2025 Central Asia Adventure – Tashkent Uzbekistan
Today’s Huntington’s Disease report is about my HD hero Shana Verstegen actually testifying TO THE U.S. CONGRESS about the risks of defunding the Affordable Care Act for all medical issues, and highlighting her family’s HD situation. She even pushed back on Senator Johnson’s stupidity and lies about his “Obamacare” boogeyman. The epic video is here. I’ve cued up the start of her statement, watch that and then also watch her responses to questions later: https://youtu.be/pTUw_ccbeOc?t=2414
Hello from Tashkent, the seventeenth stop on the trip. Uzbekistan is now my 73rd visited country. Tashkent is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in all of Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people – wow! A mild 5.1-5.2 earthquake in 1966 destroyed much of the old city, with 70-80% of Tashkent’s buildings damaged or destroyed, particularly the old city’s mud-brick and adobe homes, which crumbled under the shaking. Over 200,000-300,000 people (out of a population of ~1 million) were left homeless, with 18,000 structures severely affected. The USSR launched a massive rebuilding effort, deploying 100,000 workers from across the Soviet Union within weeks. Tashkent was transformed into a “model socialist city” with wide boulevards and standardized apartment blocks.
You’ll remember my aborted attempt to come into the northwest corner of Uzbekistan from dirt-town Beyneu but the border was closed due to construction. I had to go the long way across Kazakhstan on the train and am now entering Uzbekistan at its southeastern corner. The geographic boundaries of the countries around this area get VERY weird, so take a close look at the map and see all of the crinkly bits for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Then try to work out how to get from interesting place to interesting place via trains and minibuses. It’s one of the most challenging parts of my trip so far, and sadly I had to give up on one destination because it was just too logistically difficult.
Your standard country summary:
– Cool Ranch Doritos: No. No Doritos AT ALL IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY! AGAIN! Stop the insanity!
– Spain & Wise Debit Cards Work: Yes
– Airalo Worldwide Telephone/Data/SMS eSIM Works: Yes
– VPN Works: No. Really bad. Had to abandon trying to use it
– Cost of Living: $
– Currency: USD $1 ~ 12,185.00 Uzbekistani Som, Euro â¬1 ~ 14,216.00 Uzbekistani Som. These numbers are getting big!
– English Language Issues: English is good in cities, hotels, trains and restaurants. Google Translate remains very helpful for conversation and printed text
– Language: Uzbek is spoken by 85% of the population. Formerly using Cyrillic, it now uses Latin script since Independence.
– Government: A presidential constitutional republic led by President Mirziyoyev. The human rights record remains poor, marked by the prosecution of activists, bloggers, and opposition figures on fabricated charges, persistent torture in custody, and bans on independent groups, as highlighted in the 2025 Human Rights Watch report; corruption perceptions have also worsened, with Uzbekistan scoring 32/100 and ranking 121st on Transparency International’s 2024 index, reflecting systemic bribery and impunity for high-level officials despite anti-corruption drives.
Your Short History Lesson:
The current vast Uzbek region begins in ancient times as the heart of Transoxiana, a vital hub on the Silk Road linking China, Persia, and Rome, later controlled by Persian, Greco-Bactrian, Kushan, and Arab caliphates from the 6th century BC onward. In the 14th century, Turco-Mongol conqueror Timur built a grand empire from his base in Samarkand, ushering in a golden age of architecture, science, and conquest, followed by the Shaybanid Uzbek khanates, then the Russian conquest in the 19th century incorporated the region. All was not well under Soviet rule, with forced collectivization, the devastating Aral Sea desiccation for cotton, and Stalin’s purges. It gained independence in 1991 after the USSR’s collapse, led by Islam Karimov’s authoritarian regime marked by economic stagnation and crackdowns. Under the new democracy cautious reforms and partnerships are underway, but poor human rights and corruption persist.
In Shymkent I was up at 4:30am to get to my super early once-a-day train. Did I mention that I hate early mornings? The train arrived at the station and departed right on time. Two guys walked through the train doing currency exchange holding huge stacks of money. I wonder how bad the rate is and how many of the bills are counterfeit! I can easily roll to the hotel so no need for cash right away. Since it’s a short 4 hour ride I chose a seat vs. a bunk, decent quality seats with a power plug underneath. Wifi exists but is not connected to anything upstream. Ugh. My cabin was empty except for a guy called Vijay who sat right next to me. Born in India, he’s a documentary filmmaker, married to a Russian and lives in Moscow. He goes to very remote places in Russia and central Asia. He submits his videos to documentary film festivals, has worked with National Geographic but is now independent. I asked him to send me a link to his work but I never got it, shame as I’d love to share it with you.
