ironmanjt

I still remember my first trip in 2013. My driver picked me up at the airport in Tashkent, took me to the hotel, got my luggage out of the boot, then said "how much money you need change?" He had a safe bolted into the car, because he just assumed that all new arrivals would need black market exchange...lol

Romanianflyer

Thanks for the explanation as indeed I did not know the formal laws whether photographing in the metro was allowed or not - so that's why I just took precautions. It was the same situation when I visited Baku in Azerbaijan last year - which also had one or two beautiful stations (although as a whole it's decidedly less pretty than Tashkent). You just don't want an overzealous cop on your tail or worse, some intent on getting some bribes out of you.

Romanianflyer

I didn't knew about the Pentagon mpkz! That means I did something highly illegal when I visited DC

It does indeed sounds like a whole different situation these days. In many countries it's either super easy to find black market money changers or they approach you - but I didn't see anyone in Uzbekistan. Weirdly enough, some hotels/shops where I asked said they weren't even able to change!

In general, even though the money situation could still be improved in how easy it is to change/withdraw cash, I found getting around in the country very easy with the e-visa and buying online train tickets.

Fun anecdote, ironmanjt! Not much changed when it comes to the large wads of cash such as on the picture you showed. If I remember it right the highest bill they have in Uzbek som is the equivalent of just 5 USD. When I changed 200 USD it was just impossible to fit it all in my wallet. It reminded me a bit of visiting Iran where half my rucksack consisted out of stacks of banknotes.

Romanianflyer

Part 7: Tashkent (South Station) to Samarkand by train
Train 010Ф 'Buxoro' – price 21 EUR for a 'lux' seat
STD 9:13am - STA 12.29pm (travel time 3h16m)

I was super excited for this day for two reasons. First of all, a long-held dream of visiting the magical-sounding city of Samarkand – the name alone evokes vivid views of the orient – would come true. Second, I was immensely looking forward to try out the Uzbek railway system as I probably love rail travel as much as I love flying. As I wrote before, you can nowadays very easily book your tickets online and collect them at the railway station. And the good thing is that travel by train in Uzbekistan is dirt cheap, with even the most expensive classes (sometimes there can be up to four or five!) being perfectly affordable at about 40 to 50 EUR.

Before I left the hotel I had a hearty breakfast at the hotel to get me started for the day. The selection was not huge, but I found the quality to be quite good and staff again eager to please by proactively pouring in refills of orange juice and coffee.









It was absolutely raining cats and dogs this morning in Tashkent and it therefore took a while for my taxi to arrive to bring me to the station. The reception staff used a Russian Uber-like app to order me a taxi (with the difference that you pay on arrival) which worked brilliantly and was dirt cheap (around 1.5 EUR). My train did not depart from the main station where I picked up my tickets but from Yuzhny (Southern) station. Like the main station, it was built in a similar modern-looking style with lots of glass (spoiler alert: it turns out almost all stations in the country are built in this style).





There is again a ticket check and cursory X-ray check of your luggage before you can enter the station building.





This is where I made a little mistake. I knew I had to stamp my ticket by security officials before you are allowed to board your train. I asked at the first checkpoint where they said in broken English that it was OK and I could just sit down and wait for my train. Not true! From what I learned from my train journeys after, there is always a security guard sitting behind a desk after the station building baggage check. This person will look at your ticket and passport and stamp the ticket. If there is no person, ask the people at the baggage X-ray. When you know how the system works it is super easy. I however walked straight to my train a few minutes before departure without a stamp at all..





Today's ride would be on train number 10 named 'Buxoro', which is the Latinisation of Бухорo (how the Uzbeks call the city of Bukhara) which would be the last station of the train on its journey. I would however get off halfway in Samarkand.

As Uzbek trains are so dirt cheap I decided to book my tickets in different classes, from one of the intermediate ones to the most expensive to see what the differences are. On this journey I had my ticket in 'lux' – which would be equivalent to a first class ticket in Europe. Just like in every other ex-Soviet country, each wagon has a 'provodnik' (or 'provodnika' in the female form) – an attendant who takes care of an entire carriage. When the big-sized provodnik on my carriage inspected my ticket he immediately noticed the lack of the stamp. With his limited knowledge of English he pointed that I would need to go back to the station building to get it as otherwise I cannot board. Needless to say it was a nasty surprise as I did not know whether I would make it in time to run to the station building, find someone to stamp the ticket, and then come back. The provodnik realised it immediately and before I could say something he offered to put me in a different carriage if I would give him 10 USD. He assured me that not only I would get a seat much better than I had booked, but that also a security stamp would not be needed.

