Week 2
Into Uzbekistan and the Silk Road cities
Conclusion of Day 6
Our impression of the Toktogul area was not improved by our evening meal, up the road from the hotel, lake fish, a few chips and beer in what could have been a lovely setting overlooking the lake combined with ablution facilities from the middle ages. However back at the hotel we sat and watched a spectacular sunset that lasted for about an hour and a half and improved our mood.
Day 7 South into the Fergana Valley
Another day of driving on some indifferent roads with plenty of traffic especially the nearer we got to the south-eastern sector of Kyrgyzstan. The morning was spent negotiating winding roads around a giant hydroelectric power station and storage lake and then down into the Fergana Valley. This valley has been a giant food bowl for thousands of years, sitting between two huge mountain ranges and it provided the Silk Rd travellers with sustenance and meant civilisations developed all along it for 250 kms.
We lunched in a fantastic restaurant in Jalalabad, on laghman (noodles with beef in a sauce) and some great lamb kebabs. The Islamic influence was readily apparent, women in headscarves, men wearing scull caps and the frequent call to prayer. Much of northern Kyrgyzstan has a strong Russian influence whereas down here in the south it is more central Asia.
On to Uzgen, a town in the hills above Jalalabad where a large 11th Century minaret and three mausoleums were quickly visited and photographed. The heat was intense, so a search for ice creams was instigated successfully.
We headed to Osh, the second city of Kyrgyzstan which was well-known as far back as the 8th Century for its silk production. It was on the main route to China via Kashgar and was very important to Silk Road travellers. Our hotel was in the central business district and pretty organised. We hadn't done any laundry since arriving in the country, our 3kg load cost all of $A15.00! Dinner was in an Italian restaurant, only 6 of us went so it was more intimate and we were able to have a better conversation.
Day 8 Osh
It was hot by the time we began our day, away from the mountains now most days are always at least mid30'sC. The highlight was to be a visit to Sulaiman-Too mountain or Solomon's Throne, a series of steep hills within Osh city visited by Islamic pilgrims for centuries.
Into the city the next few hours were spent at Osh markets, a long rambling 9km long series of covered walkways with the occasional road and car thrown in. We wandered back & forth, checking out the tshirts, exotic blazers, metalworking, spices, fruit & some,lovely tasty snacks.
In the evening as is tradition with Intrepid tours we all went out for a farewell dinner. It was a local Kyrgyz restaurant, lots of salads, plenty of beer and a time to say many thanks to Liza & Ivan who have been such great support to us all.
Kyrgyzstan had turned out to be much more than we had ever expected, a country struggling to live with richer powerful neighbours but fairly comfortable with an agricultural, nomad-style based economy and an amazing natural environment. With one in 6 citizens working overseas and remitting their salaries, without expanding tourism, it is difficult to see how else the country can expand its economy.
Day 9 Crossing into Uzbekistan
It's always exciting to move on to another country when travelling however we were sad to be leaving our guide Liza and driver Ivan who had been brilliant throughout our week in Kyrgyzstan.
Stories of border crossings from hell were bandied around our group by those who had come via China as we approached the border and so of course nothing of consequence occurred today; in 20 minutes we had passed through the immigration of both countries and walked the 200 metres of no mans land. There had been some fighting around this area after the breakup of the USSR as both countries were distrustful of the other despite strong ethnic similarities.
Our new guide Zafar met us and proceeded to endear himself to us with his sense of humour and loquacious manner. Our bus was huge so we spread out and enjoyed the journey into the city of Andijon. We had about 4 hours before our train left for Tashkent so we wandered the markets, had lunch in a large foodhall and generally got to know Zafar and something of Uzbekistan. Everyone was incredibly friendly, it was much easier to converse in English than in Kyrgyz, we seemed to be constantly asked were we Americans or Ruskies?
The train journey was fantastic, after the long, windy road trips in Kyrgyzstan it was such a pleasure to sit back and enjoy the steady roll of the rails and watch the countryside drift past. We were in a VIP carriage in our own compartments so good conversation amongst the group was easy. The scenery was pretty flat for the first 2 hours in the Fergana Valley, fairly intensive agriculture of wheat, rice, potatoes and other vegetables and a lot of what were collective farms. Zafar is part time farmer and he explained that the state still owned most of the land and rented it out for however long farmers wanted it, something which assisted crop rotation. Water is not an issue, the valley is surrounded on all sides by mountains although snow melt has reduced markedly in the last few years.
