Uzbekistan
The information below is provided by Lonely Planet readers and is not verified by Lonely Planet. For the official lowdown, contact your nearest embassy or check out our Travel Links.
Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
Unexpected 'fees': If you are suddenly asked for an unexpected 'entrance fee' or 'tax' (eg. at border crossings, nature parks, etc.), there's a quick way to see if it's a legal one or merely a bribe: ask for a receipt. Normally, an official receipt (which is 'kvi-TAN-tsia' in Russian) should be printed and stamped by the concerned authority, not merely hand-written on a grotty piece of paper. Of course, if they're reluctant to give you one it's more likely that they're just out for backsheesh.
Taxi scams: It has already happened, especially with more sleazy taxi types around the large hotels, airports and railway stations, that the driver only releases you bags from the trunk after you pay up to double the agreed price. The best way to avoid this, is not to put your luggage in the trunk. If there is no other option and it happens, one possible way to deal with it is to conspicuously write down his license plate number and the number of his technical passport (which mostly appears on the front window) and threaten to call the police ('militsia' or 'politsia'). That usually works.
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Sep 03)
Visa application is getting harder and harder, compared to other Central Asia countries. We applied for the visa in Kyrgyzstan, but it seems that it works the same almost everywhere (consider that Kyrgyzstan is one of the easier place to apply for an Uzbekistan visa !).Invitation letter is mandatory. If you are in Bishkek, better you call the Uzbekistan Embassy in advance and "book" your visa application, otherwise you will queue a lot and have no guarantee of succeeding in your application. The Uzbekistan Embassy in Bishkek maintain a sort of "waiting list", where all of the people who called in advanced and booked their visa are listed. The Embassy open 10 am, and visa office closes 1 pm. Before 10 am, you have to call the Embassy, and tell them you are about to go there for applying for the visa. So, you will have your name in the "waiting list". Then, when you are there, 10 am, the officer at the entrance will have the list with all of the names. If you are in, there is no problem, you will queue and apply for your visa. If you are not listed (that means you didn't call in advance) you only can rely on your lucky star. We met some people who, after one week, yet had any success... Notice that you can apply for the visa ONLY AFTER that your invitation letter has been delivered and your registration number has been sent to the Uzbekistan Embassy where you are supposed to apply for your visa. Once everything is ok, it takes only half a day to have your visa in your hands. Once again I highlight that this is the procedure we experienced in Bishkek, but seems everywhere works, more and less, the same.
Carlo & Emanuela Paschetto, Italy (Sep 02)
The current permitted land border crossing from Osh into Uzbekistan is at a place called Dostyk. I was taken by a taxi driver to Kara Suu and was refused admission into Uz by the border guards and told to go to Dostyk. The guidebook does not refer to this this little trap.
The Uz border authorities at Dostyk wanted a health certificate in relation to AIDS. I produced a Yellow fever vaccination certificate and got through. Travellers be warned though.
It is vital in Uzbekistan to have a customs declaration that specifies the quantity of the traveller's cheques that one has. I was knocked back at the National Bank in Bukhara because the certificate that I had did not specify travellers chequess.
Mark Thomas, Australia (Aug 02)
When I was crossing the border from Uzbekistan into Turkmenistan the Uzbek passport control wanted to see the registration forms that I got from the hotels I stayed in. However I was unaware that I was supposed to keep them. I gave them the phone number of the travel agent in Tashkent who had booked the hotels but they weren't interested. They insisted I had to go back to Tashkent. Of course I didn't want to do that as I already had a driver waiting for me on the Turkmen side of the border. Luckily they couldn't speak English and I pretended that I couldn't understand what they were telling me. So eventually they got tired of talking to me and let me though. I was lucky, but others might not be.
