I was fortunate to have my hotel right outside the south gate and city walls. If the weather was nice it would have been nice to spend some time exploring the old town on my own but the temperature was falling rapidly as the sun went down.The hotel was quite impressive and better suited to warmer summer months. The main reception has giant area rugs, a satellite music channel playing on tv, several couches, and souvenir items for sale.In every hotel I needed to b...

I was fortunate to have my hotel right beside the city walls outside the south gate where I met my guide for today named Timur. He wore a traditional Russian fur hat for cold climates.Even though the hotel was outside the south gate we drove around to the west gate to begin the tour. My guide was highly knowledgeable and it was like pressing play on some audio recording he was giving out so many facts and information.We first started by the statue of mathematicia...

After my very strange morning in Tashkent I now had my afternoon flight to Urgench. I'd asked the driver the night before to come by 10.30 but the note from my agent said the driver would come at 11.30. My flight was 1.15 so I though that would be cutting it close but the hotel person said the airport is only 15 mins and not to worry.When the driver arrived we went to the airport and my first time to see Tashkent by day away from the hotel. There were many Soviet...

After arriving in Tashkent most tours begin with a morning flight to Urgench at the other side of the country to begin the tour in the historic fortified city of Khiva. Fortunately for me, the normal morning flight was sold out so I would be taking the midday flight leaving me with some sparetime in the morning to explore Tashkent around the hotel.This is my first time in any of the former Soviet Union countries and already from the airport and getting my visa I ...

My first night in Tashkent was spent in the rather luxurious Tashkent Palace Hotel. Normally I do not stay in hotels of this calibre and find cheaper options but as this was arranged as part of a one week package they probably had discounted rates than what it would have cost me to book.Uzbekistan is 4 hours behind Korea time. After the rather late arrival at 2am local time I was able to sleep in. Even if I slept till noon Korea time it would still only be 8am lo...