Uzbekistan: Terrorism Run Amok
According to the US State Department, Uzbekistan is currently a hot spot for radical activity and potential terrorist attacks. It is strongly recommended that travelers avoid visiting Uzbekistan for the time being. Numerous groups responsible for localized bombings in the past several years have made threats and are currently active inside Uzbekistan. If you must travel through the country, it is advised that you register with the US Embassy and stay alert. For my trip, I’ve decided to try and limit my stay in Uzbekistan as much as possible to keep safe. I plan to visit both Tashkent and Samarkand, but will make sure to stay up to date with current information and be extremely cautious as I travel through the country.
Being Uzbek Ain’t No Picnic
The word Uzbek means “independent”, a strange definition for a country of people plagued by civil unrest, dissatisfaction with the government, and corruption. But amidst the chaos and confusion, the Uzbek people have created a unique and identifiable culture that can only be described as independent from the mess around them. The predominant language in Uzbekistan is a Turkic language bearing similarity to the language of the Uyghurs, oddly enough. In terms of religion, it is extremely apparent that Islam reigns supreme in Uzbekistan. Many other religions exist in small pockets, but Islam is the definitely the most commonly practiced. It is noted that Uzbekistan has a very high literacy rate, but only about 76% of the Uzbek people are enrolled in school, so there is still room for progress. Folk and pop music are both very popular amongst Uzbeks, even though folk music has been banned from the Uzbek radio since the 1950’s. It has survived in small communities and gatherings, where it performed and danced to. As is apparent, Uzbek culture remains rich, even if the state of their country is very poor.
Taking In Tashkent
The Russian influence in Tashkent is extremely noticeable. The architecture is all very modern, reminiscent of the buildings you might see in a place like Moscow. But even if the Soviet influence is obvious, the city manages to maintain an atmosphere all its own. I would recommend purchasing an Uzbek guidebook if you want to purchase anything from the street vendors. It makes things much easier. It was one of my favorite places to visit on my trip, because the people were so hospitable and the city was so interesting.
Lodging: I quite enjoyed staying in the guesthouses of Almaty & Bishkek, but decided to stay in a slightly different but equally cheap place in Tashkent. Gulnara’s Bed & Breakfast was a great place next to a small pond in the outer part of downtown Tashkent. The rate was 12 US dollars per night, but it was well worth it for the service I received. The place was clean, the bed was comfortable, and the breakfast was delightful. It was placed just a few blocks from the Metro Station too, so that made traveling around town very convenient. If you are looking for a simple but comfortable set up for a low price, I highly recommend this little place.
Food: Tashkent without a doubt was home to the best food I had on my entire journey. The traditional lunch dish is a Samsa, which is similar to a South American empanada. I had an assortment of different types of Samsas for my lunch, for only 3 US Dollars. I tried one each of the beef, mutton, and onion varieties. They are finger food from an oven and are like little pockets of instant gratification. After spending my afternoon enjoying the Tashkent people and the sights around town, I headed out for dinner. I had been told by a friend in my hometown that during his travels across Asia he had tried a food called Plov, which is rice with wild spices, carrots, some type of meat, and cumin. At first I wasn’t so keen on trying it, as I’m not a huge fan of cumin, but I decided that for experience’s sake, I wanted to be able to say I’d tried the national dish of Uzbekistan. It was good, but as I expected I would have preferred it without cumin. Even if you have a very limited tolerance for new foods, I recommend that any traveler try whatever foods they can in a new country. The experience will not be forgotten, and it makes you feel like you have been a part of that much more of the culture in the country you are visiting.
Sightseeing: Instead of seeing a natural beauty like the mountains of the XUAR or the canyons of Kazakhstan, I decided to visit Tashkent’s very own Aqua Park. The Park was great, complete with a wave pool, water slides, and even a high dive. Admission was about 6 US Dollars, but was a very reasonable price for the amount of fun I had. I left my shoes in the locker room, but would recommend to anyone visiting to keep a pair of flip flops with them, because the stones get very hot in the summer. My feet were scorched. If you are hungry, the park has a restaurant and bar where you can grab a cool drink or a nice snack.
Souvenir: I was thrilled to find a small business called the Human House in the North part of town, where craftsman from remote and poor villages can sell their work. I had heard that Tashkent was famous for its ceramics, and entered the shop with the intention of finding a small handmade pot to put my souvenirs from the entire trip in. But I found something even better. For only 3 US Dollars, I found a beautiful little teapot, with a hand painted scene of an Uzbek garden painted on its side. It also felt great to know that my money was helping struggling people in this country which had been so kind to me. That teapot would remain symbolic of my whole journey, and remind me of the wonderful people I met along the way.
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