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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Oct 08, 2005 02:00 PM Samarkand - Uzbekistan - the glory and the reality...
Samarkand - former capital of Tamerlane - Timur is the pearl. For the traveller it is one of the "places to be" in Asia. There are monumental medresas (ancient islamic schools), mausoleums, mosques - all beautifully restored abd full of suvenir-sellers... The central Registan Place is just a classic example of the Oriental Architecture. You can spend full day wandering around... The distances are large so use frequent minibus taxi to move - they charge only 200 sum per ride (like US 15 cents). What they invented here is double - price system for locals and foreigners: Tourist from abroad pay 2300-2700 sum entry fee while locals - only 400-500... Single ticket looks not so expensive but if you want to visit 4-5 places... Try to look like the local and speak Russian like me... it works!...
Policemen from Registan will have offer for you - for 3000 you will be able to climb one of the minarets for the panoramic view (without any ticket of course...) ... I did not climb... 1000 I offered was not enough!
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Oct 07, 2005 02:00 PM Backpacker in Uzbekistan. You are the target!!
You probably think like me: if you are abroad the local police is to protect you and to help you... Hmmm... They took me from the crowd in the Buyuk Yolu subway station. "Vash passport!!!" Yes, I have one. Then they took me to the station police post. They searched my backpack and then asked to empty my pockets... Then money... Enough?... Nobody of them wished me enjoyable stay in Uzbekistan.... No sorries... If you will come here with a backpack better take a taxi - they cost only 1-3 USD per ride.
I finally take the subway to the last subway station: Rakhimov. Long distance minibuses and taxis are waiting there. I found the minibus which was almost full - we agreed the price - 4000 sum (1 USD=1150 sum) and after a quarter we departed to Samarkand...
The roads here are wide, asphalted, no holes but they are so bumpy that the travel is tiring enough. I was happy when after 4 hours fast driving we reached Samarkand - the legendary capital of Tamerlane... To get from the bus stop to the centre take microbus - direction Registan - it cost just 200 sum. In the centre there are few private bed and breakfast institutions - they charge 15-20 USD per room....
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Oct 06, 2005 02:00 PM Tashkent - the capital of Uzbekistan
It is the biggest city in Cantral Asia. Wide boulevards, a lot of squares with nice fountains, many nice public buildings. It is difficult to walk around all tourist attractions on foot. Take the efficient subway - it cost only 160 sum per token! Food is inexpensive here - basic "samsa" - fried bun with meat inside cost just 200 sum - for the dollar you can have 6 of them. 1 litre of coca cola cost 850 som - less the dollar.
I apply today for the visa to Turkmenistan. Their embassy is open only from 11 am till 1 pm. Can you imagine? I will wait for my transit visa one week! Awyway I pray for the positive decision - otherwise I'll be forced to take expensive flight from Tashkent to Baku!. Keep your fingers crossed, please!
Waiting for the visa I plan to visit famous Samarkand and Bukhara...
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Oct 05, 2005 02:00 PM Crossing the border to Uzbekistan...
Osh lies very close to the border crossing point. Frequet minibuses will take you for just 4 som. Formalities on the Kyrgystan side are very simple. On the Uzbekistan side is not
so straight: first you must count all your money, then fill two customs declarations. They will stamp them and you will take one with you... The surprise: on the Uzbekistan side there is no single exchage point (there were a lot of them in Kirgistan) so you cannot change your dollars - buy some UZ sums in Kirgistan to pay for the share taxi to the nearest bank in Andijan! It cost 1000 sum pp...
Share taxi from Andijan to Tashkent will cost you around 15000. It was much cheaper before but the prices rised because the shortage of the fuel. It ia hard to believe but I saw long lines at all petrol stations waiting for the petrol supply...
OK. Nex surprise: on the 400-km road from the border they checked 9 (nine) times my passport. In Adijan policeman kept my passport for 20 minutes waiting for his boss to come and to decide what to do with me... Picturesque mountains on the route. I reached Tashkent at evening... Welcome to the new country!
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Oct 04, 2005 02:00 PM Osh - on the Silk Road... I survived the bazar!
I stay in Osh - very old settlement - the hub on the ancient Silk Road. It was not easy to find accommodation in the evening - finally I got inexpensive single room in the recenly refurbished Alay Hotel - they charge 250 som (like 6 USD) for clean room with shared bath. Recommenden - they still apply same price to the foreingners as to locals.
In the morning I climbed the hill overlooking Osh - they call it Solomon's Throne. Locals came here because up there on the rock is the small mosque reconstructed on the place where Barbur - the founder of Great Moghuls dynasty once built his Chapel. It is also worth climbing for the view...
