Best Eastern Orient Star Samarkand

My wound is still bleeding and the ankle swollen. We go to the hospital. Abdullo is a fantastic fixer and knows important people in high places which is all important in Uzbekistan. He and Ziyodullo are opposites. Ziyodullo is reserved, learned, patient, full of information and wanting to impart knowledge, a born teacher. Abdullo is breezy, brash ready to take the main chance but a powerful influence on Rustam. And he knows ...

... section (which had the great views of the Registan and looked very cosy) was booked out, and that we would have to eat in the street-side downstairs section. Looking around te first thing I saw was a meat counter open to the sky and buzzing with flies. Behind this was a restaurant that looked more like a school canteen than a romantic hideaway so my carefully laid plans had been completely dashed. After a lot more walking (which on an empty stomach does nothing in the ...

Awoke this morning the most horrendous odour emitting from the bathroom. We'd come to expect the sewage-esq stench but this was on a whole other level. So off we totted along the old silk road to Tamerlane's mystical captial, Samarqand.

As we'd come to expect they're not overly big on their road signs here and as we don't have a map, it's a case of placing our trust in the compass and numerous stops to ask the locals. This seems to be working pretty well thus far and we once again ...

... in your life.


Ben gave me some of his photos taken from the top of the Minaret at night. They provide some sense of scale. It was just breathtaking and magical. Something happened to me in the square and I came away from this amazing place knowing exactly what I wanted to do for the next stage of my life. Something I had been searching for since we sold our beloved company (baby) last year.

Quite good really.

We then went inside the ...

... given their time in history.

In a nearby museum we were absorbed by old photos of the ruins of the Bibi-Khanym. Since the earthquake serious reconstruction has taken place, as it has for many of the ancient buildings of Samarkand. We were aware that there has been a lot of criticism of the various reconstructions, with one school of thought being that the ruins should be left as they were. One look at the crumbling mass of the Bibi-Khanym’s former glory and it was not ...

... trees. Cherry trees were also in abundance. Watering the parks was by flood irrigation. There was certainly seemed to be no shortage of water.

University students approached us on many occasions, interested to find out what country we were from and using their conversations to practice their English skills. They were genuinely friendly and a delight to talk with.

The architecture of the local government buildings was interesting. It was ...

... camp I met the van which went back to give us all water... a little late don't you think. We camped next to a police check again but tonight was pure desert and had to sat up my tent in the dunes. Within seconds my tent was full of sand of course, but the view was stunning and was fantasizing about finding the ocean behind the dunes!! For the rest of the afternoon we all tried to find some shade and sleep and read books and waited for dinner... As soon as dinner was ...

Sisplau, sisplau, per si algu no ha llegit el comentari del Jordi a l ultima entrada: www.myspace.com/expedicionariantillach Aneu-hi, es un grande! Per mirar de redressar la deriva turistica d aquest ultim segment uzbec, ens llancem cap a una de les pistes que van apareixent, forssa indiscriminadament, a les ultimes pagines de la meva llibreta: Jasur, Samarkand, 500-70-00; un metge ginecoleg que no parlava ni una paraula d ...

... respite as well! Finally i am out of the airport and into the waiting Daewoo of the travel company - Advanatour. Enroute to Poytaht Hotel where i meet other members of the tour group, i get a first glimpse of Tashkent. Wide roads, tree-lined footpaths, spacious buildings with blue-white-green flags on top and lots of Ladas & Daewoos - it really feels good. At Poytaht, i meet Charles & Marcia (a Canadian couple) and our driver-cum-guide-cum ...

... was always available and for $2 he would have made breakfast. But why bother with making breakfast if we can go to the bazar at 6am and buy everything we need there. I loved especially the freshly backed round nan bread that became one of my stable foods in Central Asia. I spent 4 days in this city, every day exploring another architectural marvel. My favorite places were the Ismail Samani mausoleum and Chor Minor. I got a little annoyed with the ...