Brian Connellan, Ireland (Aug 02)
About the form that you have to fill out when entering Uzbekistan, in which you have to state how much money, valuables, etc you have with you: you will have to fill out two such forms, one stays at the customs, you keep the other one and if you change money at a bank, they will ask you for this form and write on its back how much you changed with them. You will have to return your form when you leave the country, but they actually don't check at all if you changed all your money at the bank or on the black market. But as there is no big difference in the exchange rates at the bank and at the black market (bank rate was raised to the black market rate at the beginning of the year), you might as well not bother. Very important: don't forget to specify on the form if you have your money in cash or as traveller cheques! I got into big troubles at several banks in Bukhara, because I didn't specify that my US $ were in cheques and not in cash. They simply refused to change them!
Agnes, Iceland (Aug 02)
As my friend and I are living in Austria, we tried to get our visa through a local travel agency, which seemed to be quite easy. We had to get a so called â??tourist voucherâ?? which is the equivalent of an invitation and can be purchased through a specialised Austrian tourist company — our travel agency arranged this for us. It costs about 30 Euros and is valid for more than one person. Getting a visa was quite simple and took about a week and a half. If you pay extra, they can do it even quicker.
Bernd Ziermann, Austria (Aug 02)
Crossing to Kyrgystan at Namangan. Take a bus to Namangan from any city in the Fairgana valley. From the Namangan bus station transfer to where there are marshrutnoe taxis to Uchkurgan. Change at the Uchkurgan Bazar to a marshrut to the border. No problems at the border. Walk 1km to the Kyrgyz border. From where there is a bus to Toktogul every day at about 11am (10am Uzbek time in Summer) or a bus to Karakul at 12 noon
Kenneth Brooker (Jul 02)
From well informed international sources working with the Kyrgyz borderguards I have learned that the Irkeshtam Pass (from Osh to Naryn) has been opened for foreigners recently. However, I have no information on transport yet and I haven't met anybody who has done it so far.
Several travellers received 1 month extensions on Kyrgyz visas within a few hours at the main OVIR office for 250 som. OVIR registration is not necessary anymore for travellers of most western countries. I got my visas for Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Russia without major problems. This is how i succeeded: the Uzbek embassy only receives people that are on their list. You have to call the day before after 2pm and ask them to put your name down (66 30 78). Even if they tell a precise time, go a bit earlier, as they normally tell the same time to everybody. You definitely need an invitation and if the travel agency has done its work correctly your visa will be ready by the afternoon. It cost me (Swiss citizen) US$60 (US$ accepted only).
The Kazakh embassy is open in the mornings from 9.30am to 11.30 am. It's best to go on a friday when there are much less people. Go an hour or so early and write down your name on the list. The list is normally with the guard at the entrance. You need an invitation and the visa is ready within about 10 days, on the next day if you pay double. Visa cost depends on the duration of the visa and the urgency. If you have time to wait, tell them. You do not have to leave the passport, just bring it in at the appointed day in the morning and pick it up with the visa in the afternoon. For a 14 day visa i paid 35 usd (som equivalent or usd accepted). Transit visas are reportedly available within one day without invitation for 20usd.
An Ovir official in Fergana warned me that Shakhimardan is off limits to foreigners - Kyrgyzstan has introduced border controls for the transit on its territory - probably a retaliatory measure for Uzbek hassle for Kyrgyz citizens elsewhere. If you have multiple entry visas for both Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan you could try however.
Patrick Zoll, Switzerland (Jul 02)
I'm writing to report a border crossing scam I ran across in hopes that you will make this information available to future travelers. I recently had problems crossing the Samarkand-Penjikent between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. I had a valid 7 day Tajik visa issued at the Tajik embassy in Ashgabat and a 4 year multiple entry Uzbek visa. When I attempted to enter Tajikistan I was detained by customs officers who first wanted to see my money then would not let me enter without being first turned over to a local travel agent. The travel agent offered me a half day tour of the area for $25 which I was interested in and accepted. It seemed evident that the customs officers would get a portion of my $25. I was also told that had I not already had a Tajik Visa, I could have purchased a 1 day visa for $5 at the border. By the time the travel agent arrived to collect me, one of the customs officers and I had formed a friendship and we had started work on his English lessons. Upon my exiting the county my Taxi was forced to stop just so he could say good by and wish me well.
