Sometimes things go different than planned. Any way, it was my mistake, or however you could see that. More about that later.
Yesterday I complained that I do not meet any people. The hostel in Samarkand is well visited.
I meet Anna and Rene from Luxembourg. The two are retired and also traveling by motorbike. Their final goal is Japan. Rene has been touring the world a lot and has a some stories to tell. He had encounters with FARC rebels in Colombia and underground fighters in Thailand in the Golden Triangle.
In the evening I am running miles around to find a shop where they sell beer. The supermarket where I bought some yesterday, is not open on Sunday. The liquor store locked the doors a few minutes before I arrive there. So no cool beer today.
Very late in the evening Anna and Rene come back to the hostel and tell me joyfully: “We’ve just been to a brewery.” Nooooo!
01.07.
Actually, I wanted to enter Tajikistan today. My destination was Khudschand in the North.
It’s not that far from Samarkand. I spend the last Uzbek money for gas and water. On the way to the border, locals stop me and tell me that the border, where I wanted to enter Tajikistan, is closed. I have to go further north.
The departure from Uzbekistan works without any problems. There is one thing I have mention, the Uzbek border officials are super friendly to foreign tourists, at least to me,
I leave Uzbekistan, but at the passport control in Tajikistan – disillusionment. The visa is only valid from 05th July. I did not pay attention to that at all. When I applied for the visa, I assumed a much longer timeframe before reaching the Tajik border.
Entry denied. Back to Uzbekistan. Fortunately, I do not need a visa for Uzbekistan. Otherwise I might have been forced to camp for 4 days in no man’s land and beg for food and water. In the hostel I got told that it happened to cyclists on time. But they were well supplied with food and water by the border guards.
Back at Uzbek customs, the customs officer asks me: Jürgen, what’s going on? I explain my situation with the visa date.
Customs formalities require 1 USD. A bank counter is located directly in the border station. The two nice ladies flirt a little with me. This is a little compensation for all the hassle.
It is only 100 km to Tashkent, where I arrive in the early afternoon and stay in a hostel.
02.07.
I have to stay in Uzbekistan for another 3 full days. That was no my plan, but I can “waste” time. I continue north and visit the Farg’ona Valley. Except for the pass, where it is pleasantly cool at about 2000m altitude, it does not look much different in the valley than in the rest of the country.
I’m am a bit worried about a thing. In Dushanbe, the capital, I have yet to apply for a permit for a sub-region in Tajikistan. I hope I can do that on Friday, otherwise I’ll have to wait until Monday. I would not like that much, because then the “waiting” costed me a week.
Let’s see how everything works out.
3.7.
Back to Samarkand, where I will stay until Friday. Over the pass it is freezing cold and foggy today. But it was raining last night and sky is covered with heavy clouds, so it’s much cooler and easier to ride.
4.7
A few anecdotes and encounters.
In Tashkent, a guest asks at check-in at the hostel in a violent, outraged voice: How can I get Internet on my phone. How am I supposed to be able to move and orientate myself without Internet, call a taxi, etc, etc.
Some people are so dependent.
An Uzbek guest, a guy, I did not know about, whether he told the truth or lying. He changes his story every minute. He has never worked, is orphan, is 47 years old. He has 2 passports, one where he is 47 years old, one where he is 43 years old. He often goes to Dubai (I guess he works there). He jokingly says, that he earns his money with cocaine, then he says he trades in women. A loud cry from a woman who overheard our conversation. Then he says quietly to me: I have to watch what I say.
He asks me if I had problems at the border or with the police. I say, they are all very friendly to me. I ask how the locals are treated. Then he says, since the last change of government, much has become better. But the government and politics are still causing many problems.
I tell him: in Austria too.
Police is very present in Uzbekistan. The traffic police is doing their work and issue a lot of traffic tickets.
I was stopped once, but they were only interested in where I came from.
I took a break under a railway bridge in the shade once. That’s when military has been urging me, for whatever reason, to get out of there right now.
Women are allowed to drive here. I only saw 2 in the whole time. Many people stand by the roadside and wave to be taken along by other drivers. Seems to be quite common.
In multi-lane roads, Uzbeks usually are driving in the middle of the road or left. On the right side you always have to expect that someone suddenly stops without any notice or enters the street without looking.
You meet a lot of people who are traveling, a lot of people with different life styles. Sometimes you are lucky enough to meet really interesting people.
Karl Bushby started walking 1999 to surround the world without any geographical interruption. In these 20 years he was on his feet for 15 years. He estimates that he will be in England in 3 to 4 years.
Mostly it is political reasons that have extended its project from the planned 10 years to 20 years now and still may prevent completion. There are only 2 ways to go west. Through Russia or Iran. He has had difficulties with Russia several times and is afraid that both countries refuse him entry.
Tomorrow again the attempt to enter Tajikistan.