I have just returned from Uzbekistan and had a great time

I was on a small group tour arranged by Salom Travel, and I would like to share my food photos with the forum since I have enjoyed others’ posts.

I had read many accounts of tourists getting severe stomach problems in Uzbekistan and complaints about the food, so I was apprehensive about that aspect of the trip. But all went well for me and the group. All I heard about was one person’s gastric problems that lasted for a few hours.

I would say that eating cautiously and drinking bottled water should stand you in good stead, and you will enjoy your meals in Uzbekistan.

Much has been said about the beautiful architecture, but I especially enjoyed the warmth and friendliness of the people; I took many people photos that I will treasure. Smiles and sign language went a long way.

URL for food photos, password: food

http://opa.cig2.usa.canon.com/album/L9onYBz2po0L1iXx

Hi cordeliajc and welcome home. I'm glad to hear you had a wonderful time in UZ. We went last year and found out what you discovered - it was all about the people. Would you give some details of your trip? How long were you there? How many in your group? Where exactly did you visit? What hotels did you stay in and what did you think of them? Any surprises?

and... the link doesn't work.

I just returned also. I loved the salads and lived on those and bread. The meat was disgusting. But I lived. I did eat plov but just didn't eat the meat. Greasy but good. At the yurt camp the cook made me a "pizza". Fried potato base with chopped potato, egg, cheese and. Tomato on top. It was actually good

The people were amazing. Everyone wanted to take MY picture. Nobody was religious. I drank beer at every meal. My private guide was amazing, arranged thru Mir Corp of Seattle. He kept asking me if I wanted to see more stones or just relax and people watch. He got my style immediately.

Sorry about the link. I am having some problems with Canon Image Gateway and will try to work something out next week, when I will be able to contact the help desk.

I was there for about three weeks, with a group of 18. All of the hotels we stayed in were good or good enough, except for the one in Shahrisabz, once called the Shahrisabz Hotel, now called the Orient Star. The carpet had lots of ants crawling around on it, and the hotel seemed to be without a single vacuum cleaner. The maid cleaned the carpet with soapy water and a rag. There was an elevator, but it didn't work, and there was a blackout while we were eating dinner on the third floor. Thank goodness we were only there for one night.

The others were the Tashkent Palace, Malika Khiva, Salom Inn (my favorite, in Bukhara), Malika Diyor in Samarkand, Club Hotel 777 in Fergana, and the Intercontinental for the final night in Tashkent.

For the first time I did my journal on my laptop and will share some of the entries that might interest you.

These are re: my experiences at the Tashkent Airport. On second thought it might be better to have these under a separate topic.

Sorry about the defective link. I tried this several times, and it seems to work.

http://opa.cig2.usa.canon.com/s/m/FKiDfkuE5NL

password: food

Great photos - thanks. We loved the warm bread fresh from the oven and various yogurts - especially the one with dill and hot pepper (it may have been paprika). The Laghman soup was my favorite but my husband liked the plov he always took out the meat). I agree completely about the meat - truly disgusting. But finally, after trying various UZ foods, we switched to Russian restaurants or dishes pretty fast - they weren't as full of grease and tastier.

Looking forward to the Tashkent Airport report. What a chaotic mess that is!

I don't want to open up a political discussion and as always, travel experiences are highly individualized. However kimwits, you say "nobody was religious." From the conversations we had with locals, most people were quietly devout, waiting for political changes that will allow them to practice Islam more openly and freely. Don't let the booze and lack of religious garb fool you. They may not practice the Islam of the Taliban, but they are still deeply religious and identify themselves as Muslim. Especially in the Ferghana Valley, where Islamic traditions were more in evidence. I wouldn't be surprised that when the political situation changes, we will see a country that "looks" more Muslim. According to a priest I spoke to in UZ, the population of religious minorities has been shrinking rapidly since the break up of the Soviet Union, which also is something to keep in mind.