One long bus trip

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I am in Osh!

Just a quick blog this time.

The bus trip from Kashgar to Osh was definitely an experience I won't forget for a long time. In the end it took 35 hours to get here; it took 4 hours to get from the start of the Chinese border crossing to the end of the Kyrgyzstan border checkpoint (although they were relatively hassle free); the bus got bogged in four foot deep snow and was stuck for almost an hour; the bus driver's solution to get the bus out was to hook up a tow cable and get all the men off the bus and from the surrounding trucks to try and pull the bus out and after that didn't work only then did he try using a truck to pull the bus out and surprise, surprise that worked. One benefit was that I met an American guy (David) who was heading to Bishkek and he speaks Russian so he was able to converse with everyone on the bus and explain to them that I am not Islamic, its just that I haven't shaved in a few months.

Anyway we arrived in Osh late last night and found a hotel and settled in and then David and I headed out for some dinner and a few beers. Today we woke late, me not feeling the best as I have come down with some sort of chest infection, but after a slow start we have had a productive day; I have been using David's Russian while I can and he was able to help me change some money, get some medicine from the pharmacy and helped me get an airline ticket from Andijon (Uzbekistan) to Tashkent (Capital of Uzbekistan).

The reason I am flying is that, once again, David was able to find out how I could get from Osh to Tashkent and it turns out that there are no minibuses that run direct, and taking a taxi is not only expensive but it is slighlty difficult to go direct as Tajikistan gets in the way so you have to go a very long way around. Looking in the LP we noticed that there were flights from Andijon to Tashkent and they were only $30odd USD (the taxi would have been about $100USD). So I am taking a minibus to the Uzbekistan border tomorrow morning and from there I can catch a shared taxi for a few hours to Andijon and will overnight in Andijon and then on Saturday fly to Tashkent. Complicated I know, but it is better this way.

I should mention that when we arrived last night we noticed that Osh was covered in snow and today it has snowed consistenly all day, the place looks amazing: its funny how snow makes everything seem clean and magical. Anyway, after getting our administrative affairs in order we headed into the bazaar and found some hot food and had two pots of amazing black tea. We wandered around teh bazaar a little bit more before heading up Solomon's Throne, which is not a throne at all, but is a jagged piece of rock that appears from nowhere and sits almost in the middle of the city. Covered in snow it did look good and the biew from the top was fantastic, even though getting up there was at some stages slightly difficult due to icy steps.

The rest of the day will most likely be pretty cruisy, maybe a trip to a teahouse for some more tea, some dinner and some beers. So, as I said just a small blog just to let you all know that I am safe and enjoying some interesting experiences.

Thanks for reading

Matt out

END TRANSMISSION

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Comments

[John Baulch]

A journey you will never forget
Hi Matt, hiding behind a beard, masquerading as a local is problematic if you can't talk the talk! take care, regards John Baulch

[Jade]

flight
Hi, I am travelling to tashkent and am looking for a flight to Andijan. I'm having trouble being able to locate the domestic carrier that flies this trip. Can you let me know what airline you flew with domestically in Uzbekistan. Thanks

[MattyV]

Tashkent - Andijon
Hi there Jade, obviously I flew the opposite way to you (Andijon - Tashkent) but regardless, the domestic airline of Uzbekistan is Uzbekistan Airways. I managed to buy my ticket in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, through an Aviakassa (airline booking service) and simply crossed the border at Dostlyk and caught a taxi to Andijon. From memory the cost of the flight was around $33USD. Can I ask why you will be travelling through this region and when will you be going? I hope you get to enjoy Andijon more than I did as I was too ill to go anywhere! If you have any more questions just ask! Good luck with it all! Matt.

[deleted_49612]

Hello Matt :) I am off to Kyrgyzstan in September. Unfortunately for only 9 days but better than no days. :) I love what you say about Osh. People told me not to go to Kyrgyzstan in Winter but I am not so sure. I love snow. Sitting inside one of those tea houses looking out at it is my idea of travel heaven. Mel