This afternoon I was finally heading back to Tashkent for my last full day before my flight back to Korea. Rather than driving back from Samarkand, one of the reasons I chose this tour company was because it was going to be by express train.

I like to experience different types of trains in various countries and was curious to try one in Central Asia. I was expecting an old Soviet era type car but was told it was a modern high speed train built by the Spanish.

I'd seen lots of new high speed trains before, we also have a high speed rail network in Korea, so I was a bit of a let down, but interesting nonetheless.

As we arrived at the station I knew no photos were going to be allowed anywhere, as is the case at all airports, train stations, and metro stations, so I had to put my camera away. I said my goodbyes to Anvar who had been my driver for six days since I first arrived by plane at Urgench.

To enter the station you first go thru a checkpoint to see your ticket and passport. I only noticed later that my passport number had been printed on the ticket. You then go thru a security screening once you enter the building.

We had been listening to one of the Uzbek pop CDs I bought in the car, so when we ejected it I was still holding it in my hand. As we went thru the security screeners two officers were looking at the CD with my passport.

I thought they would find it curious why somebody with a Canadian passport has a local Uzbek pop CD as two officers were examining both before a third came over, which I was finding somewhat amusing. Then after lengthy examination by all of them to my astonishment they said they were taking my CD!!

I was totally thrown off by this. What possible harm can a lawfully bought music CD do and why is it being confiscated? They kept saying to me "check". I dont know if they wanted to play and check the CD or are they asking for a receipt?

When I bought the CD the driver and guide were both in the store with me and neither had asked for a receipt from the store. I did take their business card but that was in my bag with the other CDs I bought so I didnt want to show them that bag in order to get the stores business card.

I was so bewildered by what was going on. Never had I thought a local and lawfully bought music CD would pose a security threat and be seized. I just could not comprehend what was going on and couldnt speak. Its not metallic, flammable, hazardous, explosive, all the things you are normally warned about. Its just a music CD?. I'd never heard of this happening anywhere before.

Then they actually said to me "can you speak English" because I was so dumbfounded and confused by what was happening. I tried explaining in a jumble that I bought it at a CD shop near my hotel Grand Samarkand in the Alisher Navoi Park district and kept saying its just music and they could test it.

I guess they just didnt walk to talk to me in English so one man handed back the CD and I made my way still quite disoriented by what had just happened. Does this mean the same thing will happen and the Airport and they will try to take all my CDs? Its just music not state secrets??!

I wanted to put my bag down so I could open it and put the CD away inside in case I get stopped again. Then the guards started telling me I cant put my bag down or sit on the chairs and had to make my way to the guards at the doors and goto the platform.

This was a very bizarre station just like all other public transit centres. It was a new modern building with a cathedral like interior. There was a large stained glass wall at one end. However, bizarrely there were no stores, places to buy food, and the entire interior was empty.

No passengers were sitting on seats or waiting and I was being told to go right out to the departure platform. It was some strange ghost terminal with only police officers and no passengers. There were no ticket counters since they check your tickets at the first checkpost and I guess you can only buy or make changes to tickets thru a travel agent.

The platform was also eerily deserted. There were no passengers except police officers by the station doors, train officials, and car attendants. The train was brand new and a very modern looking high speed train. It seemed like business class service as every carriage had a uniformed smiling attendant waiting outside each doorway to welcome passengers in.

I had wanted a window seat but my agent did not know about window seats. My ticket did have a seat number on it. When I went in fortunately it was the corner window seat. Inside again it was a very high standard even though this was economy class. There were two pairs of seats on either side.

I'm told ticket price is only $30 and I wouldnt have minded travelling business class either. After departing we were also given headphones and there was a choice of three channels. One was playing music with a Russian choir but later they had a Russian movie playing on the display screen.

At the start of the journey the overhead display tvs did have a route map showing and there were speedometers also by the carriage doors. I didnt think to walk around or take any other pics but it was very modern and comfortable inside.

We passed thru countryside, grazing cattle, and distant snow covered mountains. The speedometer topped 215km/hr briefly but was on average about 150km/hr most of the way.
There was also a complimentary meal of some kind of salami sandwich, choco pie, and tea.

It was an impressive service and there are plans to extend the line further to Bukhara and even as far as Khiva but I dont know how many years off either of those are. I believe this is the only high speed train in Central Asia and should be showcased more internationally and to foreign visitors.

The reason I kept being given for no photography of airports or stations was "for security". However Japan, Korea, Germany, France, and Spain all have high speed trains, that train enthusiasts, locals, and tourists, all photograph with no security threats. There are always groups of people taking pictures of trains in Japan.

People travel across the world just to ride and photograph German and Japanese high speed trains and I'm sure they would love to have the same experience in Uzbekistan. Why do they even let people on the train if they are so paranoid? A lot of the regulations just seem odd to westerners and the whole bizarre CD experience just left me wondering what would happen next at the airport when I tried to leave.

My program said we were supposed to arrive at 7.38 but we actually arrived 7.08. I didnt expect my driver to be there, which he wasnt, and I was debating if I should just take the metro since I know where my hotel is now. Tashkent Station was swarming with police by the train station and entrances to the metro.

I decided not to as I didnt want my bag searched and any more nonsense. I had to wait till 7.40 for when he was expected to be there. Rather than having a large sign with my name he had it folded and tucked under his arm and just stood around.

He didnt speak english and I showed him he should have been holding the sign up in the air. I also tried explaining the train came half an hour ago. The car ride was even more strange.

Grandpa had "Rhythm is a Dancer" on continual loop on his CD player. I was wondering why someone his age would be listening to dance music from the early 90s and it just made a very strange ride to the hotel as the same song played over and over.

I was back at Tashkent Palace Hotel where I had stayed the first night but in a smaller room in another wing. Fortunately I had my Turkish Music channel again so some entertainment finally.