Oh boy here we go again. 😂 This does seem never ending, doesn’t it? Over the next 36 hours I will travel by plane, 2 taxis, train, and two more taxis. Here is my travel days Istanbul to Tashkent to Samarkand, my new home for the next few weeks. It’s a long one with an overnight hotel stay but the final end to this arduous time period.
Istanbul
I spent just about four hours in the IGA Lounge and use the remainder of my nine-hour layover walking around and purchasing one final coffee. Late at night I head to my gate, its closing in on midnight now. I board my final flight in darkness on Turkish Airlines Airbus A321Neo. Comfortable seats and curt tired staff greet me.
A dinner is provided shortly after take off and by the time I am reached there is no chicken of beef left. It’s a vegetable pasta and inedible, it’s too hard. Not able to sleep on planes, I spend the time watching a movie and playing solitaire on my phone. Around 5am we arrive into Tashkent Uzbekistan. Its still dark as I make my way inside the terminal.
Tashkent
Going thru passport control is daunting. The officer is incredibly gruff. He barks “ISTANBUL” at me which I don’t catch at first because of his accent. I say ‘excuse me’ and he barks it again. I nod my head and he tosses my passport over the counter it drops to the floor at my feet. Utterly exhausted beyond believe, I head for the luggage carousel. I can barely stand at this point, and my body has begun to shake. After 40 minutes the bags still have not arrived. I see an ATM machine to head over and get some cash. Its blissfully straight forward thank goodness.
Next, I see two SIM card stands. I go to one. Them with no English and me with no Uzbek or Russian, I try to purchase a SIM card that can call internationally. I have to cancel that FlyDubai flight that I am still scheduled to depart from Doha on.
I end up with a card but no calling power and head back to the luggage carrousel. It’s now been over an hour and the bags begin to sprinkle in. Luckily mine arrives, always a relief after losing three now over the years. Back to the SIM card stand and with the help of a man from the information desk, I purchase what I think is international minutes but in fact they do not work. It is decided amongst all people involved with this purchase, that there is no way for me to make an international phone call using an Uzbek SIM card. 🤯
Tashkent Arrivals
I’ve now been in that luggage section of arrivals for hours. As I walk towards the exit, I see another desk with large signs stating that you must register your phone. I approach one desk, there are three. I am standing there for perhaps five minutes and finally the man at the desk stands in his chair and YELLS and points, “DESK 1, DESK 2, DESK 3!”. Apparently, I’ve been standing at desk 2 and I should have known to stand at desk 1 even though none are labelled as such.
In shock and almost fainting now, I head to desk one, pay the 10,000som and receive a QR code. This I’m told to take to Desk 3 which I do. That man speaks a little English and asks me how long I am here for. I tell him three weeks and he says ok you need to register. I do so and thankfully he does it all for me and I don’t have to go back to desk 2.
Taxi Piranhas
Walking through the green exit doors for nothing to declare, and I am absolutely swallowed up by taxi piranhas. I have never been hounded so badly for a taxi ride, not even in Cancun and Puerto Vallarta which are notoriously terrible for this.
I literally run outside the doors into the shock of -5 degrees Celsius and they are swarming me. Men in black, my field of vision is diminished and I yell, NO TAXI, Please leave me alone! Running the length of the building with all of my baggage, I go back inside and have to re-scan all of the things through an x-ray at the door. My arms feel lifeless and I barely lift my suitcase up onto the belt.
YandexGo
My research has told me that I should use the YandexGo app for rides in Uzbekistan. It works just like Uber. My plan had been to book the ride once outside. That was a disaster so now I have found a vacant seat and am trying to book a ride to my hotel. A man approaches, holding out his lanyard and looking official. He says he is here to help me, a tourist helper. But all he really is, is another one of these taxi piranhas trying to get me to pay him. I ask him how much and he quotes me 250,000 som ($28 CAD). I tell him no but he won’t go away so I ignore him.
With the YandexGo app up and running, I am able to book a ride to my hotel at a cost of 22,500 som or $2.60 CAD. I muster every last ounce of guts and energy I have and make my way out through that throng of males again. A few begin to approach and say ‘taxi, taxi’, but I ignore them and go to where I think my ride will pick me up. And he does, within a few minutes I’m off to the hotel.
Corner Hotel
Arriving in about 25 minutes, the Corner Hotel is a welcome sight. The man at the front desk is so kind I could cry. I am way too early to check in as its only around 9am, but he says he can try and get a room ready for me. While I wait, he tells me I can sit in the little café and have a bite from the breakfast buffet.
The buffet is meager and I select a few things. I am so completely dehydrated all I really want is something to drink. After about half an hour my room has been prepared. Upstairs I head and am so grateful to have finally arrived. I won’t say any more about the day except that it included mostly rest and a YandexGo delivery order from Wendy’s. I got a double burger, coke zero, two sparkling waters, one fries and one fresh lemonade for under $10 CAD!!
Tashkent Railway
The next morning, I am out the door, too early for the little buffet breakfast. I had booked this train ticket as soon as it became available on the Uzbek Railway site two months ago. That’s how busy these trains are getting; one must book right away.
I am experiencing complete and utter culture shock. Everything is new, different, very little to no English. I don’t know whether I’m coming or going but somehow, I follow along and get through the station. Bags are x-rayed upon entry, then in the middle you must wait inside until your train is on the platform.
Then you are allowed through the gates and outside. I am taking the Uzbek high speed train this morning called Afrosiyob. When I booked, I selected business class as the price was only $13 more, economy for $25 CAD and business for $38 CAD. My gorgeous train pulls in and the uniformed guards are waiting to let me into my assigned car and seat.
Train Ride
The train is absolutely charming, big comfy seats, some with little tables and even lacy tablecloths and boxes of tissues. After the train departs on time, we are offered a small bagged breakfast and coffee or tea.
Its absolutely freezing -6 degrees Celsius again. As we rocket along the Uzbek countryside at up to 250km per hour we pass patches of snow laden ground and frozen trees. Through rolling hills but mostly flat pastoral and agricultural land I travel. The ride is 2 hours and 20 minutes long and before I know it, I have arrived in Samarkand.
Samarkand
Now even further removed from anything familiar, I am at a complete loss. I use my YandexGo again, to try and get from the station to my Airbnb. Somehow, I have entered the correct address (there were 6 options) but ended up on the complete opposite side of town. I’m scared and I can’t stay in this car any longer so I get out with my things.
Standing there on the side of the road, the locals staring at me, I attempt to contact the Airbnb host. Lovely Fotima speaks no English but through the Airbnb app we are able to communicate as it translates for us. I order another YandexGo taxi and I pass my phone over to the driver who speaks with Fotima as soon as I get in.
We motor along for about 25 minutes and he is lost as to where this Airbnb is. I get a hold of Fotima on the phone again and they speak. Eventually he pulls into a small alley and there is my old soviet building, my apartment up on the 4th floor. My home for the next three weeks.
I’m here.
