| Page Views: 168 Last Visit to Bukhara: June, 2008 | Central Asia's Holiest City by coceng - last update: Jul 11, 2008 |
13th June 2008 (Friday) :
I took the bus from Nukus to reach Bukhara.
I thought the bus would arrive in the morning so that I could save one night accommodation but it's not the case here.
It arrived at 1 am !
Taxi drivers swamped at me once I got out from the bus.
Oh dear !
I really hated that as I was so sleepy & tired.
I blamed the bumpy bus ride.
What to do, I just wanted to save cost.
Call me stingy but none of you guys would travel with a small budget like me.
Taxi drivers asked me where I wanted to go.
I didn't say anything.
I walked out from the crowd, away from everybody else.
Sat down & smoked.
The taxi drivers looked at me, I looked at them.
They looked at me, I looked at them.
Nothing was spoken.
Well, I smoked so that I could really plan what I wanted to do.
Should I find a place to sleep or just sat down where I smoked until the morning where I could find the place.
Once I butted my cigarette, I decided I should find a place to sleep.
It's 1 am.
I didn't want to wait for like 5 to 6 hours by sitting there, right ?
I had the time to browse through my guidebook just in time a driver approached me.
I said, "Labi Hauz..."
He mumbled something in Uzbek.
I didn't understand.
I gave him my small calculator & he handed me back with 10000 on it.
I thought that was way too expensive, I know it's in the middle of the night !
Negotiated a bit & we settled for 2500 som.
That was my last som !
I even showed my empty wallet to the driver.
The driver looked understood.
I got in his car. It's not even a taxi.
Well, in Uzbekistan, every car is a potential taxi.
For the next 5 minutes, we 'chatted' a bit.
Telling him where I am from.
From where I took the bus.
I asked him about a place called Nasruddin Hotel.
He didn't know the place.
I read out the phone number in my guidebook & he made a call from his mobile.
That was excellent !
Thank you Mr. Driver.
A few minutes later, we arrived at Labi Hauz.
It's a square with a pool in the middle.
Mr. Nasruddin was waiting for me on his bicycle.
I paid the driver & said Rahmat many many times.
Pushing his bicycle, I followed Mr. Nasruddin.
2 minutes later, we arrived at his hotel.
Nice place.
Clean.
The furnitures looked new as well.
The toilet has western toilet, no more squatting for me at least in Bukhara.
He showed me my room.
Fan.
TV.
Cupboard.
2 beds.
I asked if there's a room with one bed only, he said none.
The price : USD 10.
I asked if I could pay USD 5 only because I arrived at night & half a day was gone.
He said no.
USD 10 with breakfast, he said.
I really didn't want to argue.
I was tired & sleepy anyway.
I guess some tourists would just argue & storm out from the hotel.
Well, I'm glad to say that I am NOT one of those tourists.
I remember Satoshi was telling me when we were in Nukus that Mr. Nasruddin overcharged him...
I said to Mr. Nasruddin that I could only pay him in the morning after I got money from the bank.
He said OK.
I gave him my passport.
No, I was not going to run away.
I settled in the room.
Took off all my clothes.
Dumped my backpack & luggage on the floor.
Turned the fan at full volume.
Jumped on the bed.
Covered myself with a thick blanket.
SLEEP !
I didn't even smoke in the room.
That was around 2 am.
Zzzzzzzzzz....... |
At 9, I woke up.
After my morning pee, I went straight to the breakfast table.
Nice morning breakfast.
Chatted with 2 Spanish girls.
Then, out a lady, Nicole.
Said that she's moving out to another hotel, better hotel she said.
But she told Mr. Nasruddin that she's moving to another destination.
After breakfast, I went back to my room.
Turned on the TV, watching some kids programs.
Smoke in the room, of course !
No ashtray.
So I tore a page from my diary & made a cone shape from it.
Dumped my ash in it.
Simple.
At 11.30 am, I went out to have shower.
Get dressed.
I asked for my passport.
In Uzbekistan, after you get back your passport from your hotels, it's best that you check if you have the accommodation slips as well. All tourists MUST be registered !
If you are stopped by the police on the street, you can show them that you are staying at a place (meaning you have been registered).
If you cannot produce the accommodation slip, you might be interrogated further !
I talked with some tourists that the police will not look for EVERY NIGHT accommodation.
Maybe every 2 or 3 nights.
I took night buses.
How can I produce the accommodation slip if I spend the night on the bus !?
I had to go to the bank as I was penniless (som-less).
Walked for about 30 minutes, finally found the bank.
National Bank of Uzbekistan.
The center of Bukhara is such a busy area.
Labi Hauz (where my hostel is situated) is an Old Town area.
Changed USD 100 cash.
I got 139,600 som.
Not a good rate.
Now that I had the money I felt good.
Bought 2 samosas.
Walking.
Taking some photos.
Slowly, walked back to my hotel.
Rested.
Watching TV.
Drinking, smoking...daydreaming.
Then, out again.
Explored the Labi Hauz area.
Around the pool area, I saw Nicole (who checked out this morning) sitting by herself.
For the next 3 hours, I chatted with her.
We talked, we laughed about so many things in life.
She's in her 50's & her family is not happy that she's traveling on her own.
She told me her days during the hippy trails around Iran & Afghanistan.
I told her about me being perceived as one of them Gypsies when I was in Europe.
That was hard for me to travel because the locals regard me as a thief !! |
> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
 Comments for coceng about Bukhara | | | | |
Doctor38 Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:00 UTC
It is ashame that we can NOT rate your page, it is Hilarious :-) Very funny. You should write for living. You'll be rich :-)) Why can't travel guides be written this way? | dragontml Wed Jul 16, 2008 02:30 UTC
this looks somewhat like the postcard i received ! :D |
|
|
email me
add as friend