I knew this was just a trick to ask for a bribe and that if he wanted he could anyway let me board my normal seat without a stamp. But it is of course a big mind game. First of all, I was genuinely worried not to make it if I would run to the station building and didn't even know where to ask for a stamp (I only found out later on my second rail journey in Uzbekistan how the system works). Second, while I normally don't do bribes – I thought it was actually quite a good offer. If the seat would indeed be better, that is a plus. And missing the train would surely cost me more money, and more importantly, meaning that I would loose half a day in Samarkand. I therefore decided to give him the ten dollars – which he gladly accepted.

While my normal seat AFAIK would be a comfy, big seat a saloon-style wagon – I was hugely surprised what my upgrade entailed.





I have never seen a compartment like this when it comes to the size. And then the comfy sofa! Sure, the design isn't really to write home about, but who cares when you have your own sofa! Unlimited tea was also included. I'm not sure what kind of tea it was (some special citrus tea) but it was absolutely delicious.



I have no idea whether it was the tea or just the general lack of sleep which I had in the last weeks (even though I slept really well the night before in the hotel) – but the journey was making me super drowsy. Each time I would doze off for ten minutes, wake up for five, only to fall asleep again. And weirdly, even though I did not sleep longer than 10-15 minutes each time I would have super strong dreams. Another weird thing was that whatever I tried to do to keep me awake that it just wouldn't work. Only actively taking pictures and drinking more tea gave temporary respite.

It however didn't matter much as the scenery wasn't too special, especially for the first two hours of the journey. The torrential rain didn't help either.



Only about an hour before Samarkand could you see some hills in the distance and were there some actually things growing from the soil.



We arrived on time in Samarkand. Upon exiting the station there were plenty of taxi drivers jumping on you to convince you to take their services. It was fairly easy to negotiate a good rate to my guest house (Furkat Guest House) – which turned to be... quite interesting. Let's say first that for 18 USD per night I couldn't complain much at all here. The rate also included a lavish breakfast, and the main owner was super friendly and eager to talk (unfortunately other workers did not speak much English at all). Also the location, just a 5-10 minute walk to the Registan Square, was superb. The room itself was comfortable, but its looks were an entirely different affair (although decidedly Uzbek/Soviet in style).



I mean, what is the point of having two chairs like this?



The bathroom was however clean. The wifi was spotty in the rooms, only when taking a chair and moving it as close to the door as possible did I manage to get a strong enough signal to go online from my room.





It's not your luxury pick, but for the price, good breakfast and friendliness you can't complain really. I always like to mix up different sort of hotels when making longer trips. Sure, I love luxury as well – but as I cannot afford a luxury hotel every single night on every trip I make (given I make at times 2-3 trips a month) I need to mix the cheaper budget picks with the more luxurious ones. And each time when staying in such a guest house I always get vivid memories of cool trips I made in my backpacking days. Even if of course these hotels will never be the best, they are somehow often the ones that stay longer in my memory.

But it's not hotels why you want to come to Uzbekistan – if that would be the case you are better off visiting the Maldives or so. It is about the old world charm of the silk road, and Samarkand has exactly that. It would turn out to be one of the most magnificent places I have visited in over 70+ countries...

Next up: Exploring the absolutely stunning city of Samarkand

Romanianflyer

Part 8: Samarkand's Registan Square

If there is one snap that's on all the guidebooks and you have likely seen before – whether or not you realise it – then it is of the Registan Square in Samarkand. The square, adorned with three of the finest examples of Islamic architecture and art, is a true masterpiece and a well-deserved entry on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city was once the centre of a great empire, namely that of the great conqueror Amir Timur, who in the English-speaking world is perhaps better known as Tamerlane.



Already in the 3th Century BC when it was still called Marakanda the city was cosmopolitan and rich. Alexander the Great was the first of the great conquerors to capture it, saying it was “even more beautiful than I ever imagined”. In the centuries that would follow, Samarkand became a key post on the ancient Silk Road on which the trade caravans travelled between Europe and China.