We headed into the mountains, northwards and passed some large mining operations. Coal, gold, silver, uranium, lead, zinc and petroleum are exported in huge quantities and the country has recently gone through an economic boom as the government has loosened the rules for imports and finance.
By mid-evening we were in Tashkent, the capital and largest city in the country. Driving to our 16 storey hotel in another huge bus, we were struck by the city's sheer size and how modern it felt. The Hotel Uzbekistan is right in the middle of the city and was built in Soviet times. It's faded opulence had some appeal until we realised our rooms were a deficient in certain aspects like no aircon control and no kettle (which for Sally is sacrilegious).
Day 10 Touring Tashkent
Breakfast in the Hotel Uzbekistan is in the ballroom, chandeliers & dance floor and the scene of epic wedding feasts we were told. Our friendly Uzbek bus driver Ramzan was waiting to take us across the city to wander around with Zafar. As Tashkent was virtually flattened by an earthquake in 1966 there are few older buildings left, so it is either Soviet apartment blocks or modern Uzbek concrete edifices. Wide boulevards, plenty of trees, locally-made Chrysler cars everywhere (even what to us look like Holden Commodores) and an almost western European feel.
Except around the markets and the madrassas. They are large purpose built market buildings in the round with distinct areas for fruit and vegetable sellers, spice traders, butchers, bakers and there were lots of smiling happy faces, most willing to be photographed and bartered with. We were offered packets of saffron at a price, which were normally kept under lock and key! We saw one of the oldest Korans in existence written on animal hide in 900AD at the Koran Museum and we looked around the giant Khast Imon Islamic complex where many students were preparing for university and institute entrance exams in August.
After lunch, it was off to the Natural History Museum for an hour or so. By now the heat and travel had caught up with Sally who rested near the childcare area while we were assailed by Zafar's knowledgeable commentary. Uzbekistan has been settled for tens of thousands of years and artefacts are displayed detailing life here from the stone age through to Persians, Alexander the Great, Arab traders and thus Islam, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and his descendants, Tsarist Russia and the great Soviet Socialist Republic. The modern Uzbekistan Republic has taken advantage of it's vast natural resources including gas and coal, they grow huge quantities of cotton for export and interestingly within the political sphere have legislated that the Ecological Party must have 10% of all seats in the Parliament.
Tony rode off with the farmers on the Tashkent metro. It was a voyage of discovery, we stopped at about 6 stations, took a few photos and ended up in the outer suburbs before returning to Amir Temur station beside the hotel. The stations have individual decor, ranging from chandeliers in one (a la Joanna Lumley) and Cosmonauts in another.
For dinner we all walked down through a large park to an area where lots of local kids and families gathered to play street games, listen to music and have fun. In the west it probably wouldn't be as unpoliced and free and easy, however we didn't ever feel unsafe. Alcohol is available -beer and some good local wines and of course vodka! - but many people don't drink and it doesn't play the problem role on the street that it does sometimes at home.
Day 11 Bullet train to Samarkand
Our earliest start of the trip so far and we were at the modern Koxval (railway station) of Tashkent at 7.10 ready for our 8am departure. Another modern railway, averaging over 150kph and getting up to 220kph, this bullet train took only just over 2 hours to travel the 283kms journey through the Fergana Valley. It was like business class on a plane, leg room, great view, free tea, coffee & snacks and very comfortable.
Samarkand is a very hot, dry and bustling trading city of about half a million people and it was a major part of the old Silk Road. We were packed onto a huge luxurious bus - all 11 of us - which will be our transport for the next 5 days until we return to Tashkent. For the next few hours we wandered around Registan Square which was the heart of Timur's Samarkand and into the three huge madrassas. These were all rebuilt by the Soviets in varying degree of success.
We lunched in a pleasant local restaurant beside a fountain with a nice breeze to cool us. Then it off to see our hotel in the Russian quarter and rest out of the heat for a while. On a stroll in the late afternoon we happened upon a Russian Orthodox Church where the priest was chanting the service and two ladies up in the choir loft were singing in answer to him. It was brightly decorated with large colourful icons and religious paintings.
