UZBEKISTAN SEPT 20 2015

September 20, 2015

Early morning flight meant 630 alarm, there were dogs barking during the night that awakened me and made it hard to go back to bed, I had a difficult time anyway as the bed had no mattress. I literally slept on the springs,

Anyway...as I was pre packed, it was a quick preparation to leave, Breakfast was good. I had cereal which I added walnuts, almonds, cashews, apricots, and raisins...yum! Some yoghurt, tomatoes, and cucumber rounded out me morning nosh.

We left for the airport on time and made much quicker time to the airport, 15 minutes, not the 1 hour we expected.

Check in at the airport was easy and I was under the 20 kilo max (15 kg).

At customs / immigration, I was given a difficult time regarding my passport. He insisted that I needed a visa for Kazakhstan. I was emphatic that Americans did not require a visa. He protested on more time but I told him that he needed to consult someone. Then he decided that I was ok...whatever.

Once through, I wanted to was in search of something interesting from Kazakhstan but there was only one shop with just a few items, Michael and I took the last two metal plates which had Kazakh designs. It was was t the highest of quality but it was unique designs so I was happy to find that.

Now we sit and wait ...

Our flight did board 30 minutes early and take off a bit before scheduled. The flight was comfortable and I sat next to a friendly guy who spoke English very well. He even assisted me with filling out my customs form as I was given one in Cyrillic. They were to give me two...but the flight attendant wouldn't. In filling out the form, the guy told me that the total amount of goods and currency couldn't exceed $2000 USD. I had already filled out over $2000 USD as I was being honest abut my phone, camera, and iPad. The warnings from the tour company concerning entering the country had me worried about being absolutely accurate. I would have' to fill out forms at customs. Oh well, I tried to be prepared. I at least had a primer for my replacement forms.

We entered the immigration hall. There weren't a terrible number of people so, already this was better and the horror stories I had heard. When I was my turn, I handed my passport and customs form over to the agent. He looked everything over, processed my paperwork,Andy was in!

Whoohoo! Six years after I originally booked my trip to Uzbekistan, I've entered the country. Now it has become my 95th country visited.

Next was customs. I entered the hall and began looking for forms...in any language. I searched and searched, finally at the end of the hall I found a few, in Cyrillic but as I had a form filled out using with a Cyrillic basis. Eddie and Reina come looking for forms, finding on Cyrillic also. I helped them out but then they found English forms.

Finished with that. I went to look for my luggage. While I was waiting, Elena told me that a guy with an Advantour sign was taking up customs forms. I found him and gave him mine. My luggage came quickly and the Airport guy had us gather together by customs. All ready to go, he came back and handed out our completed customs receipt to present at the Uzbek / Turkmen boarder. We were free to exit. This all took about 30 minutes at most, AMAZING! This was actually very easy and organized.

Out front, the airport guy took us to our van and we quickly loaded and were on our way,

It was only a 10-15 minute ride to the hotel. Tashkent has wide roads, in excellent condition, clean streets, and large imposing architecture. Our hotel was one such structure. Obviously Soviet Era, it is very tall and very wide with a 60s soft square design style.

The group entered and went to the desk to check in, Eddie was up. They couldn't find a reservation under Advantour so he tried his own name, Then any of our names. They had nothing, we searched for Sevara's phone number and finally finding it, we had them call her. Shortly, we were asked to go sit for a bit and it would be sorted out, so...we sat for a bit...everyone complaining.

Within ain't 10-15 minutes they were handing out keys and we were off to our rooms. I had pit it out there that I planned on going to the Fine Arts Museum of Uzbekistan and others that wanted to join should come down in 15 minutes.

While we were waiting the bellman approached several of us with the offer of 4000 som per dollar versus the bank rate of 2600 som. We were skeptical and told him to come to my/Michaela room in 15 minutes.

Our room was three times the size of the room in Almaty. There was a sitting area and a foyer also. Oh...there was a balcony. The decor was quite dated but this is not unexpected.

The bellman came up and we all bought 20-40 dollars worth of black market Som. If this went well, we would buy more.

A quick unpacking and Michael and I were in the lobby. Fernando, Fatima, Jose, and Elena joined. There was some discussion of another gallery but I knew that the Fine Arts was what I wanted to see.