David (Jul 02)
Uzbek Embassy in Germany: Perleberger Strasse 62, 10559 Berlin
Tel: 190/163000, Fax: 030/ 39 40 9826
Uzbek Consulate in Germany: Jahnstrasse 15, 60318 Frankfurt
Tel: 069/74 05 54, Fax: 069/74 05 41
I had no problems at the airport or with the customs. Nobody wanted to see an exchange bill or OVIR slip we got from the B&B's. There is no adminstration fee or security tax at the Tashkent airport yet.
Marlies Kriegenherdt, Germany (Jun 02)
At the Uzbekistan Embassy in Almaty, I had a different experience than your reader Michael Rothbart, whom you quote in the upgrade. I arrived without a letter of invitation. At first I was offered a one-month visa for $45, but the consul said that to get the one-month visa -- without letter of invitation -- was problematic and that he needed to contact Tashkent, etc. However, when I showed up a week later, the consul had given me the four-year visa, for $70.What I understood is that it would have been possible -- with a letter on invitation -- to get the one-month visa, for $45. (Note that it is an embassy, not a consulate as the reader mentioned.) Perhaps he made it easy on me because Uzbekistan was desperate for tourists (this was October 2001).
The US embassy [in Tashkent] gave me this phone number: 120 54 44 for the consular section, which is open between 2:00 and 4:00. The general number is 120 54 50. I was able to register over the phone, which I appreciated as it is a good way out of the center of the city.
Cheryl Collins, USA (Dec 01)
It is not allowed for Kyrgyz taxis to cross the border into Uzbekistan, to Andijan. All cars are stopped at the border and the second stage should be done with an Uzbek car or bus. We paid 40 som for the taxi to the border (from the center of Osh). Crossing the border here was fairly easy (the Kyrgyz customs never checked our passport here so no exit stamp for us and no talking about the OVIR-registration stamp). The Uzbek customs were really friendly, eager to help to translate the forms in Russian, no difficult questions, luggage not x-raid or even opened. There is a bus from the border to Andijan but it is not going very regularly. We waited some time, had a lunch and decided to get a taxi to Andijan. This costs 1000 sum (US$ 1.25). The driver dropped us at the bus terminal from where we could get a bus to Fergana for little money.
Lucia Kadijk and Bram Hulzebos, The Netherlands (Nov 01)
In Bishkek we arranged our Uzbek and our Iranian visa. It is a good place to arrange visa because it is a small town and it is easy to reach the embassies. All embassies are walkable from the Bishkek International School of Management (in comparison with Delhi, Islamabad or Bangkok). The Uzbek visa is fairly easy to get although the opening hours are erratic. When it's open it opens at 10 am. It is wise, though, to be there earlier, much earlier. When we arrived at 9.45 it was busy, really busy. It looked like all Kyrgyz needed a visa for Uzbekistan. We had to queue a long time and only after talking to the guards they let us in before lunchtime. Probably it is all much easier if you arrive at 8 in the morning and have breakfast on the street, sure you will be first.. What we needed is a picture, US$ 60 per person, a copy of our Kyrgyz visa, a copy of the front page of our passport and a letter of invitation. This invitation is easy to arrange by email. Sairam travel agency in Tashkent is an option. We mailed them and they reacted very quickly. They arranged a letter of invitation, which they send to Kashgar after we mailed them our fax number there. (They need about two weeks to arrange it all.) Since we had no possibility to pay beforehand it is all a matter of trust. When we reached Tashkent we dropped by at their office and paid the US$ 25 per person. In the afternoon we could pick up our Uzbek visa. Who says travelling in Central Asia is difficult?
