I describe a number of interesting I things it´s nice to share if someone decides to make such a trip.
- Do not pack the bikes in boxes too big. Go to any bike shop and ask for small boxes (Such boxes must dismantle both the pedals as the front wheel)
- You should not have problems in leaving the boxes free in a hotel and reused them for the trip back.
- In Uzbekistan there are several bicycle shops, I saw one in Gizhduvan, another in Samarkand and Tashkent there are several options, a shop near Street Navoy and Emir Timur, and also there are many pieces in one pside of the Chorsu market.
- In general we can say that the roads in Uzbekistan are in good condition and that drivers do not represent a great danger to cyclists. Only in Tashkent we have to watch out.
At first I looked at the lonely planet guide but it didn´t convinced me, in fact, if you only travel to one country in the area of Central Asia I can not find it very useful. Instead Internet, as in many other cases became a huge bazaar of information. To trace the path the best option was Google Earth.
Pages that helped us
http://amudaria.blogspot.com/
http://tashkent-events.info/
http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=13&iCountryId=62
http://www.foro.geoplaneta.com/default.aspx?g=topics&f=10
Maps of Uzbekistan and Towns
http://www.pagetour.org/
http://www.angelfire.com/sd/tajikistanupdate/uzbekmaps.htm#uzm
http://www.komiltravel.com/index/83536,
Hotels
In Tashkent we had planned to go to GuestHouse Gulnara but due to availability problems we had to go on the begining at Hotel Sam Buh (15 Dollares / per) and at the end at Guesthouse National House (8 Dollar / per), close to the market Chorsu Bazaar . (They speak very little English)
In Bukhara we stayed at the B & B Malikjon (12 Dollars / per), it was nice and the owners very polite and pleasant. (Speak English)
In Samarkand we went at the B & B Bahodir (10 Dollars / per), perfect environment backpacker to meet and exchange ideas with other travelers. (Speak English)
Former hotels of Soviet era (8000 sums / per), these were expensive and the facilities were horrible.
Also we stayed at very cheap hotels (4000 sums/per), which we had the conclusion they were in general picaderos "place to have sex". In the silence we could appreciate some groans compulsive female ecstasy ;-)
The Uzbeks
The Uzbeks are very quiet and pleasant, never we had an issue. We noted an innocence and a tremendous curiosity to the foreigner. A special mention to the Armenians, who by chance we were invited to a birthday party and we were able to live a crazy party as the style of the Kustorica´s movies.
We are captivated by the tremendous mix of faces. So many invaders and so many cultures have been in Central Asia that is a show simply visualize the look of the people. Interesting are the ethnic group called tajikos, they can have blue or green eyes. Some historians says, since Alexander the Great led one part of his army to stay in Central Asia began to born babies with green/blue eyes.
Police
We had heard and read bad stories about police in Uzbekistan demanding money or even seize goods at the time of inspections. I think that the importance of tourism has resulted from high levels of government to cut such practices. We didn´t have any problem, only its curiosity and boredom made us stop several times. Druk Jose Luis Zapatero (friend of Jose Luis Zapatero), a police officer told us when he know that me and Ana were Spanish.
Language
Very few people spoke English so it is very important to know a few words in Russian and Uzbek, in addition to knowing the Cyrillic alphabet. A simple greeting or farewell in local languaje, I think it is a simple protocol of respect that they truly appreciate.
Money & cost of living
We read it was better to travel with dollars and the truth is that it does not matter. Instead, you should change them by the local currency and pay in SUMS. Uzbekistan in a country cheaper for a European. Eat in a local cafe may be 1500 SUMS (soup, salad, bread, meat and te), 1 Euro = 1800 SUMS.
List price as a Guide
Bread-300 Sums
Plov-600 Sums
Meat-600 Sums
Salad-300 Sums
Samsa-300 Sums
Cheap Beer-600 Sums
Taxi on Tashkent-1000 Sums depending on the distance
Sprind water-400 to 500 Sums
Metro Tashkent-250 Sums
Tabaco Pall Mal-800 Sums
Museum Amir Timur-3000 Sums
Package Noodles-250 Sums
Religion
Uzbekistan is a islam country but from our point of view it is very light. You can see people drinking beer or Vodka, women with secies clothes.... The fact that the country was a part of the Soviet Union means, that there is a vision of religion very intimate. Yet attention must be done to small details in order not to offend.
Temperature
Our stay was from September 29 to October 21 and it was hot during the day and quite cold at night . A jacket and a sweater should be in the suitcase.
Very few people spoke English so it is very important to know a few words in Russian and Uzbek, in addition to knowing the Cyrillic alphabet. A simple greeting or farewell in local languaje, I think it is a simple protocol of respect that they truly appreciate.
Money & cost of living
We read it was better to travel with dollars and the truth is that it does not matter. Instead, you should change them by the local currency and pay in SUMS. Uzbekistan in a country cheaper for a European. Eat in a local cafe may be 1500 SUMS (soup, salad, bread, meat and te), 1 Euro = 1800 SUMS.
List price as a Guide
Bread-300 Sums
Plov-600 Sums
Meat-600 Sums
Salad-300 Sums
Samsa-300 Sums
Cheap Beer-600 Sums
Taxi on Tashkent-1000 Sums depending on the distance
Sprind water-400 to 500 Sums
Metro Tashkent-250 Sums
Tabaco Pall Mal-800 Sums
Museum Amir Timur-3000 Sums
Package Noodles-250 Sums
Religion
Uzbekistan is a islam country but from our point of view it is very light. You can see people drinking beer or Vodka, women with secies clothes.... The fact that the country was a part of the Soviet Union means, that there is a vision of religion very intimate. Yet attention must be done to small details in order not to offend.
Temperature
Our stay was from September 29 to October 21 and it was hot during the day and quite cold at night . A jacket and a sweater should be in the suitcase.
Nosh (Not exactly as written)
One day, I was approached by an Uzbek and striking out a sachet with green grass inside told me if I wlould wanted. I thought it was marijuana and denied the invitanción, but the following day we discovered that it was a mixture of legal herbs very popular in the country and it can be purchased in many places. Take a small amount and put under the tongue for a time. It seems that makes you fly but even we tried we didn´t feel anything special. It is important not to swallow, because it is very toxic and you will vomit immediately.
Spain / Uzbekistan
If you have a few days in Tashkent I will recommend you to visit the University of Foreign Languages , where Uzbeks receive Spanish as the first language. I wentone morning and I had the opportunity to speak in a nice atmosphere with the students during two classes. The University is a building cross the streets Beruni and Navoi, near the Chorsu Bazaar and the Madrasa Kukeldash. If you are French, also I hear that there is one center in the city.
Mainly theUzbeks know Spain by the soccer but also it was very nice to know that some of them knew Spain by a old story happened in times of Emir Timur. At that time, the king Enrique III of Castilla send some ambassadors to Samarkand with the aim of sending a message to the Great Emir Timur. One of the mandated for this adventure was Ruy Gonzalez de Clavijo, who wrote a a very interested book called embassy to Tamorlán, describing the experiences of the trip. A curiousity for lovers of history.
I´m sure I missing many other information and perhaps i will add in the future, but also I think it is desirable to leave some things in blank to be surprised insitu.