Blogs from Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Asia - page 5

As most of the first part of this world tour was supposed to be about trains...a bit about trains. Our first attempt to by tickets (my failure with the auotmatic machine, was just converting an e-ticket, not buying one) was relatively easy, once we fond the office in Bukhara. The Soviet mentality shone through at Bukhara station, everyone on the platform...now wait for the train. Luckily our carriage stopped right in front of us which made life a little easier. As soon as we sat down, the TV was showing the concert of a local favourite, Ozodbek Nazarbekov. Not heard of him? OK, picture this - Central Asia's version of Barry Manilow (though less musically talented, oh and he can't sing either). The concert was compared by NikNak (from the Man with the Golden Gun) a ... read more

Have just visited Amir Timur's mausoleum the Gur Emir... it was the end of a vast display of turquoise and midnight blue majolica tile. The buildings were impressive the Bibi Khanum mosque, the Registan with Ulug Beg's madrassah and the Shah Zinda as well as the big man's tomb itself. But somehow I was left slightly cold, it was not how I imagined I would feel being in Samarkand. As you try and dodge the many tour groups, on a trip of a lifetime! Such a hold on our imagination that city has, as somewhere almost beyond the realms of the Western senses. The reality is more prosaic however magnificent. Amir Timur, even though not Uzbek himself, who lived in the land which is now Uzbekistan before the Uzbeks got there, he is the national hero ... read more

James Elroy Flecker THE GOLDEN JOURNEY TO SAMARKAND We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go Always a little further: it may be Beyond that last blue mountain barred with snow, Across that angry or that glimmering sea, White on a throne or guarded in a cave There lives a prophet who can understand Why men were born: but surely we are brave, Who take the Golden Road to Samarkand. Sweet to ride forth at evening from the wells When shadows pass gigantic on the sand, And softly through the silence beat the bells Along the Golden Road to Samarkand. We travel not for trafficking alone; By hotter winds our fiery hearts are fanned: For lust of knowing what should not be known We make the Golden Journey to Samarkand. Naar Noekoes vliegen we over ... read more

Next was Samarkand, a much bigger city than Bukhara, with as much history, but without the warm fuzzy feeling. This very much felt like a big place - the people weren't as friendly and everyone seemed out to make a quick buck, but there historic sites were good (if heavily renovated due to earthquakes) and I got to stay in a traditional Uzbeki yurt in the Kyzylkhum desert before coming into town, with an obligatory evening camel-ride. From Samarkand I travelled to the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, which is a huge, sprawling metropolis, with even less going for it than Tbilisi. I travel along the Ferghana valley, a militarised area where the taking of photographs is prohibited, and leave Uzbekistan behind, to enter the last of the countries in my tour of Central Asia - Kyrgyzstan.... read more

At long last I've managed to upload another batch of photos... There are two new albums on my Shutterfly site, one of Singapore and Malaysia and another one of Thailand and Dubai.... read more