In the 14th Century – after the city was sacked by the Mongol horde of Genghis Khan more than a century earlier – local ruler Timur from the nearby city of Shakhrisabz carved out a great empire from Samarkand and brought enormous riches to the city. At its heyday the Timurid empire stretched from Turkey to China. Under Timur's grandson Ulughbek and the Shaybanid rulers who were to follow afterwards further monuments were constructed in the city. It is no surprise then that the evocative name of the city has featured in many travellers' hearts and minds since, inspiring even such novelists as James Elroy Flecker in writing his famous 1913 poem “The Golden Journey 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 take the Golden Road to Samarkand.

Writing these lines – which I know from my heart – again gives me goosebumps when thinking back about the moment when I first set foot on Registan Square. Sure, I've seen it from the taxi window on the way from the train station to my guest house. But when you first step foot on the actual square, and see the magnificently decorated madrasas, it really is an unique feeling.

The Registan was Samarkand's commercial centre, and what is now an empty square was most likely full of market stalls and bazaars in Medieval times (the Soviets did some major cleaning up when they arrived). I started my exploration in the westernmost building (the one on the left if you face all three in front of you) called the Ulughbek Madrasa. The name already gives it away – just like the other buildings it was used as an Islamic school, although besides religious education also subjects like mathematics and astronomy were taught here, and students slept in dormitory cells lining up the interior courtyard.





Just like the two other buildings on the Registan, the entry gate is just massive, with gorgeous blue tiles with Islamic calligraphy.



A smaller hallway leads to the inner courtyard to the building which was completed in 1420.







Inside the madrasa you can find a mosque, lecture halls and students' dormitories (most of them are now occupied by souvenir shops or are empty with the wooden doors locked).







For just 2 USD or so, a friendly shopkeeper who holds the keys for a few doors offered me to show me the way to one of the minaret towers for a sweeping view over the Registan. Of course, I cannot say no to that!



The staircase was small and you do need to watch your head – but the views were totally worth it.





There was also a great view of the Bbi-Khanym mosque in the distance.



I couldn't resist a selfie from the top of the minaret.



As the shopkeeper left me alone after opening the door, telling me I could take as long as I wanted as long as I keep my head down on the top of the minaret, I decided to explore more. About halfway you could access the top level of the madrasa itself, which made for some nice pictures as well.



The second building (the 'middle' one) on the Registan is the Tilla-Kari Madrasa from the year 1660. The name means something like the 'gold-covered madrasa'. On the outside, it is however gorgeous shades of blue again..







..but once inside, the name of the madrasa becomes completely clear. WOW! Count me impressed. Just look at that gorgeous dome!









The inner courtyard was pretty as well, especially the small-sized doors and the view of the oddly-shaped but magnificent blue cupola.






Exiting the Tilla-Kari Madrasa with the Ulughbek Madrasa seen in the distance.

Next up it was time to discover the last building on the Registan, the Sher Dor Madrasa from 1636 (the name means Lions' Madrasa).





The interesting thing about the madrasa is that on the front side it has two lions (who look more like tigers) pictured despite Islam officially forbids it to depiction live animals.









Pictures and words just don't do justice how beautiful the Registan is. It is an absolute must-see in the category of the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat – heck, it's even better than that in my opinion. Just absolutely stunning.



To end day one in Samarkand I had a lovely dinner of manti (steamed dumplings filled with meat) and plov (a slowly cooked rice dish with meat, carrots and onions). The entire meal including water, salad and complimentary tea was not more than 4 EUR.



What a fantastic first day in Samarkand it was. And even though I had visited the blockbuster sight in town – how little did I realise that the city has so much more to offer on day two.

Next up: Exploring the lesser known – but at least equally beautiful – sights of Samarkand.

ironmanjt

That stack I posted was only about $10 ^

The female form is actually "provodnitsa"

Super super jealous of the multiple train trips! I only got to do Toshkent-Samarkand-Toshkent on the "bullet train" on a day trip, and looks like you got the whole lot! Eagerly awaiting the rest!

stmaus

That is because, last year, the government adjusted the official exchange rate to equal the market rate, thus wiping out the black market. Sounds like they have a sensible government there at the moment!

stmaus

Amazing posts, thanks!

lhrpete

Wow, more amazing posts, thank you.