Osh - still located on the crossroads of the big trails - from China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan has large and interesting bazar. Today I survived this bazar... Why? There is infamous police station. They hunt for thr foreign tourists - ask for the passports, took them to the separete rooms at the station, search bags to the bottom, chack money and even put theis sticky hands into the tourist's pockets. There were such reports on the net... I met also Australian who recently passed such "procedure". Reason? Nobody knows... demand for money - maybe...
But the people at the bazar are nice - they like to be photographed. I bought kilo of ripe grapes for half a dollar!
Enjoy! But stay away from the police if you can!
Tomorrow I'll try to cross the border to Uzbekistan...
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Oct 03, 2005 02:00 PM Two passes over 3000 m in one day!...
To get from the capital city os Kyrgyzstan to Osh - second important city in country you must take the long road crossing mountain ranges, rivers and valleys... It takes full, tiring day... You have a choice of bus, minibus or share taxi. The last alternative gives you a chance not to travel at night time. From Osh Bazar in Bishkek in the morning I departed by car with two friendly Uzbeks and Russian girl. The fare to Osh was 1000 som pp. - like 25 USD for 11 hours of drive - real bargain! Now I can say that is was one of the most picturesque mountain routes I passed in my life - there were two snowy passes over 3000 m each and then descent via picturesque Naryn River Canyon. Just fantastic! First part of the road is brand new, but the descent is horrible - more then 100 km on the durty gravel road. Hope that they will improve it in 1-2 years. Anyway - it is recommended! Go Kyrgyzstan!
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Oct 02, 2005 02:00 PM Bishkek - the capital of Kyrgystan
For the backbackers here is nice and inexpensive place to stay: hotel of the Academy of Management on Panfilov St. They charge just 450 som for the twin room with hot shower... Ask for the inexpensive (dyeshovyj) room as the offer also luxury... It is close to the shop (round bread cost 8 som) and fruit stalls (20 som fer kilo of apples, 10 for tomatoes)
Bishkek - former Frunze has a lot of green and wide, post-soviet boulevards. On the main streets you will find fancy shops of well-known world companies, but they are not for the normal citizens of this country who earn monthly less then 100 USD. The situation after the overthrown of president is far from stability. I just want to have the shower, make the laundry and go west - to Osh tomorrow. Then I will be already close to the border of Uzbekistan...
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Oct 01, 2005 02:00 PM Second biggest mountain lake...
Yes, I was sailing the Titicaca Lake. But few people know that second after Titicaca is Issyk-Kul Lake in Kyrgystan. It is 170 km long and more then 60 km wide with the deep up to 690 m!To enjoy the beauty of the lake - surrounded from both sides by snow-capped mountains go to the village of Kadji-say on the southern shore. I spend there a night in the primitive house of the local people (no running water and pit toilet in the garden only). But they were nice and it cost only 100 som (2.50 USD).
In the village there is a man who can show you his eagle used for eagle hunting. The hunt itself cost more then 10000 som but it is also worth just see the eagle (birkut) in his garden...
In the afternoon I spent 6 hours (140 som) in the bus going to the capital city of Bishkek. Thy guy on the seat next to me was drunk - laying on me all the way. Nobody of locals react. No chance for change of the seat - the bus was crowded. Finally I stand up... Somebody of you asked me: is there really Wild East? Yes, here it is!
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Sep 30, 2005 02:00 PM Seven Bulls and the Broken Heart
25 km east of Karakol there is little village of Jeti Oghuz. It is famous for the scenery. Even the presidents of the states are coming here to enjoy the views of unusual red rock formations. In the middle of the day from Karakol bus station minibus (called here "marshrutka") will take you there for half a dollar. Ask for "Jeti Oghuz Kurort" - there are other cars going only to the village.
I left my backpack for free in the shop and walked uphill to enjoy the scenery. There are 7 big rock formations forming the line - "seven bulls". If you will go down and try to see the last two rock from the opposite side you will see like the heart broken into two parts - so it is!...
But how to get of the place? Almost every car in this country work like a unoffical taxi. They will stop. But this is not hitchhiking - they expect money! Ask before local people for the rate and pay - some drivers want to charge from foreigners more!...
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Sep 29, 2005 02:00 PM The peaks and the rivers of Kyrgystan
It was white around when I get of the hut at 7 am. Frosty, but blue sky and sun on the top of the Peak Palatka - tent-like peak closing the valley. I was sneezing and caughing but after the big cup of hot tea I took a walk uphill on the melting snow for better pictures and wider panoramas. It was worth...
In the afternoon I decided to take my 18-kg backpack and go down the valley along the roaring river. Passing small waterfalls and enjoying scenery. On my 4-hours way down I did not meet any other tourist - this is Kirgystan... Sorry - due the low temperatures I got a cold. Hope to be better tomorrow...
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