when I said I will go to Uzbekistan, here what I was told:
* Where is is?
– Central Asia
* Why do I want to go there?
– I said: wait for the photos
* Don’t go there, it is not safe
– it is much safer than US or France, without a doubt!!!
It was amazing trip, cheap destination, very nice people, amazing architecture… a country to visit, definitely!!!
Even if it was late September, it was still hot, 35C during the day…..
“The tour” I booked was great, saw a lot of things, but it was too much, no time to rest. 2 weeks on the road, packed with a lot of sites to visit, was too much. Breakfast, is not a Uzbek speciality…. In general food was good, but always the same menus, doesn’t matter which or where the restaurant was….
The Aral Sea, or, what’s left…
* It takes 5 hr by 4X4 vehicle to reach the water, what’s left…. It is 4 hr driving in the desert, (see photos) so flat, with nothing around, except, from time to time, a gas field… But, even if the road was bumpy, it was a nice drive until we reached the yurt camp.
A yurt camp, in the middle of the desert, with the best breakfast I ever had in Uzbekistan. Amazing
So, so, so sad!!!!
How human activities can dry out a complete sea… I will let you go to Google to learn more about what happened…. To see those rusty boats, sitting on what was the bottom of the sea before…. It really got me in my guts…
Khiva
I can recommend Caravan Sarai Hotel. The location, the room, the service…. were very good
No real complain about Khiva….
Bukhara
Saw a nice dance show (see photo) from different origins (country / occasion / time in the past…)
I can recommend the Emir hotel, for the location, the room, the service..
I don’t know why, I did not “get the vib”….. in this country.
Samarkand
WHAOOOOO!! I saw photos on internet, but, in reality, it is even more impressive!!!
Samarkand was in the middle of the silk road. 6000km from China, 6000km from Europe. So, 2000 years ago, Samarkand was the “silk road warehouse/distribution center”, and was very, very rich. All the buildings were destroyed (multiple times) due to multiples wars, earthquakes…. but always restored. Really so beautiful!
It was hot, still……
Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital
A visit at the Grand Bazaar is a must. So much meat/cereals/vegetables/food on display, and all under 1 roof.
Another must stop is Besh Qozon where they make (in a big scale, see photo) the Plov, the tradition Uzbek dish. A mix of meat, rice and vegetable. Had this dish almost every day…. At the same time, look how they make bread, very interesting…..
Did not spend enought time in Tashkent….
One of Uzbekistan Cemetery city
2000+ years old, with more than 40 000 graves (and counting) with all kinds of people, famous ones, such as Kings, Princesses, rich politicians…. are all here with very unknown poor people …. all of them, all together in the “city cemetery….
Almost all the graves’ haves a wood sledge, see last photo, it was the sledge used to bring the body to the grave and left here…. as a souvenir….
If you don’t have aguide with you, you will miss the most famous graves…