Blogs from Uzbekistan, Asia

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Asia » Uzbekistan » Khiva August 30th 2023

As I traveled in Uzbekistan, everyone I met, locals and tourists who had been there, asked if I was going to Khiva. Located close to the Turkmenistan border, Khiva is often overlooked by tourists as it is slightly offbeat, but that would be a mistake. I took a road trip from Bukhara to Khiva, passing by endless dessert. This dessert (on both sides of Khiva) makes Khiva very hot (50 degree plus) and very cold (minus 20), but I was lucky to get very good weather. Khiva is like an open air museum, a really small old city but with a bunch of interesting places to see and probably the most colourful Minaret of them all. The inside of the old city is called Ichan Kala, it's only 26 Hectares and is Uzbekistan's first World Heritage ... read more
Sunset at Kalta Minaret
View of Khiva city from the Ark
Khiva evenings

Asia » Uzbekistan » Bukhara August 27th 2023

After Samarkand, I headed to Bukhara, again by train, but this time a fast train. Very comfortable and modern train and I enjoyed the journey. Bukhara, a city that is a few thousand years old is smaller than Samarkand but has a specific charm that is difficult to explain. But the city spells magic as soon as you step into it. I first visited the Bukhara Tower for a sunset view of the city and then followed it with a visit to the Bolo Hauz Mosque at the time of the prayers. The Kalon Minaret and Mosques were a sight to behold both during the day but even better during the sunset and evenings. Kalon Mosque is the second largest mosque in Uzbekistan. I also learnt that Genghis Khan did not destroy the Minaret because he ... read more
Kalon Mosque
Bolo Hauz Mosque
Kalon Minaret

Asia » Uzbekistan » Samarkand August 24th 2023

After Tashkent, I took a train to reach the second largest city of Uzbekistan, Samarkand (means Stone City, same meaning as Tashkent). Trains are a great way to travel in this country and the local people are super friendly, always trying to feed you and enquiring where you from. Samarkand, a city ruled by Alexander, Genghis Khan, Timur and traveled to by Marco Polo and Ibn Batuta, remains one of those mythical places on the Silk Route. The most famous spot in Samarkand is the Registan Ensemble. Framed by 3 large Madrasas (Islamic Schools), the square was the pinnacle of Timurid period. Ulug Beg Madrasa is the oldest, but fastest built (only 3 years), Sher Dor Madrasa was built in early 17th century (it's rare to see Leopards on top of an Islamic architecture) and the ... read more
Ornate Architecture at Registan
Ornate Architecture at Registan
Tilya Kori Mosque at Registan

Asia » Uzbekistan » Tashkent August 21st 2023

I decided to visit Uzbekistan after Georgia. But given that I needed a visa (online), I came back to Tbilisi and had to wait 3 days to get the visa. After a circuitous flight through Almaty, I landed in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. After a day of rest, I headed to see the Minor Mosque of Tashkent. This is a recent mosque (2014), but has a serene look in white and blue. Later, I went to the Amir Temur Square. Amir Temur (aka Timur or Temurlane) was a descendant of Genghis Khan and went on to establish the Temurid Empire, which made Samarkand it's capital. Another descendant of Temur (and hence Genghis Khan), Babur, will go on to establish the Mughal Empire which ruled India. Temur is a revered character in Uzbekistan and there are ... read more
Minor Mosque
Clock Tower at Temur Square
Sunset is the best time to explore Timur Square

Asia » Uzbekistan May 15th 2023

Ok, this blog will also be mainly pics. This is a country that will take time for us to process once we are home. Each day we saw a different section of the country tracing its 2500 years of history. And unlike Egypt, most of the history completely unknown to us. Overall, it is an agricultural based country, carved out of the desert. The scale, detail and beauty of the 3 main silk route cities is at times overwhelming. When we asked our guide,, when did they stop using the silk route. She quite seriously answered. It hasn't. You are here today. We booked thru Global Connect in Samankan for the 12 day trip. And they booked everything for Ed and I, all transport, Accommodations, and local guides for each of the cities - Tashkent, Khiva. ... read more
Interior of  the Registan in Samarkand
Sunset on Kolon minaret
The mosque domes are gorgeous, especially near sunset.