Romanianflyer

Part 9: More sightseeing in Samarkand

My second day in Samarkand started at the Guri Amir Mausoleum. The great conqueror Amir Timur, to whom Samarkand owes its great riches, is buried here. The story has it that Timur actually wished to be buried in the city of Shakhrisabz where he was born – but when he unexpectedly died in a harsh winter from pneumonia he could not be taken over the mountain pass there and had to be buried in Samarkand.

Originally a madrassa was built in front of the mausoleum, but from that only the main gate remains.





After entering the gate you are in the inner courtyard with the entrance to the main building with a gorgeous blue dome.



The hallway itself is very modest with little to no decorations. There are a few information signs here about Amir Timur, his life and military campaigns.





A door to the right leads to the main chamber underneath the dome – which is gorgeously decorated.









The graves itself are remarkably modest. Do note however that these are not actual grave but rather markers – which is common in Muslim mausoleums. They actual graves are in a crypt below and the tombs which are visible on this floor only give the location of the place where the person is buried in a crypt. Besides Timur, also some of his sons and grandsons (such as Ulughbek) are buried here.



Just behind the Guri Amir Mausoleum is the derelict little Ak-Saray Mausoleum – which was closed off.



Also nearby is the Rukhobod Mausoleum from 1380, said to be the city's oldest.





It was soon time for lunch and I settled on a nice looking restaurant on Registanskaya street – one of the main drags in the historical city. I ordered a meat and potato dish – which was absolutely huge in size, and came with an even bigger amount of onions on top. The added lemongrass made for a nice oriental bite and a good, hearty meal.



On my way to the next sights in town I passed by Registan Square again, where a couple was shooting wedding photos. Even though it was a weekday I was surprised by the huge amount of couples making wedding pictures. If I'd get a dollar for every couple I saw I could probably buy myself a (Ryanair) flight ticket by now



The park to the east of Registan Square also was a favourite picture-taking place for couples, although there wasn't much to see besides a giant statue of Islam Karimov, the deceased Uzbek strongman who ruled with an iron grip from post-USSR independence to his death in 2016.



From the east of the Registan a pedestrian street (Tashkent Street) runs north towards a couple of other main Samarkand sights. There are a few (not terribly interesting) souvenir shops and small supermarkets in this street. A fleet of giant-sized electric golf karts which easily seat around 20 people run up and down the street offering complimentary rides, even though the distance is fairly short and perfectly walkable.



The main sight here is the city's biggest mosque, the Bibi Khanym Mosque, which was finished shortly before Timur's death and which at the time must have been the greatest architectural wonder of his entire empire. It however fell victim to its own grandeur as it collapsed in 1897 after an earthquake, although it was reportedly crumbling for centuries prior having pushed Medieval architectural techniques to the limit. A recent renovation project however has reinstated the imposing main gate building and several domes.





The gate leads to an inner courtyard, from where on all three sides you can find a dome. Bibi Khanym is by the way Timur's Chinese wife who is said to have ordered the construction of it while Timur was away on a campaign.











Directly opposite the mosque on Tashkent Street is the mausoleum in which Bibi Khanym is buried, as well as some other important women of the court.



The tombs are again markers to the actual place in the crypt below where the women are buried.



At the far northern end of Tashkent Street is a more recent mausoleum, that of Uzbek strongman Islam Karimov, who was born in Samarkand. Even though photography is officially forbidden on the premises I managed to take a few sneaky snaps on the grounds.





There are some good views here over the nearby Bibi Khanym Mosque.



I had one major site left to see in Samarkand: the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis. On the way to it I passed by an old graveyard from where the grounds also gave some good views back over Samarkand, with the Bibi Khanym Mosque as well as the three Registan madrassa's being clearly visible.





The Shah-i-Zinda ('Living King') necropolis complex was built over a whopping eight centuries and includes some 20 mausoleums all built in different years. The name derives from a legend about a nephew of the Prophet Muhammad who allegedly was still alive after they beheaded him when he came to this area to spread the word of Islam. The complex is compromised of a lower, middle and upper part connected by arched passageways.