For dinner we simply walked next door and had a quiet cheap meal of lamb chops and chicken kebabs before returning and surfing the hundreds of satellite tv channels; Iranian, Algerian, French, Uzbek, Chinese, Russian but little English.
Day 12 Around Samarkand's treasures
Hotel Ahbri has been the best of our trip so far. Helpful staff with a non-stop flow of hot water for tea-making, brilliant shower and wifi, good bed and almost a boutique feel and it has all we need. Zafar had us out into our luxury bus early and with a full days itinerary it was just as well. Although Zafar's commentary can become far too over-zealous at times he has a very caring attitude towards all of us and his concern for our well-being today was appreciated by all.
We drove through the back streets of Samarkand to Guri-Amir mausoleum where the famous Tamerlane or Timur was buried. He founded the Timurid Empire in the 14thC in this region and it extended to Delhi in India, Istanbul in Turkey & Persia and lasted for 200 years. This memorial was the model for his descendants who built the Taj Mahal and ruled northern India as the Mughal dynasty. His mausoleum like many others in Samarkand has been renovated extensively, first by the Tsarist then the Soviet Russians and latterly by Unesco.
On our return journey to the bus an enjoyable bargaining session resulted in a new hat . The proprietors are somewhat difficult to budge in price, they have enough customers I think. A short drive later we arrived at Shakh-l-Zinda, an ensemble of mausoleums directly beside a large Jewish cemetery reflecting the religious tolerance of past centuries. We had plenty of time to wander around the various mausoleums and wonder at the beauty & magnificence of the mosaic. There were many local & overseas visitors here as befits Samarkand's reputation of historical importance.
A visit to a paper-making workshop was very interesting as we had learnt from Zafar the importance of mulberry tree papermaking to the construction of the inner walls of the mausoleums. The century's old techniques have been resurrected, using waterwheels and tree trunks set up to rotate as grinding batteries.
Timur's grandson Ulug Beg was a brilliant astronomer who developed a comprehensive map of outer space in the 15thC and was much admired in Europe. We visited his observatory and saw first-hand his amazing achievements including a 90 degree sextant built into the hill top. unfortunately religious zealotry meant he came to a bad ending, guillotined!
On the edge of the city was the archaeological remains of ancient Samarkand, dating back to the 10thC when traders began trekking across Middle Asia from China to Europe. Most of us were monumentally over-touristed by now so we relaxed on the luxury bus.
The oldies, three over 60's couples decided to dine together at a local venue set up for weddings. Because they were so busy with a big event outside, the service to our table was slower than normal which meant more beer and wine. The urinal humour was particularly good.
Day 13 Across the Qarshi to Bukhara
An epic day's drive from one historic city via another to arrive in a third, travelling across 500 kms of irrigated agricultural land, desert and the Mubarak gasfield. Heading south from Samarkand in 2 hours we were in Shahrizabs, birthplace of Timur where we visited a number of sites and had lunch during our stop.
It was the hottest day so far, about 41-42C and it was blasting off the paving too. Trees have been planted but are still small. Here and in Tashkent, large heritage areas have been pedestrianised and you can either walk or catch small electric buses from place to place across the sites - great idea.
The summer palace or Ak Saray must have been an impressive sight when built in 1380 by artisans imported from far western Uzbekistan near the Aral Sea. Unfortunately now it has collapsed to half it's original size, due to erosion of the brickwork and from fighting between Tsarist and Communist fighters in the early 20thC. Timur's eldest and much loved son Jehangir has a tomb Dorus-Saodat (Seat of Power & Might) and an 8thC mosque that we visited.
After lunching we were back on the bus for the rest of our journey across miles and miles of cotton and wheat fields. This area was opened up by the Tsarists during the American Civil War when they couldn't get their cotton supplies from the southern states. Forcefully clearing the land and digging huge irrigation ditches they effectively started the drying of the Aral Sea, an epic environmental disaster. Cotton requires extreme heat and plenty of water, Uzbekistan supplies 5% of the world's cotton and it accounts for 15% of the country's exports.
We finally arrived in Bukhara at 6pm where we are staying in an old Jewish merchants residence converted to a small hotel. Much of it is over 200 years old - lots of character and comfortable beds and aircon but alas no kettle!
