Continuing our journey along the Silk Road, we arrive in Uzbekistan. Caravans used to stop here in the past, and the exchange of resources, beliefs and knowledge that took place here has shaped the country's cities. Great scientists and artists, such as the astronomer Ulugh Beg, grandson of Tamerlane, studied at Uzbekistan's renowned universities. In Central Asia, and particularly in Uzbekistan, you can feel the legacy of past empires: Turkish, Persian, Arab and Soviet. It's a fascinating country for lovers of history, architecture, gastronomy and crafts.
Our stay in Uzbekistan was very short: in ten days, we only visited the most famous cities: Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
Samarkand's reputation is well established: it is one of the oldest cities in the world, a city of tales and legends. Today, many tourists come to immerse themselves in the history and observe the remains of the ancient crossroads of the Silk Road.
For our part, although the mausoleums, mosques and medersas of Samarkand are obviously magnificent and bear witness to a fascinating history, we left with a mixed impression: all the historic buildings have been pushed aside from the rest of the city. Walking around, you even get the impression that the government has done everything possible to ensure that tourists don't have to mix with the modern city and its inhabitants, which is a real shame.
Bukhara and Khiva won us over more. Although equally touristy, it was more pleasant to wander around the old towns.
Here are our best memories of Uzbekistan:
What’s for dinner ?
After the lack of vegetarian options in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan is good for us! Here are our favourite specialities:
- Plov is Uzbekistan's national dish. It's a spicy, sweet and sour fried rice. Unfortunately, it is often prepared with mutton fat. When you ask for it vegetarian, they just remove the big chunks of meat!
- Pumpkin mantis: these large ravioli filled with pumpkin purée are served with thick crème fraîche. A sure bet!
- At tea time, Uzbeks eat a few sweets: halva (Uzbek halva is very different from Turkish halva. It resembles small sweet squares that are a little floury), nuts, sultanas and nougats.
- In Khiva, the speciality is shivit oshi: green noodles infused with dill, served with a sort of ratatouille and fresh cream.
- Last but not least: the famous Uzbek round loaf, a multitude of very sweet cakes, lots of salads, samsas, nishalla (a kind of liquid meringue)...
A lovely meeting
Another very nice meeting thanks to Couchsurfing.
We were hosted by Oleg, a young Russian who, like most Russians from Central Asia, moved very quickly after the war was announced. Oleg gave us an insight into his culture and the story of his move. We were very touched! Russians are suffering the consequences of their government, and have difficulty obtaining visas to travel, can no longer use the most popular social networks, can no longer use their bank cards outside Russia...
Oleg is a funny, kind and generous person. Together, we watched Soviet films, cooked crepes (which, surprise, are both French and Russian!) and talked a lot about travel, politics, culture and life in general!
Unfortunately, we forgot to take a photo together...
Our favourite place
Dune's favourite place is Bukhara. Even in the sweltering heat, the city was a great place to stroll between mosques, bazaars, craft shops and tea rooms.
Tanguy preferred Khiva. It's a tiny town that attracts visitors for its fortified city centre, a veritable open-air museum. It is also home to many hand-woven carpet weavers.
We regretted not being able to discover more of Uzbekistan. We would have liked to get a glimpse of its capital, Tashkent, discover the nature and crafts of the Ferghana Valley, see the shipwrecks of the Aral Desert, formerly the Aral Sea, or hike in the mountains of the south-east of the country.
After that, we began our long journey to Georgia: from Khiva to Noukous with two buses, then a (very) long train took us to the nearest Kazakh town: Beyneu. This last journey was surely the one that made the biggest impression on us: the sweltering heat, the crowded train with nowhere to sit, the fish sellers with their persistent smell, the interminable wait for the border crossing... We finally arrived safely at our destination, and are now ready to cross into Russia! (link to our practical guide: crossing Russia with a transit visa)
join us on our journey!
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