Lucia Kadijk and Bram Hulzebos, The Netherlands (Nov 01)
Travel Tips
Bukhara — shopping for carpets & souvenirs
No price is final. Start your day by just having a carpet seller show you their full range and explain all the patterns and qualities of carpets. Make up your mind what you want and then shop around. You will realise that most of the carpets on offer are more or less of the same quality, design and indeed price. It seems that the sellers in the centre are running a cartel. We managed to reduce the price of a 145 x 95 Bukhara patterned carpet from US$240 to US$140 in a shop. We were quoted start prices between US$300 and US$220 for such carpets. If a trader invites you home to see more of his carpets — consider taking the offer. We visited the home of one; the carpets on offer were a lot cheaper, as there was no pressure from the other traders. Silk scarves of the same quality as in Tashkent tend to kick off at around US$12, traders start squirming at US$8 — buy them in Tashkent!
Richard Lax, Belgium (Aug 03)
It is highly advisable to change all Kyrgyz money in Osh before going into Uzbekistan. It appears to be impossible to do so in Uzbekistan. Money changing is a far more controlled business in Uz than Kyrgyzstan.
Mark Thomas, Australia (Aug 02)
Travellers should have all their papers in order particularly in Tashkent. We got checked a few times and especially when we arrived from Samarkand and got on the subway which was a bit scary being questioned by plain clothes policemen.
Miki Lentin, Ireland (Aug 02)
There is only one exchange office in Khiva. When I was there it was closed for 2 days because it ran out of money ...
Stephan Gruenfelder, Austria (Jun 02)
You may think changing money at Tashkent main bazaar could be risky for incautious people. But it is uneasy to completely impossible (depending on the city you are in) to find exchange on the street apart from this place. Arrangements through locals that you trust can be tedious since they might have difficulty to cater for the amount of cash you need. We heard that the government is considering bringing the black market and the official rates to a par in the coming months. Apart from USD, no other currency is accepted outside the banking system. In April, the official rate was 900 sum for US$1; street rate was 1440 sum. Except for food and government run organisations, almost everything can be paid in USD. Government organisations might accept USD instead of sums, but at the official rate.....
Claire & Marc Hasenohr, France (Jun 02)
Central Asia has a big problem with change, mostly because the only cash reserve available in shops, markets, cafés etc... is the income of the day and if you're one of the first customers there might be none at all. Sometimes it can take up to half an hour before change is found. Pretending to have no change is also a common scam by taxi drivers and waiters to keep the change. Have enough small denominations all the time.
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Jun 02)
Moving About
It seems all prices can be negotiated, particularly for hotel rooms, taxis and souvenirs. For the taxis in particular it makes sense to take your time and settle in at a spot from where you can see the taxis and they can see you. Make yourself comfortable, indicate you have time. Find out prices for the buses and minibuses. The taxi drivers seem to form little cartels and will gather around you when you negotiate the price with one of them. Drivers are more flexible when alone. Free from the peer pressure of their colleagues they feel able to lower their offers (this also applies to carpet sellers). Drivers (or indeed carpet sellers and other vendors) are hesitant to give you a first price, they want to hear your first quote. They have to know what their prices are, not you! If you can't avoid making the first quote, make your first quote â??bezplatna, nu koyeshnaâ?? (free of charge, of course) or ridiculously low. A litre of petrol costs around 400 sum in Uzbekistan, as a rule of thumb you can assume that the average Daewoo consumes 10 litres of petrol per 100 km.
Richard Lax, Belgium (Aug 03)
Don't catch a Khiva — Tashkent bus if you only want to go to Samarkand — you will end up paying for the whole trip not just the leg you are taking. You can take a taxi for the same amount ($4-5 each).