The train went west, arrived in Arys and then headed south. We came to Kazakhstan outgoing passport control about 9:45am. Several Very Serious Men in uniforms come on board along with two drug dogs. They made me open my suitcase and did a very thorough check of everyone’s suitcases in the car. 30 minutes later I was called to a table in the front of the car, an officer with a cool computer thing scanned my passport, took my picture, entered things on a touchscreen and stamped me out. We pulled out 1 hour later.
The train went over a small river with double barbed wires fences and soldiers on both sides. There are no disputes between the two countries, so these measures are about smuggling of narcotics from Afghanistan, weapons, and illegal migrants.
We stopped on the Uzbek side for immigration control. An officer walked through, took our passports and put them into a plastic bag. He asked if I have a visa, I say no and he seems OK with it, fingers crossed! Drug dog on this side too. Another Very Serious Man asked me questions for what seemed like 10 minutes, everything was good but it felt very intimidating – easy conversation but you get the feeling he could make your life a misery if he thought something wasn’t right. They flagged Vijay’s passport as slightly damaged from rain. An hour later I got my passport back. After another 30 minutes of discussion Vijay was stamped in, but I can see why they would question it – he keeps it in a fabric pouch that’s not waterproof and has a substantial wrinkle on the picture page. He’s approved to fly out of the country, going to India from here and will quickly get a new passport.
I got Google Maps directions and rolled a very surprisingly long way to the hotel. The room is big with a queen & double bed and working Wifi, but no fridge or safe.
I asked Grok for a short walk in the neighbourhood today and plotted out Amir Timur Square, the Navoi Opera Theater, the Minor Mosque and the Mirabad Bazaar. I asked the desk clerk about cards vs cash and he said nearly everywhere will take cards so that’s good. That short walk turned out to be 17,000 steps so I awarded myself a double pepperoni pizza. The counter girl’s English was fluent and she was very sweet. I got home and had a 3 hour nap, but was awakened by wall-shaking music. The desk clerk says it’s coming from a restaurant on the adjoining wall. I went to find it – it’s a large “Very Very Turkish Restaurant” with a full dance floor and DJ going. He said the music will stop at 10:30pm, and I’m thrilled that it did just that.
The next day the front desk guy booked me a Yandex Go to the Uzbekistan Hotel where the Big Red tour bus starts & stops. When I arrived I asked at the hotel desk where the big red bus is located, a woman said go to where it is, the next trip is at 4pm. I said I would do that if I knew where to go. She walked me to the front door, vaguely pointed and walked away. I went out the front door, down a path 100 meters to the main road and saw the placard on the sidewalk. When I arrived two guys jumped out of a car and came up to me – I’m thinking they want to offer me a private tour but they say they are from the bus company. Weird, but OK. 200,000 he says, so I pulled out my card. “Cash only Cash only.” I held out my phone – card please. He got a card machine from his car and gave me the ticket. Jeez. The bus arrived right then and I jumped on. We stopped at the Minor Mosque first. The recording over the earbuds says we have a 10 minute break here but the conductor kid comes up and says 20 minutes. I say the recording said 10 minutes, he says 30, no 40 minutes. Ok, now I’m confused. I got off and the bus drove away, so it’s not an actual break with the bus waiting, it’s just the time for the next bus arrival. I wandered around the mosque and had a quick KFC for late lunch and went back to the drop-off point. The next bus stopped 50 meters away – in front of the Mosque but with a 2′ high spiky metal fence along the sidewalk. He’s just sitting there so I started to walk up and he waves me back to the spot I was just at! People are now getting out of the bus and handing children over the fence then climbing over themselves. The driver then rolls forward and passes some of them who chose not to jump the fence. He stopped 10 meters away from me and waved me up. People are yelling at him about the drop-off location, he yelled back. What an asshole.
I got off at the Major Mosque, and was told 30 minutes for next bus – I get the system now. The Mosque and its massive grounds are nearing the end of construction, with paper still covering gold panels. I watched 5 guys try to attach a crane to a box, it took 3 tries before it’s balanced, disappointing me that it got to the roof safely. I recorded the whole process hoping it would end up as one of those construction fail videos. I stood at the bus drop-off spot, the bus arrived, did a U-turn and just drove slowly past me. I threw up my hands and yelled and it stopped 50m down the road, a guy got out and waved at me to run and get in. I did not run. What is wrong with these people?
