I arrived in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, with no real sense of what time zone I was in. But after some strong coffee and a bit of breakfast, I felt ready to see what the country had to offer.
Before our day started, my guide shared a tip: to look out for the six Ms of Uzbekistan.
It wasn’t long before I had my first six contenders. Our grand tour began at the Hazrati Imam Complex, where a Mosque, Mausoleum, Museum, Minaret and Madrassa – all in one square – stood opposite a Market just across the road.
Six for six before lunchtime. Uzbekistan Bingo was just too easy.
To spice things up a little, during my time in Central Asia I made it my mission to keep an eye out for other Ms along the way. Here’s what I found:
Millionaires
“There is a lot of opportunity for people in Uzbekistan at the moment” was the refrain I heard more than once during my trip. The sheer number of new Range Rovers I saw driving around in Tashkent was a sure sign that some are doing quite nicely, which is especially impressive considering the import tax of up to 100% on vehicles not made locally. With a conversion rate of £1 to around 16,000 Uzbek Som, a modest £65 nets you millionaire status in Uzbekistan.
Merchants
The Silk Road cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva have long been hubs of trade, and it’s fair to say the locals have picked up a few skills along the way. There is no hard sell here, just a genuine pride in their work and a desire to show you their wares. Needless to say, I was glad that my airline luggage allowance was generous (and that I had brought my extra-large kit bag in anticipation of all my purchases).
Minerals
Central Asia is a mineral rich area, with large reserves critical for clean energy technologies around the world. This makes the coal burning power stations in the region even harder to understand. Gas is refined in great quantities in Uzbekistan, so most of the cars have been converted to Methane. In fact, so much is exported to neighbouring countries that they have fuel shortages in the winter months, leading to long queues outside the countless Methane fuel stations.
Meat
The Central Asian diet is undeniably meaty. While there are plenty of vegetables, soups and salads on offer, most of them still contain meat. The food is very tasty and you will not go hungry; however, one side of horse meat is often enough. “If an Uzbek man doesn’t have meat in a meal, he feels like he will die”, my Bukharan female guide informed me. Her efforts to replace some courses with vegetable dishes went down like a lead balloon.
Mosaics
I think there may be more mosaic pieces than people in Uzbekistan. The renovated Mosques and Madrassas are a mix of old and new, with original pieces forming the backbone of the renovations to keep them as authentic as possible. What was interesting to see was that, in some cases, the original mosaics had aged better than their more recent counterparts.
Markings
Breadmaking here is an art form, so much so that each baker has their own signature marking pressed into their dough before it is baked in the Tandoor ovens. Even amidst all the beautiful architecture and rich history, one of my enduring memories of Uzbekistan is the friendliness of the bakers and the delicious taste of the freshly baked bread, straight out of the oven.
Mecca
Being a Muslim country, Uzbekistan’s Mosques all face Mecca, but there was an interesting mix of influences from both Islam and the ancient religion of Zoroastrianism. Expert guides can point out the subtle nods to this older, still-practised religion at many sites, especially those in the west of the country.
Mountains
The main cities of Uzbekistan are undeniably flat, with the highest point in my first two weeks being atop a Minaret in Khiva. I was therefore on the lookout for any sign of lumps in the road, and was rewarded in spades upon arriving in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan. Each day, the snowcapped mountain ranges of Terskey Ala-Too and Kungey Ala-Too formed the backdrop to my journey along the shores of Lake Issyk Kul.
Milky Way
As I was travelling in the off season in November, it was a bit chilly at my camp in Karkara. The stars were so incredible, however, that I just had to leave the comfort of my cosy yurt and venture out into the thigh-deep snow to experience this spectacular celestial show.
Ready to start planning your own Central Asian adventure? Contact Jim at [email protected]
