http://www.orizzontintorno.com/IT/Asia2002/Itinerario/10.htm
Паромная переправа: Баку - Туркменбаши (Туркменистан), Каспийское морское пароходство, Баку, тел.: (99 412) 93 20 58, факс: (99 412) 93 53 39, тел. в Астрахани: (8512J 584 676, 585779.
http://www.caspar.baku.az/tekushie.html http://www.caspar.baku.az/eng/podrazdelenie.html
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-- http://www.geocities.com/athens/agora/8949/sumgait.html
-- http://www.amazon.com/Sumgait-Tragedy-Armenians-Azerbaijan-Eyewitness/dp/0892414901
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Bischkek -> Fergana http://www.sambuh.com/kyrgyzstan/travel/trek2.html
Early in the morning after breakfast we leave hotel and we begin the travel across Fergana valley - on a way we shall see cascades of Naryn Hydroelectric Power Station, water basin Toktygul, plateau Susamyr, a valley of the river Chichkan.
Along blue waters of Chichkan River, framed by beautiful rocks, we mount on plateau Susamyr (2700 m). Here we shall stop on a halt and lunch and we shall make photos of Kurpsai Hydroelectric Power Station and Toktygul water basins. Dinner & night at coast of the river Susamyr in tents. The destination of today driving is 400 km.
Bischek -> Baku! http://www.globelink.uk.com/travelers-stories/travellers-stories/almaty-kazakstan-to-uk-on-scooters..html
Bischkek airport timetable (english)
http://www.stantours.com/uz_mn_vis.html v KS 5d 75$ ...
in 2001:
Rustam Jumayev, spokesman for Uzbek President Karimov, said that Uzbekistan was not a member of an "anti-terrorist alliance" established by the United States, and claimed the country's facilities would be used in the first instance for humanitarian purposes (i.e., rescuing hostages or pilots whose planes were shot down over Afghanistan). Uzbekistan's humanitarian pretences are belied by the fact that it has closed its borders to Afghan refugees fleeing the Taliban government and the US bombing.
visatorussia asks for 150$. Stantours 35$ /10-14 days
http://www.oxuscom.com/phoenix.htm
Currently citizen of the France, Italy, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Austria, Spain and Switzerland are subject to regulations where single-entry tourist visa visa can (but don't have to) be issued without visa support.
metro:
http://www.yp.onru.ru/inf/metro/tashkent/
consulates anche a Roma!
Country Telephone Fax Tashkent address Afghanistan +998 (712) 342634 Murtazaev 6 Azerbaijan +998 (712) 789304 777213 Halqlar Dustligi 25 China +998 (71) 1338038 1334735 Gogol 79 France +998 (71) 1335382 1336210 Akhunbabayev 25 India +998 (71) 1338267 Tolstoy 5 Iran +998 (712) 688247 687818 General Petrov 20 Kazakstan +998 (71) 1336022 1336022 Samatova 20 Kyrgyzstan +998 (71) 1338941 1330893 Samatova 30 Pakistan +998 (712) 776687 771442 Chilonzor 25 Russia +998 (712) 559218 558774 Nukus 83 Tajikistan +998 (712) 549966 548969 Tarobi 16 Turkmenistan +998 (71) 1525278 1525281 Tarobi 16 UK +998 (71) 1206288 1206549 Gogol 67 USA +998 (712) 771407 1206336 Chilonzor 82
Czech citizens don't need visa Google cache
project visa confirms Since 04.01.2001, because of: Kyrgyz MFA´note N. 011-23/3680K of 23.10.2001
visatorussia asks for 5days/75$, but stantours says:
Visa for Kyrgyzstan for citizen of most western countries for stays up to one month are issued without invitation at the Kyrgyz Consulates and at Bishkek airport.
Wien:
KZ: A - 1190 Wien Austria (431)-36791750 (431)-367917533 kazakhstan.emb.vienna@aon.at
ix-Mottl-Street 23;
UZ: Portzellangasse 32/1/5 Vienna (43-1) 315 3994~5 botschaft.usbekistan@aon.at TUK: Wien: Austria, Vienna +43 (1) 5036470,2 +43 (1) 5036473 Argentinierstr. 22, 2EG, A-1040 Vienna
new months names(wikipedia)
50$ 3 weeks!
