Embarking on a journey along the legendary Silk Road was ignited after reading Peter Frankopan’s captivating history on Central Asia. I was enchanted by the tales of azure tiles and turquoise domes, the madrassas and mausoleums.
I flew to Tashkent, the capital city of Uzbekistan not long after completing the book. This was as a treat to myself for my 50th birthday.
Arriving in Tashkent is an adventure right from the start. The airport is bustling but not overwhelming. The immigration officers are friendly. As I headed to the exit I whipped out my phone and opened the Yandex app to book a taxi to my hotel. Here’s the fun part, almost all taxis in Uzbekistan are white Chevrolet! When I walked outside the airport, there was a sea of white Chevrolets on the street, all identical. I began searching for my taxi based on the registration given, a lot of the cars have similar registration numbers, just a slight difference in a letter or the number! At one point, I accidentally hopped into the wrong taxi! LOL!
The ride itself was an experience. The fare to most places around Tashkent is between USD$2- $4 – a bargain! The driver was a middle-aged man, who didn’t understand a word of English. He has a peculiar habit of puffing his cigarettes every time we stopped at the traffic light. What a memorable welcome to Tashkent!
Driving through Tashkent, my first impressions are of an old European city, with its wide boulevards, grand buildings, and leafy avenues, Yet, there are unique touches that make it distinctly Uzbek – women in colourful headscarves walking by, their smiles warm and welcoming. The city’s blend of old-world European architecture and vibrant local culture creates a fascinating contrast. As I continue my journey, I find myself already falling in love with Tashkent’s quirky charm.
I spent the first night in Tashkent to get the feel of Uzbekistan. It was lovely walking around the city to Chorsu Bazaar, Tashkent’s ancient marketplace. Chorsu Bazaar is a delightful sight of the city, with its humongous blue dome and hundreds of stalls underneath it.
It was the midst of the fasting month of Ramadan, so the streets were lively with locals getting food for iftar, the breaking of fast in Ramadan. I stopped at a local cafe by the road near Chorsu Bazaar and had a delicious shashlik, Uzbekistan’s popular grilled meat skewers. A simple greeting of assalamualaikum and a friendly Malaysian smile and I found myself surrounded by local men and children trying to talk to me in Uzbek! I was the only female and foreigner in the cafe but I was never uncomfortable. A few elderly men nodded with a smile as a sign of hello and respect, watching me indulging in the local delicacy and cutting the famous local non bread by hand! When anyone tried to strike a conversation with me, I just pointed to my food and said mazali which means delicious in Uzbek. I left the stall after saying rahmet (thank you in Uzbek) profusely to the owner. It really was one of the tastiest meat I’ve ever had in my life and it was only USD$1.50 for a few skewers served with non.
That night, I somehow decided not to spend too much time in the city. I did some research and found out that Khiva is the less-travelled route. A train ride will take at least eighteen hours, and it is only a 1.5 hour flight. I chose the latter of course.