Fernando figured out the route and potentially some cafe choices along the way. We walked along green parks and between the imposing buildings of marble and glass to reach the museum, Well, the name was in Cyrillic and something different in Uzbek but Jose determined that it was the right place.

We crossed the wide street and up the steps to a cassa window. The price was set at 10,000 UZS but a group of 5 was 40,000. We never could get the woman to understand our request, we paid. Also, I paid 50,000 additional for the right to photograph.

We entered and decided that anyone should just leave when they are ready, we were ,eating Sevara at 4pm and everyone should end up at the hotel at the time no matter when they left,

Floor by floor Michael and I saw 1500 years of art and ethnographic history. 7th Century Buddhist relics to the art of pre Russian Turkestan to Soviet Realists to Contemporary art. There are displays of East-Asian and South-Asian art and a few 19c painting form second tier European artists. Central-Asian masters are well represented and there is an impressive collection of Uzbek applied art - Ghanch and Suzani.

My favs of the collection were -

1. The two Kandinskys

2. Bibi-khanum Square - Svetovslavsky

3. At the Mosques Portal - Kasakov

4. Chaykhana - Volkov

5. Metal and Turquoise pencil box

6. Tazduci - Hair adornment 19c

7. Turquoise / Silver belt

8. Jeweled amulets

9. Colorful carpets

10. Scull caps - Fergana Valley

11. Men's Robe - Shakhrisabz

12. Mosaic Trellis - Madrasay Gazyan 16c Bukhara

13. Ioann Bogoslov -16c

14. Russian Venus

15. The Palm Grove II - Around Alger (Umarbekov 1988)

There are many more so...just look through the pics of my selections. I really enjoyed the museum.

We returned to meet Sevara and go over where we've been, what we've experienced, and what is to come. She was very nice and very pregnant, she listened to us and shared tips and thoughts on our next 7 days.

When we disbanded, I decided to go to a arts and crafts workshop that Eddie and Reina when r to earlier. They had thoroughly enjoyed it and raved a jut the quality,.

They had thoroughly enjoyed it as the items for sale had been made my the people working right in front of you. they also were able to exchange at a better rate of 4800 som to the $USD

A total of 6 of us went, Myself, Fatima, Fernando, Elena, Tess, And Judy. We needed 2 taxis. I asked out money guy to get us two taxis. He said he would get us a special price, we already know what Eddie had paid (10,000 som) and the guys first attempt at a better price was 12,000 som, not good. Elena yells out "8000 som". He said no. There were two taxis behind him and they agreed. Off we went. A good 15 minutes later we arrived at the location...a parking lot. We gave the driver 10,000 as he had been fair with us, the other taxi pulled up also. I went in search of our workshop,and hoped it was open.

I stumbled around and stubbed my toes a bit, I returned and hadn't found it. In continuing to search, Fernando discovered that the mosque looking building actually had a central courtyard and was the school we were looking for,

They had many little workspaces and were working on more art/carving in between selling. There were painted boxes (Russian and Arabic styles), wooden carvings and boxes. Paintings, ceramics, and some textiles, Bargaining was tough at times but I bought an amazing, intricately detailed box and two miniature paintings, one for me and one for my mother.

We had asked the taxi to return at 6pm and as it approached the time, we rapped up out transactions and met them in the parking lot,

Upon return to the hotel, we all went in search of food, Elena and I hadn't eaten all day.

We walked across Amir Temur Park and the statue (sun setting in the background) and on to the pedestrian way, along a different park. Near the end of the pedestrian way...more art. Elena and I were lures by potential treasure again, we had to stop and eat. Rambling around another 15 minutes, we entered "Food World". It was actually excellent. everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I had the most amazing thin crust margharita pizza. It was a medium and I are it all.

Full and tired, we walked back, enjoying the cool evening, we did notice that officers were stationed at the underpass walkways to keep everyone safe...nice.

We all said good night and stopped to rest, finally.

Michael was in bed...not feeling well. I told him about our evening and what we had discovered.

The. Night was cooling off so I opened the door to our balcony too cool the room off.

I wrote the days blog,,.very eventful, and edited some pics. It had been a busy day...my first day in Uzbekistan, :-)