Asia » Uzbekistan » Khiva May 12th 2023

When we would tell people we were going to Uzbeckstan, it was usually abit of a confused look and then the quetions "why?" I did not really have an answer for the, but now I do. What a beautiful country, holding on to their cultural traditions, surprisingly delicious food and friendly people! We are only 3rd day here, spending a full day touring the capital, Tashkent. Tashkent has an old section with the historical buildings, but the rest of Tashkent appears quite modern with broad tree lined streets. An early morning flight to Khiva, described as an open air museum. Although it has been invaded multiple times in the last 2500 years, they have continued to rebuild and maintain their unique culture. This blog is mostly picures, but wanted to get this posted. We take the ... read more
Khiva skyline
Madrassa now an arts and crafts shop
Definitely not crowded!

Asia » Uzbekistan » Tashkent November 26th 2021

I discovered Tamburlaine during uni swat vacs...'cos I was not a diligent student. I'd head into the Hunter Valley to the wineries as you do. That's how a love for the red wine of Tamburlaine grew...the vineyard that is. On their bottles his image...an emperor on horseback. On old maps was 'the Jewel of the Old Silk Road'...Samarkand...the capital of the 14th C Empire of Tamburlaine. In 2017 Denise & I discovered the Stans on a roadtrip following the northern border of Afghanistan in Tajikistan with Dave & Merry Jo Binkley and The Travel Camel...ascending into Heaven in the High Pamir. In 2019 once bitten twice shy we planned to return to the Stans...to the land of Tamburlaine...Uzbekistan. We added Turkmenistan to our itinerary but their rugs were too expensive so we headed to Russia instead. ... read more
Khiva
Samarkand
Kamila

Asia » Uzbekistan » Samarkand September 18th 2021

**Question: Does anyone know why my portrait photos look like crap all of a sudden? They are not shown properly** After arriving in the wee hours of the morning in Samarkand, we made our way to the next hotel where we were actually going to be able to get some sleep tonight! This time, I actually took a nice hot shower and climbed into my semi-comfy game. Then we had a nice breakfast before saying goodbye to this lovely hotel at 9am. Samarkand is another city on the Silk Road and its name means "sweet soil". Gur-e-Amir We walked about ten minutes from the hotel to the first stop, Gur-e-Amir, Persian for "Tomb of the King". It was constructed in 1403 for the conqueror Timur (Tamerlane) and also contains the tombs of his sons, grandsons, and ... read more
Gur-e-Amir
Gur-e-Amir
View from  Tilya-Kora Madrasah

Asia » Uzbekistan » Bukhara September 17th 2021

My latest adventure with Trekkup was a whirlwind weekend tour of Uzbekistan: Silk and Spice weekend. I had been trying to do this popular trip for over a year now (thanks Covid and Saudi!). I was a little mentally exhausted due to my busy busy work schedule, but I needed to do this one. Initially we only had 5 or 6 people sign up in our group; at first, I was bummed because this is supposed to be one of the more popular trips, but then I was a bit relieved - with my mind not exactly in the right place to be uber social. However, a few days before, seven people were added to our group - they were supposed to have been six couples who knew each other but all the husbands backed out ... read more
Bolo Houz Mosque
Bolo Hauz Mosque
Ark of Bukhara

Asia » Uzbekistan » Karakalpakstan January 4th 2020

Mixed feelings about Uzbekistan. We’d saved it until last, partly to allow temperatures to drop into September (and so that we got higher temperatures in Kyrgyzstan by going there in August which we needed in the high mountains), and partly because we expected it to be the highlight of Central Asia. In some ways it was; many of the ancient Silk Road cities are beautiful and the people were extremely hospitable. However, most tourists are retirees on coach tours and tourism in Uzbekistan seems to be entirely geared towards them. Uzbekistan shows off some of humanities greatest constructions in the wonderful madrasahs, mosques and mausoleums of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva. Uzbekistan also shows off some of humanities most shameful endeavours when you contemplate the rusting ships within sandy plains that were once the Aral Sea. We ... read more
Ship Cemetery in former Aral Sea at Moynaq
Registan, Samarkand
Long clawed ground squirrel at Ayaz Qala




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