Articles from this Category
22 July 2024
Bibi Khanym The Jahogir put on an amazing breakfast this morning of hot items, lots of fruit and cakes/sweets. I don’t understand how the fruit here tastes so good compared to New Zealand. The nectarines and cantaloupe were dripping and super sweet. I walked to the Bibi Khanym mosque taking shade whenever it was possible […]
21 July 2024
Flying to Samarkand I was seated immediately after the exit rows on the A321 (version with only two window exits and four doors, no extra doors). I had received an email notifying that my original assigned seat was no longer available due to operational reasons (perhaps an aircraft configuration change). It turned out to be […]
15 October 2017
Above: The lady is fumigating for a tip. Breakfast at the Toj Mahal opened a little later than the indicated 0700 start. I chatted with an American Japanese man who was very knowledgeable and well-travelled. He was going to Kumtepa Bazaar after breakfast as well but continuing to Tashkent thereafter, all with a private car […]
14 October 2017
After breakfast, I relaxed a little before checking out at 0900. The boy who was attending reception gave me indicative rates for the taxi to the station (UZS5000) and the shared taxi to Fergana (UZS15000). I got a taxi outside the hotel promptly but agreed on UZS7000 (it was USD0.26 more than recommended) as I […]
13 October 2017
After a decent breakfast, I took it easy before heading out around 0900. It was around 40 minutes walk to the part of town where a collection of sights were. There was a mosque, mausoleum and a madrassah. I got to the mosque and they were laying mats out for Friday prayers. The mausoleum and […]
12 October 2017
Today I will travel from Khiva to Kokand, in the opposite end of the country. Not quite the entire length of the country but somewhat. My hotel-arranged vehicle was waiting as I had a light breakfast. There was little traffic between Khiva and Urgench airport and my I arrived in 40 minutes. The airport is […]
11 October 2017
At breakfast I told my host that I wouldn’t need breakfast tomorrow, since I had a flight around 0930. He suggested a small breakfast at 0700 and leaving in his car for USD10. I hesitated at the price and he suggested a small taxi for around USD6. I knew it was still a little pricey […]
10 October 2017
After breakfast, my car arrived to take me to Khiva. Fabrizio arrived as I was loading up. The third passenger may have been the driver’s son but we never found out. We set off on the 6h drive with a couple of short breaks for gas (methane). The scenery along the way was semi-desert with […]
9 October 2017
I had hoped for a more relaxing day today. But as usual I want to check everything out. I wandered to the sights further out of town today, plus had some uncharted ramblings. After a big breakfast where they kept bringing out more and more food, I wandered randomly and found myself at a synagogue […]
8 October 2017
At my 0800 breakfast, my host said that the Japanese guy was on the same train to Bukhara and we could go to the station together by taxi. That worked well and we got there about an hour before the 0943 departure on the fast train. The journey was only about 1h30 this time and […]