Daina Padgett & Richard Thomas, Australia (Jul 02)
I want to say that there is a problem to take a local "PUBLIC" bus from Bukhara city to Khiva. It would be better for you take a local bus from Tashkent or Samarkand to Khiva.... IT IS NOT a problem to take minibus from Bukhara - Khiva about 2pm every day near the market "Karvon-bazar". In Bukhara there is another bus station "SHARQ" which is situated on the way to the airport, these buses leave every hour Bukhara - Samarkand - Tashkent everyday...
Amin Latipov, Uzbekistan (Jul 02)
The road from Tashkent to Kokand goes through a pass (and a tunnel) at 1800m: it is a very poor dirt road for tens of kilometers with very heavy traffic, since the normal route through Khojand in Tajikistan has been closed to Uzbek traffic. There are some Kyrgyz enclaves which cause to make long detours since they are now closed to Uzbek transit.
Claire & Marc Hasenohr, France (Jun 02)
The best place I found to get a taxi from Tashkent to Samarqand is just outside the Sobir Rakhimov metro stop.
To get from Bukhara to Karshi you must go to the "Sharq" bus station and wait for a car or mini van to fill up.
Josie Hanneman, USA (Jan 02)
Scams & Warnings
Following the IMU guerilla incursions in 1999 and 2000, parts of sensitive border areas such as the Turkestan mountains, and the Sokh and Shah-i-Mardan enclaves have been mined by the army and the Border Guards. Sadly enough, this compromises trekking and hiking possibilities in otherwise very beautiful areas.
Bruno De Cordier, Belgium (Jan 02)
I visited Samarkand and Bukhara in November, when the fear of the "stans" had driven away virtually all tourists. One thing I noticed when visiting some of the mosques and medrassas were people (and even kids) asking for money to enter, saying they were the "kassa." I found the best way to circumvent the scammers was to ask for a "billet" -- you know, one of those pieces of paper that is half ticket, half receipt, filled out laboriously by hand. Some entrance fees were clearly legitimate; many weren't, and when anyone tried to negotiate the price with me, I just plain refused to pay anything.
Cheryl Collins, USA (Dec 01)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
Tashkent: On September 20th and 21st was a concert of the Silk Road Chamber Choir. It is a first class ensemble of 16-18 soloists that last year had also performed in Japan and goes to the US in 2003. Tickets are only 1000 sum and performances are not regularly held. People should watch out for a poster of the next concert in the major hotels. If one has the chance to go one should not miss it! We had a fantastic evening and were the only tourists. All singers are graduates in opera singing from sveral former russian conservatories of music. First class opera singers!
Rolf Lienekogel, Germany (Sep 02)
As soon as we crossed the border from Turkmenistan, I was struck by the difference in attitude towards farming. Here we had found another Turkish style country where every inch of land was put to good use. Golden wheat, in the course of being harvested, had been planted in every conceivable nook and cranny, even in bursting fruit orchards. Turkmenistan by contrast, just looked like it couldn't be bothered, or maybe it's because they can't fit in any work between the tight schedules of 19 public holidays — classic titles of which are "Drop of Water is a Grain of Gold Holiday", "Holiday of Poetry of Magtymguli", "Carpet Day", "Melon Holiday", "Turkmenbashi Holiday" (obviously) and "Good Neighbourliness".
It was whilst I was reclining in the courtyard that the family we were staying with went into absolute ecstasy over my feet. Asked to take off my sandals so that they could examine them and then my calves, they revealed that they were "SOOO beautiful". A small (UK size 4, European 36), chubby foot (regardless of mozzie bite scabs and burnt skin) is apparently an object of great beauty in this part of the world, as are thick calf muscles and thunder thighs! Any time a new guest appeared my thighs would be grabbed and discussed in Tajik. Simon even got give the nod for choosing a goodun. So Mum, at last I can say thanks very much. Of course the cynic in Simon believes they like the broad foot shape because it resembles that of a camel (spreads the load) and they are only sizing me up for the pot when grope my thighs.