Even though the first impression for many might be that the Shah-i-Zinda might be a bit underwhelming after visiting the Registan and the Bibi Khanym Mosque, it is not the entire picture. On the contrary! Wow, I as in for yet another big surprise and the entire necropolis would end up becoming one of my favourite parts of the city. There are so many different mausoleums here all right next to each other, all decorated in different colours and patterns – it just felt walking around here.


Man in traditional Uzbek garb and hat sitting in front of one of the mausoleums











Even though by now some of you might get a bit tired of all the tiles and domes I just love the architecture, history, calligraphy and beautiful colours. The diversity is great here, there are small mausoleums in which hardly ten people can stand, but there are also bigger and higher ones with huge domes.







I'll let the pictures do the talking from here on.











The complex also had a functioning mosque in which a group of veiled women were praying. Interestingly, even though Uzbekistan (much like the other Central Asian countries) is nominally Sunni Islam, (conservative) religious behaviour is actually frowned up on and at times even downright suppressed in the secular country. Karimov limited the number of Muslims who were allowed to go on Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, intelligence services controlled and actively listened to every mosque and every sermon in the country, banned some religious garments and arrested many people considered to be too fundamentalist, whether or not they were indeed supporting jihadist groups or were just very pious and conservative.

In the defence of Karimov and other Central Asian leaders, it must be said that terrorism and radicalisation always have been major worries, especially in the more conservative areas such as the populous Fergana Valley. Although the question whether repression actually solves the situation or creates even more hatred is open for debate. New Uzbek president Mirziyoyev is however reportedly loosening religious restrictions.



On the way out of the complex, I visited some of the mausoleums which I had skipped on the way in. It really is worth it to walk into every single one of them as all look different and some are just drop-dead gorgeous.









As it was getting dark I ate a kebab somewhere and bought a few bottles of beer in an alcohol shop close to the Registan to drink in my hotel room. The friendly guys at the alcohol shop even gave me two complimentary mini bottles of (quite decent) Uzbek vodka. The city has been such a joy to see and is so magnificently beautiful that it easily places in the top five sights I've seen across the world in more than 70 countries. I just loved it.

Next up: On the Uzbek high speed train to Bukhara, another ancient Silk Road gem

stmaus

Hurry up, we are going there in a week and a half, and drooling with anticipation over your next post!

lhrpete

Wow, more excellent reporting. I love the way you also include a small detail like you bought a beer in the midst of so much amazing building. I think I would be too overloaded to recall small things like that!

Romanianflyer

Thanks for pointing out the mistake ironmanjt - even though I should have never made the mistake, I'm not surprised that you are the one pointing it out given you speak quite a bit of the language what I figured from you trip reports!

And even though "only doing Tashkent-Samarkand" is still much more than most people in the world who will never set foot in the country, why not come back once to visit the rest of the region/places you haven't seen yet? I think that even though you have now visited all the countries in the world there are a huge number of countries that are so diverse with so many distinctive regions (eg Spain, Greece, Russia, Italy) that they easily warrant a repeat visit!

Thank you stmaus! It indeed the government has gone on a more sensible track in recent years in opening up. I didn't know about your example of the black market, but thinking about it, I always found the exchange rates at private exchange offices and banks to be very close to those I looked up beforehand on xe.com.

It seems the current government is quite opening up on a number of other aspects too one step at a time, e-visa for tourists, relaxing of religious freedom for locals etc., which indeed seems sensible.

You're very welcome lhrpete, thanks again for reading!

I'll try to post a daily update to make sure it is finished before your departure I already want to wish you a great trip, I'm sure you won't be disappointed by the country!

fivevsone

What an amazing Trip Report. Thank you so much for sharing.
T

Romanianflyer

How can I forget about getting complimentary vodka?

But yeah I tend to have a good memory when travelling and interacting with people - and on this occasion had a little chat with the guys working in the alcohol shop which was a godsend as somehow all supermarkets in the Registan area only seemed to sell light beers which were bordering on the undrinkable, while the alcohol shop at least had some normal lagers (Sarbast). The craft beer rage and microbreweries are still an alien concept to the country

Great you liked it fivevsone, thanks for reading! Plenty more to follow soon!