Into Uzbekistan and the Silk Road cities
Conclusion of Day 6
Our impression of the Toktogul area was not improved by our evening meal, up the road from the hotel, lake fish, a few chips and beer in what could have been a lovely setting overlooking the lake combined with ablution facilities from the middle ages. However back at the hotel we sat and watched a spectacular sunset that lasted for about an hour and a half and improved our mood.
Day 7 South into the Fergana Valley
Another day of driving on some indifferent roads with plenty of traffic especially the nearer we got to the south-eastern sector of Kyrgyzstan. The morning was spent negotiating winding roads around a giant hydroelectric power station and storage lake and then down into the Fergana Valley. This valley has been a giant food bowl for thousands of years, sitting between two huge mountain ranges and it provided the Silk Rd travellers with sustenance and meant civilisations developed all along it for 250 kms.
We lunched in a fantastic restaurant in Jalalabad, on laghman (noodles with beef in a sauce) and some great lamb kebabs. The Islamic influence was readily apparent, women in headscarves, men wearing scull caps and the frequent call to prayer. Much of northern Kyrgyzstan has a strong Russian influence whereas down here in the south it is more central Asia.
On to Uzgen, a town in the hills above Jalalabad where a large 11th Century minaret and three mausoleums were quickly visited and photographed. The heat was intense, so a search for ice creams was instigated successfully.
We headed to Osh, the second city of Kyrgyzstan which was well-known as far back as the 8th Century for its silk production. It was on the main route to China via Kashgar and was very important to Silk Road travellers. Our hotel was in the central business district and pretty organised. We hadn't done any laundry since arriving in the country, our 3kg load cost all of $A15.00! Dinner was in an Italian restaurant, only 6 of us went so it was more intimate and we were able to have a better conversation.
Day 8 Osh
It was hot by the time we began our day, away from the mountains now most days are always at least mid30'sC. The highlight was to be a visit to Sulaiman-Too mountain or Solomon's Throne, a series of steep hills within Osh city visited by Islamic pilgrims for centuries.
Into the city the next few hours were spent at Osh markets, a long rambling 9km long series of covered walkways with the occasional road and car thrown in. We wandered back & forth, checking out the tshirts, exotic blazers, metalworking, spices, fruit & some,lovely tasty snacks.
In the evening as is tradition with Intrepid tours we all went out for a farewell dinner. It was a local Kyrgyz restaurant, lots of salads, plenty of beer and a time to say many thanks to Liza & Ivan who have been such great support to us all.
Kyrgyzstan had turned out to be much more than we had ever expected, a country struggling to live with richer powerful neighbours but fairly comfortable with an agricultural, nomad-style based economy and an amazing natural environment. With one in 6 citizens working overseas and remitting their salaries, without expanding tourism, it is difficult to see how else the country can expand its economy.
Day 9 Crossing into Uzbekistan
It's always exciting to move on to another country when travelling however we were sad to be leaving our guide Liza and driver Ivan who had been brilliant throughout our week in Kyrgyzstan.
Stories of border crossings from hell were bandied around our group by those who had come via China as we approached the border and so of course nothing of consequence occurred today; in 20 minutes we had passed through the immigration of both countries and walked the 200 metres of no mans land. There had been some fighting around this area after the breakup of the USSR as both countries were distrustful of the other despite strong ethnic similarities.
Our new guide Zafar met us and proceeded to endear himself to us with his sense of humour and loquacious manner. Our bus was huge so we spread out and enjoyed the journey into the city of Andijon. We had about 4 hours before our train left for Tashkent so we wandered the markets, had lunch in a large foodhall and generally got to know Zafar and something of Uzbekistan. Everyone was incredibly friendly, it was much easier to converse in English than in Kyrgyz, we seemed to be constantly asked were we Americans or Ruskies?
The train journey was fantastic, after the long, windy road trips in Kyrgyzstan it was such a pleasure to sit back and enjoy the steady roll of the rails and watch the countryside drift past. We were in a VIP carriage in our own compartments so good conversation amongst the group was easy. The scenery was pretty flat for the first 2 hours in the Fergana Valley, fairly intensive agriculture of wheat, rice, potatoes and other vegetables and a lot of what were collective farms. Zafar is part time farmer and he explained that the state still owned most of the land and rented it out for however long farmers wanted it, something which assisted crop rotation. Water is not an issue, the valley is surrounded on all sides by mountains although snow melt has reduced markedly in the last few years.