Simon & Georgie, UK (Sep 02)
Urgut - day trip from Samarkand. This beautiful town lies in the mountains close to the border to Tajikistan and doesn't see many tourists. There is a big bazaar which is open on Tuesdays and also some other days in the week, but I don't remember them, as I was just there on a Tuesday. The bazaar is one of the most colorful in the country and offers a great selection of food, handicrafts, art, caps, etc. to a much cheaper price than you will find the touristy cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva, etc. The people are somewhat different from the Uzbeks, many of them are Tajik, but they are extremely friendly and curious about foreigners. You should walk up the hill behind the town from where you will have a great view to the snow-covered mountains on the one side and over the plain to Samarkand to the other side. There are buses from Samarkand, but a taxi might be easier. You won't starve there, as there are many chaykanas, but I don't know if there is an acceptable hotel.
Agnes, Iceland (Aug 02)
Tashkent:
You write about the Metro only as a means of transportation. My group went for a ride just to see some of the stations - some with chandeliers, and all spotless. It was interesting to see this showcase of the Soviet days, all a far cry from NYC!
Strolling on "Broadway" in the evening was a good way to start off our stay and to get a flavor of the place. The pedestrian mall is lined with bars and coffee houses and all sorts of people hawking their wares.
Gary Rashba, Israel (Aug 02)
The animal market in Karakol on sunday morning is interesting. smaller but more authentic than in kashgar, quite chaotic and fun. A sheep costs 700 som upwards (about US$15), if you want a special souvenir. Taxis leave from early morning from the main bazaar for 5 som each.
The Juma Mosque is a mosque open to all visitors now. The mosque was closed down a few years ago, the three imams are in prison. Some young artisans and artists work in the rooms of the former medressa. They are nice and show you around - beware: I had my worst case of "assault by hospitality" so far.
Patrick Zoll, Switzerland (Jul 02)
Tashkent: Open air market Tezykovka has been dismantled and is now at a place called Yangi Abad at the North East outer town (close to the road to Fergana). It is very lively; it is a real huge flea market. Some taxi drivers still know it as Tezykovka Bazaar.
A relatively small ceramics bazaar exists on the road to Samarkand, past the Ippodrome (which hosts a huge bazaar of its own as well). You can find there the wonderful Rishton potteries / ceramics for half of the lowest prices you can bargain in Rishton. Also lots of glassware and cheap chinaware. Uzbeks only, English not spoken!
Khiva: The closest clay forts amid the cotton fields, Toprak Kale (some streets preserved inside the fortress) and Kyzyl Kale (very well preserved mud fortifications) are worth the trip (1.5 hour drive from Khive, we did it en route to Bukhara)
Urgut: Certainly the most picturesque and best bazaar we have visited in Uzbekistan, can be reached from Samarkand when going to Tajikistan or Shakhrisabz.
Claire & Marc Hasenohr, France (Jun 02)
The Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet is a definite must. The opera and ballet were quite good, and ridiculously inexpensive. We found the presence of travelers in shorts and flip-flops a bit disrespectful.
Vio Barco and Andrew Dier, Colombia (Feb 02)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
I am a Cornishman living in Hong Kong, and my wife and I have just come back from a three week holiday in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran, essentially looking at the art and architecture of the cities along the old Silk Road trading route which led into China. It really was a fascinating experience. Anyway, the purpose of this letter is to tell you about a very interesting culinary discovery which just might have some relevance to Cornish history.
In Uzbekistan, in the ancient city of Samarkand we were invited to have dinner in the home of a local official, and we were served what was undoubtedly a Cornish Pasty. Yes, the real thing, smaller, and using mutton and onion instead of beef and shallot, but the texture of the pastry, the crimping, even the way the pastry was cut round a plate - it was unmistakably a pasty. Also the methodology of cooking the pastry and the meat at the same time was identical.
