Middle-aged flash packers

Executive Summary: Train journeys with other people are awkward when neither of you speak the same language ; Steve’s back goes ping struggling with my outsized bag; be wary of taxi drivers at a station; bad vibe apartments end up costing you a lot of money; Samarkand is the grandest of all; some Uzbekistan observations

We enjoyed being in Bukhara but did find ourselves killing time on the day of our train journey to Samarkand. Always difficult to judge how long to stay in these places.

We travelled business class to Samarkand. This was perfectly nice with good air conditioning. At a stop called Novoi we were joined by two youngish professionals, a man and a woman.

It’s so frustrating not being able to communicate with our fellow humans. They were desperate to talk to us but none of us could summon up enough common language to have a conversation. I showed them some photos and the guy took a selfie with us but otherwise the rest of the train journey was quite awkward. I’m looking forward to AI when apparently we’ll be able to talk to anyone regardless of their language.

Disaster struck Steve’s back when we arrived in Samarkand as he tried to get my hold-all down from the luggage rack on the train. Although he was helped , it was too late and his dodgy old back went ping. Massive guilt from me for taking such a big case.

It was sod’s law that we would then have the most inordinate number of stairs to haul our bags up and down. Eventually we arrived at the station taxi rank and were descended upon , like vultures on dead meat. You really are easy prey at any station when you are travelling, particularly as far as taxi drivers are concerned. Tired and unsure of your whereabouts, you are an easy target for unscrupulous people.

We are still unsure if was a scam or genuine, but the taxi driver ended up talking to the owner of the apartment we were renting for a few days in Samarkand and told us there was no booking. Fortunately for us, the taxi driver just happened to know of a very good hotel we could stay at. This started an extremely frustrating saga of Steve trying to talk to the owner who didn’t speak English etc etc. In the end we went there anyway, there was a booking, the owner’s dad was waiting for us exit a very sheepish taxi driver.

On reflection, I wish there had been no booking. The dad was a lovely man and carried both our cases up several flights of stairs to the apartment,puffing on arrival, but what a strong man!

Our hearts sunk and difficult to know why. The outside was grotty but that’s standard in these places. The apartment was large and clean, it had a washing machine which was handy. It was soviet style – no frills, old fashioned but everything you need. The fridge had seen better days and the road outside was noisy but nothing dreadful. I think part of it for me was there was no useable outside space and it had said there was. There was no getting away from it, it felt really, really depressing. I just didn’t want to stay there, especially if Steve’s back was really bad and we were house bound.

It’s always difficult trying to rationalise a vibe. We said we’d sleep on it, as things always seem worse at night. I thought we might feel differently in the day and the area might be nice, aka Almaty. But we woke up and felt the same. There was definitely a vibe about the place we didn’t like, it felt miserable.

So after wrestling with our money conscious conscience, we decided to book into the hotel down the road but keep the flat on to store my case and do the washing.

Bliss! Our spirits lifted immediately. Light, airy and a pool! Annoyingly the cost wasn’t much different to the apartment. Could have booked it from the start. We’re still learning.

Samarkand’s sights are mainly in an area called the Registan. In my opinion, the buildings are the grandest we’ve seen. It’s quite staggering to imagine the majesty of the city in its time and the wealth that created them. Having said that, compared to Bukhara and Khiva, Samarkand has the least atmosphere as it is a much bigger place. Really though, they all need to be seen as each one has its own uniqueness.

We’ve pottered around most of the main edifices and have enjoyed people watching and local foibles. Here’s a few things that have caught our attention in Uzbekistan generally:

1.) Uzbeks genuinely love to see you and glow with happiness if you praise their country. It’s very touching.

2.) Muslim ladies in Bukhara and Khiva loved us! I’ve no idea why!

3.) Sliders and socks are the footwear of choice for the traditional older ladies as well as copious amounts of glitter on their dresses. I love a bit of glitter.

4.) in Samarkand, when you hail a taxi, you get charged a lower price if you don’t mind them picking up another fare along the way. You May also get a local picking you up. I think this is fine when there’s two of you but I wouldn’t do that on my own.

5.) All the hopes are pinned on the boy child of the family. They are dressed up like mini adults and are much cockier than the girls. Girl power has yet to reach Uzbekistan.

6.) Men put their right hand on their heart when they apologise, truly mean something or say hello. I really like this.

I think that’s probably it for Samarkand. We intend to see Timur’s mausoleum tomorrow but we are well and truly edificed out for now.

Mini stop in Tashkent tomorrow to catch up with our globe-trotting mates Jan and Nik and fly on to Azerbaijan- next stop Baku.

Ps. Steve is coping ok with his back. As long as he is lying on a bed chair by the pool. With a beer.