Friday, Friday! Up early to get our train to the city, Tashkent. One day in Samarkand was enough.
Early but clearly this place is a sleepy one as there was lack of people and many places closed. Still fresh and cool, we got up to go for breakfast on the roof, thinking we needed to be a little more rushed to ensure we got there on time. The breakfast was good and we were the only ones there which was nice as we had first dibs. I also took some snacks for the train to Tashkent.

Still tired this morning as I kept having the feeling that I was falling out of bed in the middle of the night because the single beds were so slim. Shower was good and woke me up though, like a big rainforest one!

After breakfast the receptionist called us a taxi on their version of Uber I guess.
A little Nissan Micra pulled up, with the largest man I had ever seen, he was the size of Uzbekistan so dont tell me that this car is going very fast haha. I drew the short straw and got in behind the driver to which I began instantly to feel claustraphobic as I could not for the life of me move my legs and the bags and coats around us was making me feel panicky with the smell of seat and the heat in the car, this also wasnt helping. Good job it wasnt far. We did however have to climb a huge hill in the car before actually getting to the station, reved the hell out of the car and I am surprised the gear box didnt fall through to the floor. Something was scrapping though I am sure of it.
We made it to the deserted train station, it was fairly grand I must say... just empty! We were far too early and had to wait for 30 minutes which would be fine if it wasnt so blinking cold! I also got told off fo putting my foot on the metal chair to lean. Over particular in this place aye!
Annie caught eye of the famous Samarkand Bread that looked llike an absolute humungous Bagel that would feed a family of 6, she wanted two but there was no way that was happening what a waste that would have been. We had to get one, we werent coming back and it was about 50P haha.

Finally time to board to train and we headed over to the platform, this was a 3 hour train about, so we opted for the 1st class. Thinking we would be left alone, low and behold we werent and of course Uzbekistani's sat in my seat, attempting a top trump and providing me with her best resting b**** face. The ole bag wasnt impressed to which she moved to sit across the table from me, facing me. Lovely... there was one guess where these lot were going! Typical.
And we were travelling backwards which wasnt as fun! The train began to move and of course I needed a wee. However this proved to be bloody difficult, I got up about 5 times before I figured out how to get in the toilet and when it was eventually free. Bloody nightmare! The fog outside today was very low in parts making it very eery and gloomy, the odd tree in the field sticking up out of the earth crooked with no leaves made it look like something out of beeetljuice or a horro film. As long as we were moving and no one was climbing onto the train I was fine. Everything in this country so far (apart from the mosques) are grey,black,beige and dull looking in colour.

We stopped at Tashkent, of course our carriage being at the front of the train was the furthest down the line from the exit so we had trawl back up to the entrance, there was a few panels of wood lined up on the floor going over the train tracks, I guess this was their way of hepling people get their cases over or not tripping over the train tracks. Only it wasnt working because they dont like to form orderly queues so everyone stampeded over the wood and it broke and feel in parts so it was a disaster just watching it, get over as quick as you can and stay on the outside dont get in the middle so you can be stamped on.

The sun had come out to play and it was warming up! We had a few blocks to walk (definitely thought it was closer than it actually was) but we were on our way so we just kept going because you need your steps right.
A pleasant city, much more affluent than Samarkand again. Very grand looking sand stone coloured buildings with some plush looking Uzbekistany fashion shops, wine bars and cafes, international chains of restuarants aswell and there were BLONDE people! YAAAH, I wont be the only blonde in the village like Samarkand haha. Looking more Russian some of them because the Uzbeks from what I have seen so far seem to have dark features.

We went past a university, that place looked the most shabbiest of everywhere we had seen so far. Of course we went past an Irish bar and what looked like it was in a castle looking building. Get into where the damp doesnt those places. Finally got to the hotel, Annie uneased as the hotel was behind the main road and we had to walk past blocks of flats and little houses that was obviously a little neighbourhood before the high rises got in. The hotel was nice, it looked new from outside and a random little ski chalet in the middle of these big buildings. Happy so far! Only problem when checking in they wouldnt accept our 'old' USD notes. The damn exchange place had given us notes that were flimsy and one or two were slightly torn so no where would take them. I tried going to the bank after we checked into our modern yet minamilstic and clean hotel.

Spending more time sat in the bank waiting to speak to someone to change my notes, they wouldnt do it until a lady came to speak to us a bank manager and agreed we would change it some of it. Until she left and the silly young plastic bank clerk then backed up on her thoughts and rejected it, had almost a full blown fight in the bank with a few of the managers they were being absolute arse holes until they decided to go back to the woman and agree with her original exchange and refused the rest. Going to have to get rid of this somewhere trying to avoid using the card as much as possible. Greeeeat.