My immediate thought was that this had been "exported" by Cornish miners in the early 1900's - as is generally the case when one is served pasties in the USA or in Australia. However, there is no history of Cornish miners going to Central Asia, and in fact our host said these "pasties" were a traditional Uzbek dish, and had been made like that for centuries.
This set me thinking about where the Cornish pasty came from.....
It is well-known that the Phoenicians and other Eastern Mediterranean peoples used to trade into Cornwall for tin and copper from early times. Similarly, the story of the Silk Road is one long tale of various peoples, religions, cultures, and presumably cuisines passing to and from the Eastern Mediterranean to the borders of China via Persia and what is now Uzbekistan.
So, is our beloved pasty really an ancient Eurasian artefact? Did Genghis Khan ride into battle with pasties slung in his saddlebags?
So, did Cornish cuisine get imported by traders from the Eastern Mediterranean?
I'd be interested to hear if anyone can prove or disprove this.
Bob Bunker, HK (Oct 02)
On the first full day in Uzbekistan I busied myself with getting money, a monumental task in itself. On my return Simon was nowhere to be found. Eventually someone explained he had left the house with his camera in search of the origin of some lively music, probably a wedding. Half an hour later a rather sweaty, giggly Simon reappeared.
"I've just been dancing with some professional dancers, the men made me drink vodka, and we've been invited to the wedding reception tomorrow night".
So he had found the music emanating from a courtyard in back-street house and had been pulled in, only too happy to have a westerner photograph the festivities. They are yet another very proud nation. The men also take great pleasure in trying to get foreign men drunk on their vodka! How could Simon refuse? Neither could he refuse being dragged up to dance traditional Uzbek. It appeared that he was required to tip the dancing women so a 200 sum note ($0.20) was shoved in his hand to give them. Rather embarrassed he scratched around in his pocket to look for his own money - now since I pull the purse strings on this trip, all he had was a $5 note intended to be used to register us with the police. He handed this over to their great delight - but was severely reprimanded by our wedding hostess later on for giving far too much!
Anyway the next evening we dolled ourselves up in our least grotty clothes and headed off to the home for our 6pm rendezvous. Surprisingly Simon managed to find it again, his memory slightly jaded. We were invited in and conversed in our usual stilted Russian. Tonight's festivities were to be held in the groom's family's residence (to this day we are still not sure who got married and what relation they were to our hosts). We took a 45 minute stroll to the other side of the city and ended up at what looked like a street party. A dozen tables laid out with nibbles and soft drinks - perhaps this would be an alcohol free event!
We sit down and make polite conversation as more people turn up that Simon vaguely remembered from the previous day. With huge gold-teethed smiles the men proudly indicate that this was the westerner that they managed to get drunk.
Eventually the bride and groom turn up. They are shaded by a large embroidered cloth that friends are carrying above their heads. As they walk past each table the bride, in her typically western white meringue dress, holds her left hand to her cleavage and bows in reverence to us. We are told that this is the sign of respect. A little unusual and unnerving, but we accept this as a one-off. However this was NOT a one-off. For four hours the bride and groom remained STANDING at their table with the bride bowing to the guests!
And then the vodka turns up in a crate, small 50cl bottles. It is drunk from bowls that we would recognise as tea cups in Chinese restaurants. The main guy starts pouring and I wait to be passed one. Oh no. First he attracts Simon's attention (temporarily diverted by the arrival of the 2 dancing girls) and asks his permission for me to drink! Simon gives a quiet nod and I can join in the toasts.
Now back to those dancing girls. What a sparkle in their eyes when they recognise Simon again. More dollars they think, but our hostess distinctly orders Simon not to give any more hand outs. They do a few traditional dances to the live band and then anyone can dance with them for a small consideration. The Uzbek style has arms and hands at shoulder level or above, and since the bank notes are so huge and colourful it's obvious when you want to pay. Until the music stops the professionals are prancing around with wads of money in their right fist. As the vodka kicks in we all dance more and more. And even I get shoved money in my hand! I made the grand total of 700 sum that night - $0.65.
