Day 14 - Panjikent , Tajikistan to Samarkand, Uzbekistan


At last the day has come. I finally get to go to Samarkand. Put simply, Samarkand is the reason we’ve done this trip.


There’s loads of photos from today, so I’ll keep the text short.


Dire night, struck down with stomach cramps and “batsman’s disease”. Where as previous disruptions on this trip could be assimilated to a 5 day test match, the overnight fun was akin to T20 - fast and furious! So I’ve felt very delicate all day, and despite the places we’ve visited, all I’ve really yearned for is to get to my hotel room.


Today’s shenanigans in short. First call the bazaar in Panijkent- a really genuine local affair. A bit dowdy, but great for people photography.

















Then to UNESCO World heritage site Sarazm, a couple of miles short of the border with Uzbekistan. Archeological sites are not really my thing (sorry Sharon), but this was nicely presented and actually quite interesting. Plus the little museum had a very clean toilet, which wasn’t a long drop. Too much detail, I know; but nevertheless essential for the well-being of your trusty correspondent.




On to the border crossing. All smooth getting out of Tajikistan, and at passports to get into Uzbekistan. However, the final bag scan to get into Uzbekistan got a bit problematic for me. Last one through in any case, they took an unhealthy interest in my backpack. They seemed to think I’d got a drone in it. Twice it was scanned, and the same result. Most of the contents had to be removed, but nothing matched the image coming up up on their X-ray machine. Eventually they decided it was ok, but they didn’t seem sure. I didn’t linger, and scuttled off to join our waiting group.



Still feeling pretty rubbish I slept all the way into Samarkand, only to be awoken by audible gasps and whoops as we passed The Registan - Samarkand’s top sight. I think we’re visiting it tomorrow.


After the usual long, lingering, way too much food lunch, we headed to the Ulegh Beg Observatory. A nice gentle introduction to the magnificent tile work that is to come over the coming days.






After that, onto Shah-I-Zinda, an avenue of stunning mausoleums. Awesome……..














My favourite photo of the day


Onto our hotel. And unbelievably it’s right in the centre of the old city, literally next to Bibi-Khamin Mosque. 






That’s it for today. Be prepared for Mosque/tile overload tomorrow.

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