embassies Ukraine, Kiev +380 (44) 293449, +380 (44) 2293034 2286870, 2293363 Pushkin 6, UKR-252034 Kiev
Uzbekistan, Tashkent +998 (71) 1205278,9 +998 (71) 1205281 1 Bol. Mirabadskaya 10 700090 Tashkent
Wien: Austria, Vienna +43 (1) 5036470,2 +43 (1) 5036473 Argentinierstr. 22, 2EG, A-1040 Vienna
stantours says
But! 3-7 days transit visa: 10-14 days
Travellers on their own vehicles should indicate their intention when making the arrangements for the visa support letter. Although the car is not included in the visa, significant transit and entry fees are payable upon entry to Turkmenistan at the Transport Department for both Tourist and Transit visa holders. The amount of these fees varies between USD 65 for motorcycles and 250 for larger 4WD and Minibuses depending on your vehicle and routing and is payable in cash upon arrival.
http://user.it.uu.se/~pierref/travel/uzbekistan.guide.html
I'm currently planning to get my Chinese visa in the U.S. and all others in Turkey. Is this possible or advisable? I know it is for Iran, but how about Kazakstan and Uzbekistan? How difficult is it to get a Kazakstan and Uzbekistan visa?
Both Kazak and Uzbek visas require an invitation, also know as visa support. If you don't have that it doesn't matter where you apply. You get it either by buying a guided tour or sometimes making a hotel booking, or for the independent traveller it's usually possible to buy support from a travel company in Central Asia without buying further services.
In Uzbekistan the following company has been recommended to me, but I haven't used them myself:
Sib Tourism Mr Anatol A. Borisov Furkatstreet 1 Tashkent 700027 Phone: 00 7 3712 452244, 457468 Fax: 00 7 3712 394407
You can also try Central Asia Tourism Corp, catfvk@sovam.com
However, it's always easier to get hold of a Kyrgyz visa, which doesn't require visa support. The Washington embassy is helpful and co-operative. Tel (202) 338 5143, fax (202) 338 5139. They will mail or fax you application forms.
Sights: To get your money's worth from Bukhara I would recommend hiring a guide for a day. When touring visit the Merchant's House, a rare restored rich person's house from the 1910s; it's great, have tea and dress up in era's costumes. Your guide should take you to all the local sights (each is just a short walk apart) and to the outlying Sitorai-Mokhi-Khusa (OK) and Bakhautdin (I wish I had visited it, from others' descriptions). I cannot comment on Chor-Bakr. Lunch at Lyab-i-Khauz is pleasant, but dinner choice seemed to be shashlyk where you could find it!
Sights: The Registan, Shah-y-Zinda ensemble and Gur Emir absolutely must be seen (take lots of film -- fast speed for low light interiors, a lot of high contrast sun and shade also). Khodja Nisbator mosque and the Ulug Bek observatory and Bibi-Khanym mosque were also good. I didn't hire a guide, but it might be worth it. For both Bibi-Khanym Mosque and Khazret Khyzr, the best views (pictures) are from outside (I would recommend just viewing the Khazaret Khyzr ceiling from the sidewalk below). Ulug Bek observatory is at the end of marshrutnoe taxi #17, Afrasiab museum should be on the map, just where the road to Chai-Khana Siab (restaurant) tees off.
I spent 9 days in Uzbekistan but 2 weeks would allow a less brutal pace & time in Shakhrisabz and the Fergana valley, but make sure they are on your visa. I found the cost of accommodation and transportation (crowded, packed aisles & odd arrival times) the biggest problems. If you have time, day buses (not much to see, deserts) Tashkent-Samarkand-Bukhara-Khiva & fly back (if you can afford it) would be much preferable to my T-B-K-S-T routine (max. night buses).
From: irce@urc.tue.nl (Guy) To: the editor Subject: Uzbekistan Date: January 1996
I just came back from 4 months travelling in Central Asia, of which I spent two weeks in "Uzbekiston" and two times one day in Tashkent as part of transit between Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan). I was lucky to have quite a reasonable knowledge of Russian, enough to help myself.
Thru the local mafia we "bought" our places on the train to Bukhara. The only problems in the train were a police check and an extra money wanting conductor ("the guys at the railway station told me that, besides the 800 sum (1$ = 40 sum on the bazar), you should pay 100 sum to me"). These problems were solved by knowing as less Russian as possible (the poor conductor give up finally).
Together with a Swiss whom we had "saved" at the Bukhara busstation from a crowd of pen-wanting children we went by bus to Urgench. After 1 1/2 hours delay at departure, bus full of tins of paint stocked up 1m high in the pathway on which another 12 passengers sit, 45 min. delay at the first flat tyre in the Karakum desert, 3 hours delay after again a flat tyre (trying to glue the already used spare wheel), 1/2 hour delay unloading the tins near Urgench, and again 1 hour delay due to a flat tyre (finally not repaired, we drove further with all the passengers sitting on the right side in the bus) we arrived early in the morning in Urgench, 7 hours behind schedule. From there we went by marshroutnoe taxi to Khiva.
