Captivating view of the Ala-Archa National Park in Kyrgyzstan.
Razman, our Uzbek tour guide, met our group of 24 travellers from Malaysia at the Tashkent International Airport in Uzbekistan with great zeal. He asked the group with naivety: “So this group consists of Malaysians and Chinese from China?”
I answered, “No! We are all Malaysians.”
That’s when I realised that Malaysia’s multi-cultural identity is a focal and salient point that needs to be cherished and embraced. Our multi-ethnicity is visible not only from our physical appearances but permeates every fabric of our daily lives from our food, languages, places of worships and so on.
Throughout our journey, I could not resist comparing Central Asian culture with Malaysia’s. Even though the Silk Road tapestry spanned thousands of years, my impression is that it is still homogenous and not as colourful as ours. I would say the region’s culture today is mainly Middle Eastern and a majority of the population is Muslim.
During our train journey from Tashkent – the capital of Uzbekistan – to Bukhara, a fellow traveller remarked: “Bukhara and Samarkand are the ‘spice’ of Uzbekistan. These places are Unesco cultural sites and are must-visits for any traveller visiting this country.”
I totally agree.
It is easy to move around the Bukhara and Samarkand regions. However, a local guide would greatly enhance a traveller’s experience. Our guides spoke in excellent English and regaled us with local stories and historical tales.
They always ensured us that “not-to-be-missed” sites are included in our tour.
The writer at Registan Square located in Samarkand. — Photos: ANGIE LIM
Some of the places that are worth mentioning include the Kalyan Minaret and Ark Fortress in Bukhara, as well as the Amir Temur Mausoleum and the Registan Square in Samarkand.
Historical places are aplenty in Uzbekistan and the standout features of their architecture are the unique mosaic patterns, sky blue domes and the intricate artworks.
The restoration works for these centuries-old buildings must surely be extremely difficult and time consuming.
Tashkent, which is also the largest city, has its own charms.
It’s a modern place that’s interspersed with many traditional aspects. The Hazrati Imam complex and the Magic City Park are examples of this.
We visited both places on the same day. Alas, being Malaysians, we were more excited about the prospect of shopping at the Chorsu Bazaar where spices, nuts, traditional and modern clothing, silk scarves, dried fruits and many other local fare line the streets. A majority of the shopkeepers spoke simple English and we had a field day bargaining and buying stuff.
We also visited a traditional silk-making workshop run by a family for generations. A young boy, perhaps about 10 years old, showed off his talent and skill in dyeing the silk material.
A street vendor selling various sizes of 'kurt' which is hardened cheese ball made from goat's milk.
We were also there during persimmon and pomegranate season and we ate them fresh off the trees during our visit to a fruit farm.
Our meals were mainly fresh salads, barbecued meats and the typical “tandyr” naan (or tandoor naan) which is a traditional, flat bread baked in a tandyr, or clay oven. The breads are adorned with patterns formed with a special mould.
We had our fair share of “pilaf”, too, which I thought was similar to our own nasi Biryani.
It was not to my liking, however, due to it being oily, coupled with the strong smell of mutton, of which I am not a fan.
The vegetarian pizzas were delicious, though.
It was also my first time tasting “kurt”, hardened cheese balls made from goats’ milk.
For the more adventurous, try a horse meat dish – they were served at almost all the restaurants we visited.
Several ladies' birthdays coincided with the trip.
Several of the ladies in my group also had birthdays coinciding with the travel dates and the group’s camaraderie was further elevated with merry celebrations and many cakes.
We took our time to visit Chimgan Mountain, part of the Tian Shan Mountain range in Uzbekistan.
The chair lift ride up to the mountain was very scary for me, and it took about 20 minutes.
However, I would not recommend this to travellers, especially those who suffer from a fear of heights. Furthermore, there is not much to see here, and nothing to do at the peak except take pictures.
On the other hand, the Ala-Archa National Park which is also part of the Tian Shan Mountain range but located in Kyrgyzstan, was simply divine.
It took a casual two-hour walk in the cool autumn weather for us to get there, surrounded by flora and fauna. The snowy mountain ranges, crystal clear rivers, squirrels scurrying and birds chirping made the experience better. Nature’s gift is indeed soul-lifting. I highly recommend this place.
My trip was mainly focused in cities and towns in Uzbekistan but the captivating nature of Kyrgyzstan is pulling at my heartstrings for a return trip to Central Asia.
The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.
