Samarkand then back to Tashkent

First up after breakfast was a visit to Ulugh Beg Observatory, followed by the Afrosiab Museum. At the latter we saw excavated wall paintings from the 7th Century which proved Samarkand was an important spot back in the day giving us a glimpse of rituals, religions, practices, social hierarchies which existed then. Then it was off to the Silk Paper makers where we saw a demo on the making of silk paper from mulberry leaves. Some of us managed to grab a most unappetising cup of coffee here which was so slow being produced, one cup at a time, that the first to receive the coffee were going back to the coach before the later ones got theirs. We are all running out of Sum or is it Som or indeed So’m - the National currency which is in thousands. For example 50,000 is about £3. A coffee was 40,000. We still have dollars and euros so that’s not a problem.
Back to the coach for a 40 min trip to a village house for lunch which was set for 20 on a long table. I am not a great lover of the food here which is cooked with a lot of added oil. The bread, fruit, salad is fine but not keen on the white slimy dumplings we had last night or the thin equally white and slimy “pancakes” today! However-when in Rome and all that. The lunch had been cooked by the ladies of the house plus the sisters of its owner, who come to help on a busy day. They had an outside tandoori oven and (thankfully!) an outside Western-style loo!
Back on the coach, Shakira told us more facts about Uzbekistan.
1874 was the coming of the railways, built by Russian Empire. Total length is 5000 km all over Uzbekistan. It is very important, especially in a double land-locked country, to have an efficient railway for goods to reach to and from ports. Life expectancy is 66 for men and 72 for women. Basic health care is free but private is available if desired. Marriage can be for love or arranged. Divorce is not common.
We arrived at Samarkand Railway Station and made the most of sitting out in the sun for as long as we could. The 17.29 from Samarkand to Tashkent takes two hours and 10 mins. The luggage has gone by a separate coach and we are going straight from train to dinner before booking into our hotel (Radisson Blu) once more.Read more