Uzbekistan tour & travels

I like to reflect on a tour when I return, all that I thought worked well, and flag any tweaks.

In April it was our Uzbekistan Textile & Culture Tour.

I have been sssooooo busy [yes I am bragging and yes!! I have a big smile on my face 😁] that although I started this months ago, this is the first moment I had to add pictures and polish it up.

We toured Uzbekistan as we meandered along the Old Silk Road.

I loved the place so much when I did the walk through last year ... then the moment of truth when you bring guests.

And boy! was I happy.

Another brag- Creative Arts Safaris has the best adventurous souls to travel with - we are so lucky they choose to come with us and have fun.

From the moment I arrived in Uzbekistan, logistics were seamless, thanks to my trusty travel co-ordinator. 

Transport arrangements, including flights and trains, were punctual and comfortable, making it easy to get around. The local guides I linked up with were exceptional, offering insightful commentary and great translations so they we felt we were talking directly with our hosts. Lot of laughs and fun as were learnt about the culture.

Due to a funeral Altaney asked we visit her on the day we arrived in Nukus, she had put a lot of effort into a felt making workshop for us and working out what a vegetarian meal really was. 

Uzbeks are huge on hospitality and feeding people- she was inviting us into her home and had every intention of feasting us- then I said 4 vegetarians in the crowd- for weeks messages flew back and forth- no meat? like No meat? not even chicken- she was scratching her head- so where is the meal with no meat? Rahmat our guide in the Fergana Valley had a similar conversation with me- so funny.

We had feast none the less and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Back to Altaney- she had the whole day planned but we arrived late because of the change around- she really wanted to get started with the workshop- that vegetarian lunch was cooking but COULD NOT start until she had offered us tea and treats. Throughout her beautiful welcome I could see her desire to make sure we fit everything into her programme. What a wonderful experience.

Altaney lives out past Nukus, her forebears were Turkmen origin and she is a felt maker extraordinaire. Many of her family were/are farmers. It is hard to call- the shrinking of the Aral Sea to become the Aral Desert means the salt rises and good farmland has to be abandoned. She sells her felt products in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and her grandsons are joining her to learn the craft.

I wonder what other people in the area do when they can't farm anymore and don't have her entrepreneurial spirit to create a new source of income? Drift away from the homelands I guess- so sad.

To me Nukus and the warm welcomes we received, the feeling of being a long way, away from anywhere really capture The Silk Road and Uzbekistan.

There are few who make the effort to get out there and yet the place is so wonderful.

The Savitsky Museum is a Treasure Trove of Art. Nukus is renowned for the Igor Savitsky Museum, a cultural oasis in the heart of the desert. The museum looks a simple enough building, but stepping inside your jaw drops.

There is an extraordinary collection of avant-garde Russian and Uzbek art. The museum houses over 80,000 pieces, including works that were once considered controversial during the Soviet era,  Stavisky's vision to preserve these artworks, often suppressed elsewhere, offers a fascinating glimpse into a lesser-known chapter of art history- what an extraordinary feat- your eyes and heart will for ever be grateful to feast upon them.

Yep- the place leaves a big impression on me.

Icing on the cake was a performance by the Karakalpakstan Puppet Theatre in the forecourt of the museum.

Time with Gulnara, who not only showed us how to stitch Karakalpak embroidery but brought her very she appreciative to model a Karakalpak wedding outfit. There are always tea and treats where ever you visit.

Fergana Valley and silk, silk and more silk.

the time consuming task of weaving a silk carpet.

Early morning train- comfortable and with endless tea supplied takes you to the valley. It is nestled amidst the majestic Tian Shan mountains, and the cradle of silk production: a cultural heritage that spans millennia. Also the birth place of Babur who was the first of India's Moghul Empowers.

Ceramics and silks and fruit and vegetable production this fertile valley is a hive of activity.

Hand woven Silk Velvet is a cloth of wonder 😘

and then , and then there are the big 3- Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand- just beautiful. Well restored and easy to wander around, they are a delight.

I think Bukhara is my favourite, I like the local market, the variety of workshops and the easy pedestrian access. Next year this will be the place for a rest and explore day- there is a Hamman to check out and a moment to catch your breath, say pinch me- I am really here type thing.

I had included a visit to a yurt out on Adyar Lake but although beautiful it really was too far out to offer a restful time. Staying an extra night in Bukhara will be great. 

Travelling you want to pack in as much as you can but if you don't stop and draw breath it can become a a sensory overload. I do like to keep an eye on this .... it is hard because for all we get to do, I have a backup list of "Wish I had to time to squeeze that in too" list.

The little everyone knows about Uzbekistan centres around the remarkable buildings- and they truly are amazing.

This is the gate to Tamerlane's old Summer Palace- it is only 3/4 of its original height- can you see the people standing at its base? 

Anyone who travels with me knows I put thought into when is the best time to visit a place- often the best advice is to be there as it opens- most tourists are sleepy heads and you will get it mostly to yourself.

It pays off- the remarkable Shah-i- Zinda of Samarkand was all ours

I have so many lovely images- look back through Facebook or Instagram. Eye candy if I do say so myself.

I keep using words like feast and delicious- I suppose because the pleasure of travels is a full sensory thing.

Look at the most beloved meal of Uzbekistan- Osh or Plov- it really is delicious

All the sides that go with a wonderful Osh Lunch- never dinner!

Uzbekistan was a true delight and I look forward to our my next jaunt- you are welcome to share it with us.

 Sometimes an opportunity pops up- it might seem a bit suspicious- but give it a go I say.

My mate Megan and I were leaving the Ulugbek Madrassa in Samarkand when a guy opened what looked to be a broom cupboard and asked us if we wanted to climb to the top of the Minaret- Strange? yes ! but we jumped at the opportunity, giggling like naughty school girls as we climbed the narrow twisting staircase and popped our head out of the little hole at the top

AMAZING- grab every opportunity life offers, I say 😁

Of course I have his number on speed dial if you want to give it a go.