After a few weeks of moving rather fast across Kyrgyzstan and Kazachstan, we decided to take it a bit easier in Uzbekistan, also because we had to wait for the Turkmen transit visa anyway.
Tashkent is quite a nice place, although there aren't really any "sights" that are absolutely necessary to see: there are some medrasses and mosques, the obligatory Soviet-era concrete showcase buildings and giant empty squares and parks, but none of that makes Tashkent very impressive.
It is however a quite easy-going place, which feels safe (at least during the day) and it just is a good place to learn a bit how the Uzbeks go out and about doing their business. And the metro is a wonderful place!
Samarkand is quite something else: it is probably the most touristy place we've come across (except perhaps Xi'An in China), but with the Registan and the Shah-i-Zinda it does contain some of the most moving sights of Central-Asia and definitely is a "must-see" for anyone with even the slightest interest in historical sites.
We stayed for about a week in Samarkand, taking in the monuments at a very relaxed pace and just lingering about in the town. We stayed at a good-value backpacker hangout bed and breakfast (Bahodir B&B), met some nice people and just relaxed and worked on our laziness skills.
Floris finally had his beard tidied up just opposite the Registan: relaxing, fun and cheap!
From Samarkand, we took a night train to Nukus in the far West. The train was cheap but otherwise not a huge success: travelling through the desert with a window that didn't close properly made it a sandy and cold ride. In Nukus, we saw the impressive art museum (see later post) before moving on to Khiva.
Khiva was well worth seeing because of its definite charm, history and moving architectural sights. It was however a bit empty: the old town is reserved exclusively for tourism with tour groups roaming the streets and shopkeepers trying to sell them their souvenirs.
Then, another haul through the endless Kyzylkum desert to Bukhara, where we stayed overnight just to take the train to Tashkent the following morning, to pick up our Turkmen visa. We just had a short stroll around Bukhara, but we're going back there later this week to see the town properly, before crossing into our last "-stan".
It is however a quite easy-going place, which feels safe (at least during the day) and it just is a good place to learn a bit how the Uzbeks go out and about doing their business. And the metro is a wonderful place!
Samarkand is quite something else: it is probably the most touristy place we've come across (except perhaps Xi'An in China), but with the Registan and the Shah-i-Zinda it does contain some of the most moving sights of Central-Asia and definitely is a "must-see" for anyone with even the slightest interest in historical sites.
We stayed for about a week in Samarkand, taking in the monuments at a very relaxed pace and just lingering about in the town. We stayed at a good-value backpacker hangout bed and breakfast (Bahodir B&B), met some nice people and just relaxed and worked on our laziness skills.
Floris finally had his beard tidied up just opposite the Registan: relaxing, fun and cheap!
From Samarkand, we took a night train to Nukus in the far West. The train was cheap but otherwise not a huge success: travelling through the desert with a window that didn't close properly made it a sandy and cold ride. In Nukus, we saw the impressive art museum (see later post) before moving on to Khiva.
Khiva was well worth seeing because of its definite charm, history and moving architectural sights. It was however a bit empty: the old town is reserved exclusively for tourism with tour groups roaming the streets and shopkeepers trying to sell them their souvenirs.
Then, another haul through the endless Kyzylkum desert to Bukhara, where we stayed overnight just to take the train to Tashkent the following morning, to pick up our Turkmen visa. We just had a short stroll around Bukhara, but we're going back there later this week to see the town properly, before crossing into our last "-stan".
No comments:
Post a Comment