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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 14, 2005 02:00 PM Turkmenistan - pay in dollars!
My first night in Turkmenistan I spent in Turkmenabat. It was not easy to find the Amu Daria Hotel close to the station. Why? They do not use already Russian Script and I do not know Turkmen language. You see the building, sometheing is written on it but you do not know what... I asked elderly people - they know Russian. I found the hotel... Yes -we have the room, but foreigners must pay in dollars! It will be 20 USD! Sorry, too much... But there is other, cheaper hotel: Gunesh - they charge only 6 USD. I found Gunesh Hotel. Run-down, but OK for one night... Then I took a walk to see the first gold-painted monument of Turkmenbashi...
Today I took a share taxi to Mary - provincial town closest to the ancient Marv. It cost 50000 manat per seat. I found empty Sanjar Hotel close to the station - and I was not surprised when they asked for 15 USD. In the afternoon I found taxi driver who took me to the ancient Merv - once important town on the Silk Road, destroyed completly by Jengis Khan... They charge 22000 manat per entry plus for cameras... In comparison to the other hubs of the Silk Road there is not much to see, but still worth a visit...
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Oct 13, 2005 02:00 PM Turkmenistan - 80 l of petrol for just 1 USD...
(posted from Baku)
I got Turkmenistan transit visa in Tashkent. Valid for 5 days only. You must declare in advance the dates of entry and exit... It cost me 31 USD in cash. From the embasy I went to the Tashkent train station and jump on the night train to Bukhara (sleeper cost 10000). We arrived to Bukhara at 8 am.
From Bolshoy Rynok I took share taxi with Turkmen ladies to the border point - it cost only 3000 sum per seat...
Desert. From lonely Uzbekistan Check point dirty bus will take you to the terminal for the clearance (2km - 250 sum). They will search your luggage and pockets... Then you can walk to Turkmenistan... Just 1 km. At the road barrier the soldiers stopped me It was like 12.05 pm... Strong sun. Dust and wind. "The officials are out for lunch. They will be back around 2pm" - they say in poor Russian. I was waiting 2 hours. Then they ask to pay 10 USD for entry card and 1000 manat commission. -But I have not your money! They changed my dollars without any receipt... 22000 manats per USD. Free market rate is 24-25000 (I recognized that later). They have good profit! So do not change much... Don't take a taxi (they can charge 10 times more then from locals) - just walk... A car will stop soon and take you to the first village: Farab for 10000 or less. You are in very strange country: for the equivalent of 1 USD you can buy 80 l of petrol !!!
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Oct 12, 2005 02:00 PM Uzbekistan - waiting for Turkmen visa...
Domestic flights in Uzbekistan are inexpensive, it is easy to get the ticket and they have the same tariff for locals and foreigners... The flight from Urgench (close to Khiva) to Tashkent cost me like 40 USD... - I saved like 20 hours on the bumpy roads...
I am waiting till 5 pm for my Turkmen visa... Little nervous...
If I'll get it today I plan to take night train to the border and to cross it tomorrow. Turkmenistan does not like strangers... The country leader is... hmmm....
People say theat there is limited access to the internet so I so not know when I'll be able to post next message. Just keeep your finger crossed, please!
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Oct 11, 2005 02:00 PM Via the Kizyl-Kum Desert...
It is more then 500 km from Bukhara to Khiva - former capital of the cruel Khanate of Khiva... Ask around for the other travellers to share the taxi since the transport in this direction is limited and you can wait hours and hours Karvon Bazar stand waiting for departure... They charge like 12 000 sum per seat in the minibus. There are public buses - junk ones - I saw two of them broken on the roadside... Share taxi - Daewoo Nexia (Uzbekistan is the Daewoo kingdom) cost like 70 USD per car to Khiva.
The road is rather narrow and will take you through Kizyl-Kum Desert - monotonous landscape... After 5,5 hours you will reach Khiva. They have few B&B institiutions within the old town - I stayed at new Islambek - after season they charge 12000 per single with bath and breakfast...
I spent afternoon visiting attractions of the old town - it is more compact then Samarkand or Bukhara - all walled around. In the western gate they sell entry tickets: 7000 sum for all places plus 2500 for still camera plus 3500 for video.... But do not worry... there are other gates and gaps to get into and nobody control the tickets on the streets. Enjou the beauty of the old architecture, take pictures smile to the people... Entering the palace pay just 500 sum to the caretaker...
The best light fot the pictures is in the late afternoon. The best panoramic view - from the roof terrace of friendly Arkanchi Hotel. Take also the walk around the old town after dark - empty streets and the moonlight will give you more...
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Oct 10, 2005 02:00 PM Mosques, medresas, palaces... watermelons in Bukhara...
You will need full day to visit at least main attractions of Bukhara - another lovely town on the historic Silk Road... The monuments here are not as large as in Samarkand but they are even more exciting... and suitable to visit by foot... There are famous carpet workshops to visit and the highest minaret in Central Asia - 47 - m high Kalon. To see today's life of Bukhara go to the Bolshoy Rynok - Great Bazaar... It is walking distance... They sell there huge 6-kg watermelons for just 1000 sum (less then 1 USD). People are nice, they accept photography and there is no police bothering you...
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Oct 09, 2005 02:00 PM Ramadan in Bukhara...
There is mistake in the Lonely Planet Guide: the share taxis from Samarkand to Bukhara go not from Ulugbek Observatory but from the rounbout called POVOROT. Take minibus 4 or 45 to go there... Then ask... They charge 7000 sum per seat to Bukhara but few cars go there. You will be probably forced to take the car to Navoi (4000) and then to Bukhara (3500). Taxi drivers are not gently - he asked me extra 1500 to take me to the pension in the center of the old town - it is better to write on the piece of paper where you are going and the price...
Fatima Hotel in old Bukhara is highly recommended! They are located just on front of the old medresa - close to the pool where are chaikhanas and open-air restaurants. They charge 15000 sum for new single room with bathroom and substantial breakfast. Fatima - the owner speaks english and is very helpful... There were only 6 of us in the pension (end of season)- she invited all of us to the special meal they have after the sunset... It is the Ramadan and they do not eat all day. But in the evening there is like a feast - they invite family and friends to eat... Enjoyable!
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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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