We began walking, it was warm with the sun on us! (well... you know, as warm as it could be for 6 degrees in winter haha). I spotted a Karak Tea hut, he wantde to give us a bucket of it but a medium size cup was all he had so we went for that. Delicious! Walked past the theatre and music hall, its all very clean and prestine, the ole biddies on the roads in their orange high vis and witches broom sweeping up the rubbish. We got to the main square of the city, the Amir Temur Square, there he was again! This time on his horse. I spotted the famous 'Hotel Uzbekistan' the one that is in Race around the World! Me and Ellie would smash that challenge, I hope we can put our interest in for 2025! Found a city hopper open top roof bus, it wasnt leaving for 30 minutes so we waited by the steps for it to go, until we paid and he let us on, lovely blankets to put over our legs aswell. We were sat here for about 10 minutes before he came up and told us they wouldnt move because they needed minimum numbers of people to be on the bus before they could go. Absolutely FURIOUS! We had wasted 45 minutes in the bank arguing, not another 45 minutes waiting for this pissing bus and it wasnt going to move, so we could have seen things ourselves but we were just wasting time. We decided to get on the tube and get up north of the city to see sights that I had added onto the google map, Annie hadnt done any research so she was just following the leader. The tube stations, another grand place with chandeliers and grand stairs to the platforms. This place was trying to show someplace up or they have lots of money we dont know about yet? We got out to go to Minor Mosque, only we reacher at prey time and couldnt go in but it was pretty. At this point with all the walking between the tube and buses and banks, me talking to myself most of the time because Annie is texting her friends, I was done for the day and wanted to sit in a pub because I couldnt be arsed. We made it to Chester pub, a british pub that looked like it was closed when we reached it because of the blacked out windows. Smoking indoors is not banned in Uzbekistan! My gosh, it stank! Yuckkk. But the beer was good and I could people watch whilst Annie was on her phone.

I booked a trip for tomorrow to go up into the mountains because the thought of the original plan (navigating us through public transport and getting lost or misinterpretated was not what I was up for).

We basically continued down the street to another two restaurants / bars, the one that had raving reviews, 'Steam Bar' so we went. Baring in mind it was a Friday afternoon at around 4PM so people may just be finishing up work so you could catch an empty bar or the start of after work drinks. This place was quiet but they had plenty of reservations on the tables. It was dark and gloomy and like going into a medieval castle with dark gruesome and weird looking things hanging on the walls, could barely see anything it was so dark where they sat us, I asked to sit next to the window, it was very confusing because there was a reservation on the table at 9PM so they werent sure we could sit there AT 4PM! Not street smart here at all, everything is backwards and hard. The waitor came to serve us took our order and nodded, then left, not until his colleague came to retake our order was that I realised he had no scooby what we were saying so why stand there all that time!

We had a few and there was a mulled cider on the menu but I couldnt get one because it was out of stock we guessed as we couldnt understand them. After a few drinks we were ready to move onwards and outwards but not before getting tangled in the metal dangling chains into the bathroom, Annie peeing in the Mens and us trying to get rid of our dodgy money.

Getting rid of the dodgy money prooved easier than we expected. The bill had to be paid at the woman behind a specific desk, only she wasnt there when we went to pay and no one was paying any attention to us so I switched the money from my purse to the old notes and told Annie to move sharpish after I put the money down on her desk. Annie strolled out and didnt dash, I told her to go left she walked right. So the money part went well but escaping fast before the called us down the street didnt go so well, however, we were in the clear when we walked into a huge group of people so we couldnt be picked out easily with our hoods up. We felt like criminals haha. Well serves the rubbish service resulted from us being tourists and not from around there.
We made a leg for it and walked super fast, Annie's 4 walks and little skip in between to keep up with my strides bless haha. We walked through the Amir Temur Square and across to the bar which was in front of our apartment. We needed to eat ssomething as we hadnt all day other than two small pieces of bread at that dungeon. Didnt feel skeptical about walking through the well lit roundabout to get through to the restuarant, this place seemed very safe and chilled. However, I wasnt letting my guard down that easy, still watching over my shoulder left and right clocking who was by us and whether there were cctv anywhere. Hiding my goods and making sure we were under well lit paths.
Got into the bar/resturant. It was a popular one for sure! We got given more bread of course the staple diet of anywhere it seems. We had these meat skewers which seemed to be everywhere and of course Annie is partial to some beef and chicken! It went down well, we were naughty on the way out and grabbed a slice of cheesecake to go back to the room with and watch a tele with uzbekis on haha.
Bloody boiling in the room again, I had to open the window it was ridiculous and I couldnt change the temperature!
A long and eventful and emotional day, cant wait to sweat and sleep haha.