Sometimes a country just captures your imagination. You can’t put it into words, it just does. And that was how I felt about Uzbekistan. Most intriguing was that whenever I mentioned to someone I was hoping to visit Uzbekistan the answer was “I have never been there”. Usually, when I mention a destination a get a litany of pros and cons. Now, it seemed, it was up to me to create one. I chose Great Rail Journeys because of the variety of their programme they offered. A good mixture of traditional architecture, ancient silk road cities, craft workshops and meals with the locals.
We started our journey through Uzbekistan in the lovely little town of Khiva on the ancient Silk Road Beautifully restored religious buildings in the old town towered above clusters of colourful stalls selling everything from crazy hats to intricate wooden carvings. The temptation to try on what I considered to be the most bizarre of all the hats turned out to be part of a traditional costume.
In Khiva we were privileged to stay in a madrasa that has been converted into a hotel. The small scholars’ rooms offer niche accommodation in these ancient seats of learning. All our meals were taken the huge hall of another madrasa next door. Unseasonally cold weather meant we all clustered around large air conditioning units now employed to belt out hot air. Outside, bright sun and blue skies enhanced the beauty of the sandstone coloured buildings covered with intricate designs created from ceramic tiles.
Next stop Bukhara. A long journey in a coach but the high-speed train link is due to be completed in 2026. But travelling by road was an opportunity to appreciate the hardships faced by the caravans carrying goods across the vast expanse of semi-desert and the perils they faced. A string of forts offered protection from marauding thieves. The ruins of these forts offer an interesting day out from Khiva including lunch in an isolated yurt. It was during this lunch I first tasted the local bread that accompanies the traditional meat and vegetable stew, dimlama. On finally reaching Bukhara. I used the last of the daylight that day to explore the immediate vicinity of our hotel. The local stall holders were on good form which resulted in some interesting exchanges. Their command of the English language was surprisingly good. My favourite was the owner of the spice stall. A glittering row of golden front teeth suggested he was making more than a good living.
Bukhara is much larger than Khiva and we did most of our exploration here by coach. But sympathetic starting times allowed time for early morning walks admiring the ancient buildings before the market stalls had been set up. Particularly fascinating was the sight of the street cleaners wielding their old-fashioned besoms. Modern appliances abound here so I had to assume the besoms were the most efficient for the job.
Our journey to Samarkand was taken on the Afrosiab high-speed. What a joy that was. Comfortable and spacious carriages, allocated seats, served by smartly dressed attendants bearing trays with pots of ice cream and bowls of fresh fruit.
Samarkand was my first introduction to the caravanserai where the caravans of camels and ponies would stay for a few days. They would trade goods, ideas and philosophies. Today they house small shops and restaurants. Puppets and dolls are very popular in Uzbekistan and we were treated to a demonstration of puppet making while in this town. The puppet-maker was also an adept performer with a puppet.
While staying in Samarkand we enjoyed a trip into the countryside where we visited a very interesting Tourist Village. This complex, built around a network of artificial channels had a series of waterwheels creating energy for the production of different products including paper and paste from natural materials. Strolling around this peaceful place was a very pleasant interlude followed by a visit to a family home deeper into the Uzbekistan countryside. Here we were treated to a typical family lunch including bread freshly baked over hot ashes in a simple oven. It was a great opportunity to see life as lived outside the cities of Uzbekistan.
Another Afrosiab high-speed train whisked us from Samarkand to Tashkent, our final destination in Uzbekistan. This typical capital city permanently rammed with traffic had some enchanting attractions. A new mosque being dedicated while we were visiting it. Although it meant we could not go inside it did mean we could see visiting dignitaries lined up outside in their traditional costumes. Security was very lax and I was invited forward to take photographs – a thrilling experience and a reminder of how safe this country is. I had never had any concerns about taking early morning and evening walks on my own.
Tashkent was the last city we visited. It had been a fascinating passage from the calmness of the streets of Khiva to the swirling, sophisticated mix of ancient and modern in Tashkent. Memorable sights included armies of gardeners planting thousands of flowers in the beds that fringing the pavements: the elegantly decorated stations on the metro and a huge bazaar. Chorsu Bazaar, resonated with similar bazaars we had visited in the other towns. A colourful chaos of noise and smells. These bazaars are the life and soul of Uzbekistan. It is here the locals do their shopping, meeting for a coffee (usually Turkish) and generally socialising. The variety of goods on sale is incredible – from intricately decorated cots for babies cots to simple, basic, aluminium kitchen ware. The gigantic Saturn-shaped building housing the Chorsu Bazaar was encircled by a ring of stalls piles high with luscious, fresh vegetables flanked by pyramids of sensuous spices.
Memories of Uzbekistan I will always hold dear include the mystique of the ancient Silk Road, intricate architecture, the colourful clutter of the bazaars and street stalls and the big, furry hats.
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Valery Collins is the Experienced Traveller.
An excellent raconteur, Valery has been writing about her experiences on the road since she started travelling 30 years ago. After publishing four books she turned to online travel writing.