Next day me and my brother went from Urgench to Samarkand by train. Problems, according to the conductors, my visas were only valid for Tashkent. Persistance helped, so they got tired. But then they wanted to "keep" the passports during the trip. Also bullshit and after a long insisting (ours!) we got them immediately back. Finally in the train, the conductor "ordered" that we rented sheets (which is not obligatory) and wanted 100 sum for it (usually 15 sum). Also he give finally up after my persistance.
People in Uzbekistan are afraid of the KGB which is still/again very active. Trains are a mess (inside much is broken), there are many sellers of food and clothes roaming the trains, overbooked by people let in by a conductor for a little bribe, increasing crime, conductors/ police wanting money from foreigners.
And of course it's very beautiful.
All my accommodation was arranged in advance through Salom Travel.
I stayed at Furkat's B&B in Samarkand (my room was $35 a night, but there are cheaper rooms); bland surroundings, but great bathrooms, A/C (but ask to see the room first: I was told that Furkat also lets out some very basic rooms in the basement that have no A/C or fan), and free tea whenever you like. And the location -- just east of the Registan -- is hard to beat. The breakfasts are also very good.
In Bukhara, I stayed at Sasha&Son B&B. It lived up to its reputation: a winner, if pricey (for the town) at $35 a night. There are now something like seven B&Bs clustered around Lyab-i-Hauz.
In Samarkand I found an internet cafe at the corner of Shahrukh Kuchasi and Pochta Kuchasi (the street with the main post office on it) about 1.5 km west of the Registan. They're open (they say) 09.00 -- 21.00, and an absolute bargain at 700 sum for an hour. Six or seven computers; connection speed: fair.
In Bukhara I used BICC (Bukhara Information and Culture Centre) opposite Lyab-i-Hauz; expensive at 3600 sum an hour. Two or three computers (one downstairs, a couple upstairs) connection speed: good. BICC is open 09.00
-- 18.00; closed for lunch 13.00 -- 13.45. Salom Travel -- on the same
street as BICC and right opposite the synagogue -- now have their own internet connection, but when I was in Bukhara (7 - 10 June 2001) they hadn't decided what rates they were going to charge (or indeed if they were even going to let `the public' use it). I was told that there's no internet west of Bukhara.
Samarkand's main bazaar (on Tashkent Kuchasi, by Bibi Khanum Mosque) is a wonder, a real highlight of any trip to Uzbekistan, and a great place to buy fruit (but remember to wash any fruit you buy before eating -- the traders periodically douse their produce in water from a standpipe to keep it looking juicy) and bread. It's also a great place to stock up on cooking spices, and a photographer's dream (but arrive before the tour groups -- the locals quite naturally can get sick of the sight of cameras).
The best place for fruit that I found in Bukhara was the farmers' market behind the Chasma Ayub (Spring of Job) reached through the park that contains the Ismael Samani mausoleum, around 1 km west of the Ark fortress. There's also a chaikana on-site (naturally).
One note of caution: I met several tourists who had fallen ill after eating at the restaurant (not the cafe/bars) at Lyab-i-Hauz [in Bukhara]. I also talked to a guide in Bukhara who told me that the restaurant had a reputation for that kind of thing. And yet, busload after busload of tourists is deposited there every evening. Strange.
the first thing to say is watch out for the prices; prices to enter the major sights for "foreign visitors" range from 500 - 1000 sum, with extra charges (250 -- 400 sum) for photo permits (not that there's a piece of paper or anything). Turn up at the Registan before 7.30 a.m. and you might be able to sneak in for free. There is a nightwatchman, but he doesn't seem to mind, and he will offer to allow you to ascend one of the minarets/towers for a panoramic view of the city for around 1500 sum. I can recommend the Registan and Gur Emir -- and the bazaar. You can gain access to the crypt under Gur Emir containing the tombs of Tamerlane, Uleg Beg etc. by gesturing at the floor; cost: another 400 sum.
Bukhara: well, the highlight in the old city is the Kalon minaret and mosque, of course. Entry to the mosque costs 250 sum, plus 250 sum for photo permit. You can climb the minaret (again by making appropriate gestures). Alas, I didn't do this, so I don't know the cost. The Ark is a rip-off at 1005 sum, but the bold might want to pay the price for the chance to sneak off onto the un-reconstructed part of the wall to take a picture of old city -- this viewpoint has the advantage of including the Kalon minaret.
[Editor's note: Beware of the lingering policeman, who might try to shake you down for a bribe for not arresting you for having entered this `forbidden zone'. Just ignore him and firmly walk out in that case.]