

Interesting flavour juice (we didn't try)

National obsession, plov

Messy looking, but delicious beefshtek and goulash

Perfectly presented cherries and berries

Beautiful produce in Uzbek market

A fine discovery was Uzbek wine- the different brands we tried varied from delicious to headache inducing, but at less than £2 a bottle, generally very enjoyable indeed! Beer was also available with mixed results. We have been so spoilt having spent a long time in the Balkans during the past few years - you really can't beat that area for premium alcoholic drinks at rock bottom prices. Ditto for the cafe culture- there isn't one in Central Asia. Tea, or choy, is king here. We got our pathetic coffee fix in the mornings with the local instant variety. 

Uzbek wine

Most streets and parks in the cities we visited were lined with mulberry trees - both red and white varieties. No-one seemed too fussed about collecting them, but we scoffed as many as we could whenever we saw easy to reach fruit.

An idea of our stops within Uzbekistan

 

Lovely Uzbek girls

Hilarious Uzbek picnic set- what more do you need besides shashliks, vodka and a machete?!

.....we're off to Kazakhstan for a short time- keep in touch!.......