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Blogs from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Asia
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Following the ancient Silk Road - Visiting amazing Uzbekistan
Published: May 22nd 2013Asia » Uzbekistan » Samarkand » Samarqand
May 22nd 2013
On a trip in the footsteps of Marco Polo and other ancient explorers. Following the ancient Silk Road, we visiting amazing Uzbekistan. A country with smiling, curious and friendly people. Awesome. A great experience.... read more
January 21st 2013
May 20, 2012 Hotel: Caravan Seraile, Samarkand, Uzbekistan; $45/double We had an early start today as it was going to be another long day on the road and a border crossing on the way to Samarkand. We caught a taxi right outside the hotel and told him we were going to the nothern bus station. When we got there and said we were going to the border, he offers to take us all the way for a reasonable amount, 100 TJS ($21.09) for 70 kms. A shared taxi would have been cheaper but we already had our bags in his car, and split 4 ways anyway it wouldn't have been much difference. The weather was gorgeously clear today, not too hot. We had been lucky with the weather so far this trip, no rain and May ... read more
January 15th 2012
Hacía mucho tiempo que estaba con ganas de visitar la República de Uzbekistán; desde que descubriera imágenes a través de un libro de la Plaza del Registán en Samarcanda, mítica ciudad en la antigua ruta de la seda. Hace unos años había más retricciones para la concesión del visado y en vista de que ahora lo han puesto más fácil, decidí hacer este ansiado viaje a pesar de que era invierno y de que haría mucho frío. Compré el billete con Aeroflot, compañía aérea rusa y ya que hacía una parada en Moscú, por qué no aprovechar y de paso hacer la escala más larga y visitar la capital rusa por un par de días que se convirtieron en tres. Junto conmigo viajaba Anna, una amiga. Llegamos a Moscú en medio de una nevada. Pasamos frío, ... read more
May 20th 2011
The currency in Uzbekistan is the “Sum”. There are officially 1700 to US$1. but on the black market you can up to 2400. Here’s how it works. You trot along to the National bank and exchange your US$ travellers’ cheques for US$s. Or you put your debit card into an ATM and find that it will only dispense US$s. Then your take your US$ bills round to hotel reception, are taken into the left luggage room, or somewhere similar, a shoe box full 1000 Sum notes is produced and you get the best deal you can. It is always a lot better than the official rate. We actually paid for a number of items with a combination of US Dollars, Pounds Sterling and Euros. The biggest note is for 1000 sum, about 35p. Paying for all ... read more
September 21st 2010
Samarkand hat bereits einen magisch klingenden Namen, Tausendundeinenacht steht einem unaufgefordert vor den Augen. Und tatsächlich, die Gebäude in dieser Stadt sind eine Klasse für sich. Der alte Hauptplatz, der Registan, hat nicht (wie das in Europa der Fall wäre) auf einer Seite das religiöse Hauptgebäude, daneben das Rathaus und auf einer dritten Seite vielleicht den Markt. Der Registan hat auf drei Seiten eine Medrese, (im Mittelalter waren dies Universitäten). Die Medresen wenden sich alle dem Platz mit einem Iwan zu, einem grossen überdimensionalen „Eingangstor“ das eine Art Halb- oder Teilkuppel ist. Auch die Nekropole Schohisinda mit seinen 11 Mausoleen ist prachtvoll und wie aus einem Märchen aus Tausenduneinernacht. Neben den unzähligen schön restaurierten Mausoleen und Medresen wirkt die Stadt Samarkand seltsam leblos. Alles ist auf Tourismus ausgerichtet, ... read more
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September 9th 2010
Samarkand is a nice city. The first day we were there, we participated in the city walking tour that was offered as part of the dragoman trip. Needless to say it was quite long, although fairly informative, it was tough to pay attention once it got to about lunch time and there was still about 3 hours left on the tour. We survived (barely) and finished the tour, it felt like quite the accomplishment really. The rest of our time in Samarkand was fairly relaxing. We caught up on some internet, went for walks, and enjoyed the best pizza we've had in Central Asia at Venezia restaurant...twice. It's already been 2 months since we finished working and we've been on the road now for 7 weeks. So far we seem to be spending to our budget, ... read more
Seperated from Kevin Bacon in four degrees, but still no Chinese visa
Published: May 25th 2010Asia » Uzbekistan » Samarkand
May 25th 2010
What do you talk about with your travelling companion when you are both waiting for various visa's and stuck in Tashkent? Well in my case our conversation somehow led to something I had heard once from some backpacker on another trip of mine. He told me that there was this theory that everybody in the world was seperated from Kevin Bacon within six degrees. Ricky actually had heard of this theory and so the ball started rolling. Now in my case I have concluded that I am seperated from Kevin in four degrees. How so? My mother used to work as a stewardess for Scandinavian Airlines System, one of her colleagues was called Christina who ended up marrying Roger Moore and I am guessing that at one point in time Roger would surely have met Kevin, ... read more
May 12th 2010
The drive from Khiva to Bukhara is mostly across the Kyzylkum desert and in places the desert is taking over the road and we have to weave our way between pile of sand. The other excitement is the rickety pontoon bridge we have to cross. In places the metal plates are no longer attached to each other and there are some steep changes in level. Anyway we survive and arrive in Bukhara only we seem to be on the wrong road. We can see the right road, its just the other side of the blockade. There's no way round the blockage but there is the ancient domed bazaar that connects the 2 roads. The police men are telling us we have to go back but the locals are all waving us through the bazaar so through ... read more
December 15th 2009
T'is said that the road to Samarkand is paved in gold, but that is not so, at least my road wasn't. My road consisted of dilapitated train tracks and mud caked highways. But there was gold along the way, only not on the road. The gold was stacked in rows upon rows, within the mouths of the people of this region. Perhaps a road could be paved with all this gold, certainly the combined amount of gold that is hidden in the jaws of the Central Asians is equal to the gold reserves of a small country. It is more prevalent in the older generation than in the younger one, with some of the older folks sporting a full set of golden teeth. When they smile you need to put on sunglasses, just to soften the ... read more
October 9th 2009
Camels to the left of me, Jackals to the right, Here I am, stuck in the middle of U-zbekistan. A blatant rip off the Stealers Wheels' lyrics it may be, but all three statements stand true nonetheless. Why I'm here, stuck in the middle of Uzbekistan, and how I got here, well that will be revealed soon enough. As chance would have it, there was a clown to the left of me – Guy Laliberté, the Canadian clown, space tourist and founder of Cirque du Soleil, launched into orbit from the Kazakhstan Space Centre not far from here. And there's jokers to the right of me aplenty. I call this chapter “The Stans” but before I reached any of them, there was just the small matter of a “Jan” to get out the way first. Azerbaijan ... read more