I got off at a huge market under a blue tile dome. The conductor kid says the next bus at 6pm is the last one for the day, so no missing this one. A huge open market of meat, cheese, veggies, fruits, spices, breads of all kind, overflowing into a ring of stands outside. I’m back at the bus stop waiting at 5:45pm, downwind of a smoky sidewalk fire. Picked up at 6:18 and rode back to the hotel start/stop point. I had a slow walk home, stopped at an Irish pub, had creamy pasta and chicken of some kind. My favourite Irish beer Kilkenny is on the menu but “No have” – damn! On the way home I walked through an Oktoberfest party street, wow. A mass of humanity doing stupid humanity things. Check out the pictures.
Loving a good metro system, I asked Grok about the Tashkent Metro. “The Tashkent Metro is Central Asia’s oldest subway system, inaugurated in 1977 as part of the Soviet rebuild after the 1966 earthquake. It’s renowned for its ornate, museum-like stations featuring chandeliers, mosaics, and marble, earning UNESCO recognition for several as “underground art galleries.” As of 2025, it has 5 lines (3 underground, 2 above-ground) spanning 70.5 km with 50 stations, serving ~741,000 passengers daily.” Bank cards work at gates for single rides so that’s good for me and a single ride is 1,700 UZS or just 14 cents!
I went to the nearest metro station and went to the end of that line, and looked to transfer to the Yellow line. This is where things get weird. The station has great architecture, the train is very modern. There is no clear walkway to the Yellow line, so I asked a lady working the incoming ticket machine, she pointed upstairs and made a steering wheel motion so I guess I need to take a shuttle bus. Up and out, walked to nearby buses. I asked a driver, he pointed to the bus I’m standing next to, so I got on. We pull away and there’s a stop, then another stop. I can see the big M for Metro sign on a building next to the road, so I got off. I walked to the entrance but it’s locked! Ruh roh. A lady walking by made “It’s closed” motions, WTF? OK is the Yellow line even running? I can see it above, like a raised monorail. I decide to go back to the station I just came out of. I crossed the busy road and went to a nearby bus stop. I asked the next 10 buses if they were going to the station, all said no. Ugh. Google says I’m 45 minutes walk from the station now, with no bus, no way to book a taxi, and no taxis driving past, so I started walking, through a very dodgy industrial area with no sidewalks and made it safely to the station. I researched somewhere for dinner, a place called John Dillinger restaurant and bar. I entered and the place is deserted, I’m way early. I had crispy fried sweet & sour eggplant, a local unfiltered beer and a piece of strawberry pavlova for dessert, then walked 40 minutes back to the hotel.
I asked Grok about the Yellow line closure, it said:
“Iâm truly sorryâI completely fucked up by not double-checking the current status of the Sergeli line (Yellow line) in my initial overview. Youâre absolutely right to call me out; that was a critical omission, and it could have messed up your plans in Tashkent. The line is indeed temporarily closed for maintenance, and I should have flagged it upfront. Iâve now verified this with fresh sources (as of October 19, 2025), and Iâll break it down below, including how it affects your travel and alternatives. Wonât happen againâIâll always confirm operational status for transit paths. Current Situation: The Sergeli line (Yellow line, 7 stations, 9 km, opened in 2020) has been closed since August 2, 2025, for planned maintenance and upgrades, including track repairs, station finishing, and safety checks. Itâs expected to reopen on October 18, 2025 but as of this morning, trains are not running yet. During closure, free replacement metrobuses have been operating the route (Sergeli Bazaar to Olmazor, every 10-15 minutes).”
Another reason to not trust the AIs, even when asking them to double-check! Even my standard Google search didn’t come up with this important nugget of truth.
I prepared to watch the Austin Formula 1 race but couldn’t get my stream to work – 2 browsers, multiple servers, VPN on and off. First time that’s ever happened. Ugh.
Bottom line: Getting into Uzbekistan is intimidating, but generally possible through an operational crossing. Tashkent is a very, very large city so walking is challenging and taxis will be needed for far-away interesting places. Customer service is not far from Soviet-style indifference. Being the capital and a major transit hub, it’s a must-stop and does actually have some good things to see.
Next stop: Samarkand, Uzbekistan