We headed into the mountains, northwards and passed some large mining operations. Coal, gold, silver, uranium, lead, zinc and petroleum are exported in huge quantities and the country has recently gone through an economic boom as the government has loosened the rules for imports and finance.
By mid-evening we were in Tashkent, the capital and largest city in the country. Driving to our 16 storey hotel in another huge bus, we were struck by the city's sheer size and how modern it felt. The Hotel Uzbekistan is right in the middle of the city and was built in Soviet times. It's faded opulence had some appeal until we realised our rooms were a deficient in certain aspects like no aircon control and no kettle (which for Sally is sacrilegious).
Day 10 Touring Tashkent
Breakfast in the Hotel Uzbekistan is in the ballroom, chandeliers & dance floor and the scene of epic wedding feasts we were told. Our friendly Uzbek bus driver Ramzan was waiting to take us across the city to wander around with Zafar. As Tashkent was virtually flattened by an earthquake in 1966 there are few older buildings left, so it is either Soviet apartment blocks or modern Uzbek concrete edifices. Wide boulevards, plenty of trees, locally-made Chrysler cars everywhere (even what to us look like Holden Commodores) and an almost western European feel.
Except around the markets and the madrassas. They are large purpose built market buildings in the round with distinct areas for fruit and vegetable sellers, spice traders, butchers, bakers and there were lots of smiling happy faces, most willing to be photographed and bartered with. We were offered packets of saffron at a price, which were normally kept under lock and key! We saw one of the oldest Korans in existence written on animal hide in 900AD at the Koran Museum and we looked around the giant Khast Imon Islamic complex where many students were preparing for university and institute entrance exams in August.
After lunch, it was off to the Natural History Museum for an hour or so. By now the heat and travel had caught up with Sally who rested near the childcare area while we were assailed by Zafar's knowledgeable commentary. Uzbekistan has been settled for tens of thousands of years and artefacts are displayed detailing life here from the stone age through to Persians, Alexander the Great, Arab traders and thus Islam, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and his descendants, Tsarist Russia and the great Soviet Socialist Republic. The modern Uzbekistan Republic has taken advantage of it's vast natural resources including gas and coal, they grow huge quantities of cotton for export and interestingly within the political sphere have legislated that the Ecological Party must have 10% of all seats in the Parliament.
Tony rode off with the farmers on the Tashkent metro. It was a voyage of discovery, we stopped at about 6 stations, took a few photos and ended up in the outer suburbs before returning to Amir Temur station beside the hotel. The stations have individual decor, ranging from chandeliers in one (a la Joanna Lumley) and Cosmonauts in another.
For dinner we all walked down through a large park to an area where lots of local kids and families gathered to play street games, listen to music and have fun. In the west it probably wouldn't be as unpoliced and free and easy, however we didn't ever feel unsafe. Alcohol is available -beer and some good local wines and of course vodka! - but many people don't drink and it doesn't play the problem role on the street that it does sometimes at home.
Day 11 Bullet train to Samarkand
Our earliest start of the trip so far and we were at the modern Koxval (railway station) of Tashkent at 7.10 ready for our 8am departure. Another modern railway, averaging over 150kph and getting up to 220kph, this bullet train took only just over 2 hours to travel the 283kms journey through the Fergana Valley. It was like business class on a plane, leg room, great view, free tea, coffee & snacks and very comfortable.
Samarkand is a very hot, dry and bustling trading city of about half a million people and it was a major part of the old Silk Road. We were packed onto a huge luxurious bus - all 11 of us - which will be our transport for the next 5 days until we return to Tashkent. For the next few hours we wandered around Registan Square which was the heart of Timur's Samarkand and into the three huge madrassas. These were all rebuilt by the Soviets in varying degree of success.
We lunched in a pleasant local restaurant beside a fountain with a nice breeze to cool us. Then it off to see our hotel in the Russian quarter and rest out of the heat for a while. On a stroll in the late afternoon we happened upon a Russian Orthodox Church where the priest was chanting the service and two ladies up in the choir loft were singing in answer to him. It was brightly decorated with large colourful icons and religious paintings.
