Middle East/Asia travel advice

[bennocelt]

Trains? No, cant pre-book in China due to size of population. If you do go to a train station there is usually an area for foreigners to buy tickets - but its usually at the back of the station in an out of the way place. Even in Beijing the foreign ticket office is hard to find!! So you can search for one, or queue for tickets at main window with about a million other people! Or you can walk around outside and buy a ticket on the black market which wont be that more expensive and easier if you are in a rush. (they will come to you)
Buy a sleeper ticket, you will get one, and even if you see that they are all sold out you can still get one from someone willing to sell. Also any travel agents near by a station always have a few tickets to sell.
Train stations are very daunting places for the newcomers - but stay calm as you will get a ticket but just be patient and flash the cash!

English! Chinese havent really mastered it at all, and you will see funny signs everyday ("ass taxi", "donkey bus"). Try and get a travel guide with a few useful phrases.

Visa Not sure about this, but I imagine it wouldn't be too hard to get one at the border - the Chinese are very accommodating (at the right price)

[weecountyman]

TCM, you need a full week in Uzbekistan to begin enjoying the country. Tashkent is nice, if a little grimy and testy, Samarkand is amazing, if grimy and testy, and whatever you do only eat in hotel restaurants (trust me, I've an iron constitution and eat "street food" everywhere, but Uzbekistan has its problems). The people are genuinely decent and helpful if a little nervous of foreigners. There is a very large and ever present secret police force, one will be assigned to you (as a shadow) and you'll probably speak with them once or twice, but this is for your own good as well as the Presidents!

Syrian stamps are available at the border, but it's sometimes a hassle and many people to deal with. One good tip, go up to the first person who looks relatively important (ie wearing sunglasses with lots of stars on their shoulders) and hand them a crisp ten dollar note. You'll be through in 20minutes, otherwise you could be stuck for more than an hour and overcharged.

[thischarmingman]

TCM, you need a full week in Uzbekistan to begin enjoying the country. Tashkent is nice, if a little grimy and testy, Samarkand is amazing, if grimy and testy, and whatever you do only eat in hotel restaurants (trust me, I've an iron constitution and eat "street food" everywhere, but Uzbekistan has its problems). The people are genuinely decent and helpful if a little nervous of foreigners. There is a very large and ever present secret police force, one will be assigned to you (as a shadow) and you'll probably speak with them once or twice, but this is for your own good as well as the Presidents!

Syrian stamps are available at the border, but it's sometimes a hassle and many people to deal with. One good tip, go up to the first person who looks relatively important (ie wearing sunglasses with lots of stars on their shoulders) and hand them a crisp ten dollar note. You'll be through in 20minutes, otherwise you could be stuck for more than an hour and overcharged.

Many thanks for the advice, I intend to stay in Uzbekistan for about two and a half weeks. I've been reading a few of the "Great GAme" books recently and can't wait to visit Bokhaea, Samarkand, Khiva and Tashkent. When did you go and when did you notice the police? Are they obvious/anything to worry about?

[weecountyman]

TCM, Bukhara is an interesting spot and while I'm lauding Samarkand (seat of Tamerlan/Timurlan the Great), there are a number of great spots to visit (Termez etc) and while places like Fergana and Adijan are nice, they can be a little unsettled. If you can spend a night at the Navoi opera in the capital, it costs very little and if they put on an Uzbek show you'll love it.

I was there for the 3rd time last year and while I have a number of friends from there, I enjoyed wandering off the beaten path. I took "The Alexander Road" and traced the mans steps around the country (where he was married etc) and I believe there is now a tour company near the Central Bank who offer this tour in a much better way. The tomb of Timur is also amazing, and if you've watched the movie Daywatch you'll appreciate it even more.

As for the police, I was in a market in Samarkand and I noticed a man who had followed me from the car park. He was just dressed normally and when I doubled back on myself I saw he was still following me. I simply stopped and asked him what he wanted (this was in 2005 and I was scared that I was going to get robbed) and he legged it. At the hotel that day I saw him sitting in a car and I went to the concierge and told him, he told me it's the secret police. My friends then told me it's normal and last year I noticed I'd a man following me in Fergana Province for 2 days, but it's okay in a sense as it makes it safer for you.

The food in Uzbekistan is very good, pilau (pronounced ploff (plov)) is tasty and filling. Try kumis (fermented horse milk) if you're in a nice restaurant and you'll be able to drink as much as you want without getting a hangover!

[thischarmingman]

you'll be able to drink as much as you want without getting a hangover!

I was wondering when you'd get to the important stuff! That's all good to know. I think Uzbekistan is the country I'm most excited about anyway so it's good to get some advice on it

[weecountyman]

I was wondering when you'd get to the important stuff! That's all good to know. I think Uzbekistan is the country I'm most excited about anyway so it's good to get some advice on it

I'm glad to be of service Horses milk is quite delicious, as is tan (I think that's fermented cow's milk). There is an Uzbek beer, Sarbast, that's brewed I think by Carlsberg or Efes, it's passable, but just check the label for producer as 3 biggies (Carlsberg, Efes and Baltic) produce most of the beers. A couple of small local brews are well worth it, while vodka there is pretty poor quality - as in parts of Russia you generally don't buy vodka produced from a city/region with a chemical plant in it!

There are good wines in Uzbekistan, said to be a legacy of the Greeks, and in a couple of spots, I cannot for the life of me remember the exact name, people look rather Greek, and speak an old greek dialect.