During this time all the guests make their way to the bride and groom's table to present their gifts. Carpets are traditional, but obviously we didn't have time to buy one, so we gave a donation of $20 in a 'sealed envelope', Simon pops it into the groom's pocket. We make a toast with them then sit back down. Within 3 minutes the grapevine has worked and our hostess knows how much we have given - she slips it out in a conversation with Simon. No secrets anywhere.
At about 1am the happy couple are invited to the dance floor for their first dance. They stay for a few more tunes then it's time to go. An old woman follows them with some burning coals into the marital home and the party is over. We make our way out when our hostess stops and asks Simon he can wait 20 minutes - there is a little bit more tradition to be done. Of course.
As Simon waits outside I am taken inside into a small room. I am invited to sit down against the wall as about 8 women enter. In a ragged pile on the floor are loads of decorated padded quilts, pillows and throws. In the far corner, very carefully, my hostess and a couple of other women start laying out the quilts on top of each other. There are great discussions on what order to do them in and picking the correct ones. And finally it dawns on me what I am being privileged to watch. I am literally witnessing them building the matrimonial bed! I am stunned that they have allowed me in. A double bed is created about 40cm high along with cushions. Beside it is a lower single sized bed topped with a pure white sheet. Needless to say this is the first bed they are required to sleep on. When everything is finished two middle-aged ladies stand up, embrace, then launch themselves onto the big bed (I presume these to be the respective mothers). This is accompanied by cheers from everyone.
Next the bride enters the room, now dressed in red, her face covered by a veil and she sits on the small bed. With our hands cupped the most elderly women then appears to burst forth with a blessing to which we all agree. And then we leave the room ...
I return to Simon gobsmacked at what I had been allowed to see. For once I didn't have the camera with me which made it more special because all I have now are memories.
We stagger back to our 'hotel' in the pitch dark with Simon escorting all the young pubescent daughters, desperate to hold his arm. I carried on talking to our hostess, our conversation is occasionally interrupted by the standard conversation that went on between the host and Simon ...
Host: Simon (shouting)
Simon: Shto? (what?) (shouting)
Host: Vodka (accompanied by the vodka hand signal of a thumb pointing to the throat)
Simon: No.
We arrive back at 2.30, spend 5 minutes trying to awake the dead inside to open up the door, and then stumble into 'bed' very contented.
We're now waiting for our first Mongolian wedding invite accompanied by the fermented mare's milk.
Simon & Georgie (Sep 02)
The (incomplete) story:
A woman, working with the police, told us when we were in a taxi from Shahrisabz to Buchara:
In the time of Sjah (say 'Shoch') lived a young man named Tochir. In the same village of Chanabad lived the girl Zuchra and it happened that they fell in love with each other. But the Sjah visited the area and saw this girl Zuchra and found her to be very beautiful, so he ordered her to be brought to the palace, but at the palace she refused the Sjah, saying that she had a boyfriend. His name was Tohir. Upon that the Sjah became very angry and ordered Tohir to be killed, so this was done. When the girl heard about the death of her boyfriend, she killed herself, and the inhbitants of the village burned both of their bodies not far from each other near Chanabad. When the Sjah came to die, he was buried in the same grounds. After a certain period people of the village noticed that on the graves of the youg lovers were beautifull flowers growing, but on the grave of the dead Sjah were only growing thorns and thistles, so they decided this to be a place of worship. Ever since it has become a place of pilgrimage.
Mirhon Asadov, Uzbekistan (Aug 02)
We have recently completed a trip to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran. The unexpected thing about it was the attitude of the local people, who seemed very welcoming, genuinely pleased to see us, who would try to talk, and allow themselves to be photographed, almost invariably with no question of baksheesh. It made it all so much more pleasant and easier.
John Hardy, UK (May 02)
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