For dinner we simply walked next door and had a quiet cheap meal of lamb chops and chicken kebabs before returning and surfing the hundreds of satellite tv channels; Iranian, Algerian, French, Uzbek, Chinese, Russian but little English.
Day 12 Around Samarkand's treasures
Hotel Ahbri has been the best of our trip so far. Helpful staff with a non-stop flow of hot water for tea-making, brilliant shower and wifi, good bed and almost a boutique feel and it has all we need. Zafar had us out into our luxury bus early and with a full days itinerary it was just as well. Although Zafar's commentary can become far too over-zealous at times he has a very caring attitude towards all of us and his concern for our well-being today was appreciated by all.
We drove through the back streets of Samarkand to Guri-Amir mausoleum where the famous Tamerlane or Timur was buried. He founded the Timurid Empire in the 14thC in this region and it extended to Delhi in India, Istanbul in Turkey & Persia and lasted for 200 years. This memorial was the model for his descendants who built the Taj Mahal and ruled northern India as the Mughal dynasty. His mausoleum like many others in Samarkand has been renovated extensively, first by the Tsarist then the Soviet Russians and latterly by Unesco.
On our return journey to the bus an enjoyable bargaining session resulted in a new hat . The proprietors are somewhat difficult to budge in price, they have enough customers I think. A short drive later we arrived at Shakh-l-Zinda, an ensemble of mausoleums directly beside a large Jewish cemetery reflecting the religious tolerance of past centuries. We had plenty of time to wander around the various mausoleums and wonder at the beauty & magnificence of the mosaic. There were many local & overseas visitors here as befits Samarkand's reputation of historical importance.
A visit to a paper-making workshop was very interesting as we had learnt from Zafar the importance of mulberry tree papermaking to the construction of the inner walls of the mausoleums. The century's old techniques have been resurrected, using waterwheels and tree trunks set up to rotate as grinding batteries.
Timur's grandson Ulug Beg was a brilliant astronomer who developed a comprehensive map of outer space in the 15thC and was much admired in Europe. We visited his observatory and saw first-hand his amazing achievements including a 90 degree sextant built into the hill top. unfortunately religious zealotry meant he came to a bad ending, guillotined!
On the edge of the city was the archaeological remains of ancient Samarkand, dating back to the 10thC when traders began trekking across Middle Asia from China to Europe. Most of us were monumentally over-touristed by now so we relaxed on the luxury bus.
The oldies, three over 60's couples decided to dine together at a local venue set up for weddings. Because they were so busy with a big event outside, the service to our table was slower than normal which meant more beer and wine. The urinal humour was particularly good.
Day 13 Across the Qarshi to Bukhara
An epic day's drive from one historic city via another to arrive in a third, travelling across 500 kms of irrigated agricultural land, desert and the Mubarak gasfield. Heading south from Samarkand in 2 hours we were in Shahrizabs, birthplace of Timur where we visited a number of sites and had lunch during our stop.
It was the hottest day so far, about 41-42C and it was blasting off the paving too. Trees have been planted but are still small. Here and in Tashkent, large heritage areas have been pedestrianised and you can either walk or catch small electric buses from place to place across the sites - great idea.
The summer palace or Ak Saray must have been an impressive sight when built in 1380 by artisans imported from far western Uzbekistan near the Aral Sea. Unfortunately now it has collapsed to half it's original size, due to erosion of the brickwork and from fighting between Tsarist and Communist fighters in the early 20thC. Timur's eldest and much loved son Jehangir has a tomb Dorus-Saodat (Seat of Power & Might) and an 8thC mosque that we visited.
After lunching we were back on the bus for the rest of our journey across miles and miles of cotton and wheat fields. This area was opened up by the Tsarists during the American Civil War when they couldn't get their cotton supplies from the southern states. Forcefully clearing the land and digging huge irrigation ditches they effectively started the drying of the Aral Sea, an epic environmental disaster. Cotton requires extreme heat and plenty of water, Uzbekistan supplies 5% of the world's cotton and it accounts for 15% of the country's exports.
We finally arrived in Bukhara at 6pm where we are staying in an old Jewish merchants residence converted to a small hotel. Much of it is over 200 years old - lots of character and comfortable beds and aircon but alas no kettle!
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