| Summary | Smarkand is one of the place I want to go for the future in several years.
I guessed the route to there is via Middle east, and airfare is nearly same as Europe. I happened to find the route via Seoul, and it is afordable price: around one hundred thousand yen. I decided to go rapidly, to avoid the flight came out of service: I have experience my flight was canceled after booking. It seemed the best season is spring and fall, I decided in September. |
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| Itinerary | I planned 7 nights in hotels and one night in airplane of 9 days, since the flights of the Asiana Airlines were not daily. Each first night and last night in Tashkent, 4nights in Samarkand and one night in Bukhara. It seemed three full days were rather long in Samarkand, though I found the tour of 7 lakes. I planned to go the tour one day and old town in Samarkand two full days. |
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| Preparation in Advance |
Currency is UZS and US$. I planned to exchange from JPY to US$ in the Kansai
Airport. Then from US$ to UZS in the Tashkent Airport and Samarkand city. It needed for me to book the express train beforehand, but I'm not sure one or two months before. In addition, I was travelling in southren Hokkaido at that time. I was able to book from Tashkent to Samarkand, but not able to book from Samarkand to Bukhara and from Bukhara to Tashkent. I booked the air ticket from Bukhara to Tashkent soon, since I was worried the fare was going expensive gradually bay by bay. However I sometimes found out seats available from Samrkand to Bukhara, I was not able to book in last stage payment, it might be Visa card. So I checked seats left in morning trains everyday, It seemed I was able to get it there. I was able to install the Yandex Go, but not able to create an account in Japan. I thought to do when I arrived the airport in Uzbekistan. |
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| To Uzbekistan |
I got on the plane bound for Seoul in the morning, then killing time for
four hours, and for Tashkent. We arrived the Tashkent Airport around 10PM little late at sheduled time. It was needed only to present my passport throuth the immigration. I tried to exchange from US$ to UZS and to create an account for the Yandex Go while my lagguage came out. However I tride to create my account over and over again, six digit number didn't come by SMS. I always use international roaming in abroad, it might be reason. I had no choice, but I took a taxi. He said for US$10, I copromised, it was alredy 11PM. |
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| To Samarkand |
I got up early in the morning, I tried to create my account for the Yandex
Go again by getting e-SIM. But it didn't work. So I headed to the Tashkent Station by walk. The train bound for Samarkand was booths for 6 persons. I didn't remember, perhaps regular two seats was sold out. It took 3 hours and more to Samarkand. I took a taxi to the hotel for UZS50K even they said 100K for the first. |
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| Seven Lakes Tour |
According to the imformation in advance, it is crowded at popular spot
with local on sunday. I assigned sunday for the 7 lakes tour which was not matched yet. I booked the tour before departing Japan by the Get your guide. The driver picked me up past 7:30, usual sedan with two passengers already in the car. However I thought he picked up more person in the car or met up other cars. He drove to the border to Tajikistan without picking up more and meeting up any car. After acrossing the border the driver changed to guide and anogher car and driver came from Tajikistan. We changed cars. Two passenger with me were Japanese and Indonasian young women. |
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| Schedule | After going over the border between Uzbekistan and Tajikistanm, we visited
bazaar in Panjikent. Then we bought takeaway for lunch there. We left Panjikent and headed to the lakes. At first we droped a bridge on the way to the lakes. Then paved road went end on the way, after that it started bumpy unpaved road. So the car needed to slow down the speed same as bicycle here and there. We picked up a Japanes woman who was left behind with her tour at the way between 6th and 7th. We went back the same way we came, so it took 12 hours in total. |
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| First day of Samarkand | I visited the Bibi Khaym mausoleum, Bibi Khanym Masjidi, Go'ri Amir Maqbarasi and 3 Madrassah in the Registan Square. I came back to the hotel, and went out around 6 PM, having Palov, then saw the Square lit up. |
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| Second day of Samarkand | Hazrati Xizr Masjidi, Shohizinda nekropidi, Siyob Bozori and Ishrat Khana Mausoleum and one more Masjidi: No photo. |
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| To Bukhara | I asked the hotel to call a taxi, and went to the Samarkand Staion. I got on the train bound for Bukhara, one and hald hours ride took me there. Acturally Kogon, it is apart over 10km from Bukhara. I found out a taxi for UZS 70k, however first man said 300k. Though the driver picked up other passenger on the way, it was no problem for me. I arrived the hotel past 2PM. I visited Ulug'bek Madrasa, Abdulaziz Khan Madrassah, Mir Arab Madrasasi |
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| From Bukhara to Tashkent | After having bareakfast, I visited Chor Minor Momument, same as yesterday
and Buxoro Arki. I asked the hotel to call a taxi, and went to the Bukhara Airport. I discounted taxi fare from UZS200k to 100k in the Tashkent Airport. It was traffic jam to the hotel in the city center of Tashkent. |
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| Tashkent | However I intended to use Yandex Go initially it didn't work, so I checked the Tashkent subway. I visited Hazrati Imam, Magic City and Holly Assumption Chathedral Church., |
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| After finishing |
I was worried to run out of cash becase I was not able use the Yandex Go. But it didn't happen. When I went out from hotels, I asked hotels to call a taxi. When I went to hotels, I negotiated the taxi fare as twice or three times as expected Yandex Go fare. I exchanged money three times, airport, money exchanger and bank, the best rate was airport. |
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