Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is a great country to cycle at. You'll find lots of culture in this the former Silk Route country. There are a few beautiful cities with a unique style of architecture.

In Uzbekistan you are officially obliged to register or have yourself registered for every overnight stay. If you sleep in a hotel, this will be taken care of for you. When leaving the country, all nights must be complete. There is a high fine for unregistered tours. Fortunately, the practice turns out to be smoother. Missing a number of nights will probably not be a problem. There are several stories going around. One is that you have to make sure that you spend the first three nights in a hotel. Another story is that you can miss a maximum of three consecutive nights between the registered ones.

The population is very hospitable and very curious. You are quickly invited and they all want to know what you are doing, where you are from, what your name is, etc. And they ask how much your bike costs and if they can buy it. Better not go into that.

Besides Uzbek (a Turkish related language), everyone speaks Russian, a few speak English, German or even French. All designations are in Cyrillic.

Some nationalities can enter Uzbekistan without a visa,, others must apply fot the e-visa, see the below figure.

Source: Wikipedia.

Uzbekistan is a police state! Everywhere, you come across agents (Militsia) in green, especially in the capital Tashkent. Everything and everyone is being watched. On the access roads to the cities and larger towns you will find various roadblocks. Normally, little attention is paid to a cyclist and you can pass without any problems. But be careful how you behave, if you completely ignore the agents then you run the risk of being called back and having to unpack all your bags.

Staying friendly, shaking hands and telling about your trip prevents a lot of misery. Compared to the situation seems to have improved in the past. French travelers were told that their embassy provides letters that can be useful in the event of a police check. This states that the person concerned is under the protection of the embassy and is requested to leave him/her alone.

Typical dishes are plov (rice meal with fried strands of carrot, chickpeas and chunks of meat). And then of course there's shashlik...

John and gudy consider uzbekistan one of the most vegetarian-unfriendly countries: "Meat is really in everything!! We have also been served a lot of what we consider disgusting foods such as vertebrae, eyes and guts."

Stalls on the street

In the autumn during the fruit harvest, fruit is for sale everywhere on the edge of the mountains and also in the mountains. As a cyclist you often receive fruit as a gift. Take a bag of rice from the bazaar and cook all those fruits and you have a delicious breakfast or lunch. A good alternative for vegetarians.

There are small shops everywhere that sell everything. You will find barbecue stands all over the street. Shorpa is a kind of soup based on mutton fat, with meat, carrot and potato. Samsa are puff pastry triangles filled with onions and mutton or (if you're lucky) onions and chickpeas.

Bread is fantastic. Baked in a tandoor, it is thick and nourishing and not bland. At the bazaar you can buy the base of nougat in a cut pet bottle. Delicious as a sandwich spread.

Restaurants

Plenty of cheap restaurants but the quality is often hard to find. In every village you will find a chajchana, where you can eat and drink tea.

John and gudy: "If you have a bit of a firm stomach, you'll survive."

Drinkable water

In populated areas you can get bottled water everywhere. The water is of poor quality, except in the mountain areas. The water in the mountains is reliable. Only high in the mountains are no more streams. In the deserts, finding reliable water is difficult. Bottled water is hardly for sale there. It is better to drink tea in a chajchana.

Best time to cycle

The best cycling season is from March to May and from September to November. Then you have nice mild warm weather. However, early spring or late autumn can be very cold in the mountains and in the desert. At night it is cold, during the day around 20 to 25°C. In other seasons it is sweltering hot (40+ in summer) or quite cold (around 5 degrees in winter).

Spare parts

In cities you can find bicycle parts dealers on the market. Do not expect super parts, but tires, pedals, simple brakes, everything of dubious Chinese / Russian quality.

In Samarkand you will find three bicycle shops in the Penjikent street (Penjikent kuchasi).

Nice routes

In the south of Uzbekistan between Samarkand and Termiz it is pleasant to cycle, both on the main roads and the narrow roads. Every village has a grocer with all the necessities of life. There are no hotels. This part of the country is quite mountainous.

Tips

• Because you are often invited, it is advisable to bring small gifts from your country of origin (postcards or photos of your house or of your family).
• For men there are not so many clothing restrictions (maybe only in the really remote regions where it is better not to wear shorts). Women should dress conservatively.
• Islam is not widely practiced in Uzbekistan. During Ramadan you can eat well everywhere during the day. Women can move around markets without being harassed by men. There is a nice relaxed atmosphere in markets.