I am going to be spending a fair amount of time in Uzbekistan - it is huge, has the most historically interesting places to visit, and the train system. This is a mere transit. I had not realised that Osh is right on the border - it is just a few km up the road from my hotel. I go across on a Mercedes Sprinter, which I count as a bus as it is taking me along my route (just 80 km). The questioning is minimal and the words from the border guard are so gruff, I ask him to repeat - “welcome to Uzbekistan”. There’s a delay at this point, at least 30 minutes - a French and German traveler can’t get through. No visa problems - the border post cannot connect to the internet to process their photos! I should have offered my hotspot. We have another stop to make - the local men on board need to take time out for prayers as we pass a mosque. The other two travelers and I have quite the chat, comparing plans, learning from each other.
This is the current plan, by the way - should take a bit over a week. A lot depends on whether I can catch the weekly train north out of Dushanbe, otherwise I might cut across the border to Samarkand. This bus takes me as far as Andijan. It seems more prosperous than Osh, bigger buildings, wider streets, but not a lot to see.
Google, however, does come up trumps, sort of. It has told me the nearest beer is 80 km away, super helpful. Unlike Kyrgyzstan, beer is not sold in grocery shops or fridges on the street. But it is also saying a chicken place a couple of km away is really good - on the way there, I see a booze shop, and collect a couple of cold ones on the way back, interrupting their vodka drinking (out of tea bowls) to do so. The chicken is really really good - roasted, very tender, plenty of flavour - and served with bread, a slimy looking salad I don’t eat, melon (water melon and another with white flesh) and a pot of tea. The owner doesn’t let me leave without first eating two more plates of melon - it is very refreshing.
Around the corner from the hotel is a place that does fried chicken - I was kind of dismissive of it, but go in to see what sort of coffee they have (it comes from an urn) but am transfixed by the number and variety of cake they have on offer: there are five cabinets of cake! It is very good and very cheap, so I also trust them to cook me some fried chicken.
The most important historical figure from around here is Babur, born here in 1483, a descendant of both Timur and Genghis Khan - two brutal and deadly military men. He lost several battles to retain control of the local area so went off to conquer India instead, starting the Mughal Empire. There is a literary museum in his honour to the south of the city, but I didn’t go past his statue, opposite the railway station.
My next destination is Fergana, the ancient capital of the region. The train (another 80 km) takes me to Margilan, from where I have to catch a marshrutka - here they use the tiny Daewoo/Chevrolet Damas nanovan, and cram 7 or 8 passengers in. A driver of one says (in Uzbek) just look for the sign, Fergana. I see none. Along the road a bit, a charming bread seller tells me the same, in English. I see none. So she stops one for me. The sign is in Russian - Фергана - I had never thought to check.
Fergana looks even more prosperous than Andijan - wide boulevards, high buildings, clean lines. Walking through in the dark, I actually get a sense of uplift. My destination is the beer that Google had told me about, when I was looking in Andijan - some reviewers say it is the best bar in Uzbekistan. It’s in a beer hall style - I have the choice of sweltering outside with fresh air or having air conditioned comfort with the smokers.
I might be a little tipsy walking back, as I have three beers with my meal, my first shaslik. Maybe I should hitch a ride?
In my walking around, I find a place close to home called No 1 Pub - the one review says it is terrible, but I go in anyway on my second evening. I think I prefer it - it is not all men for a start. There is a big group at the next table, and as with many groups like this, one woman takes it on herself to try and get everyone dancing - she succeeds with most of the women but only a couple of the blokes. This pub has more of an open air night club vibe, with a live DJ - I actually really enjoy the music, which is mainly heavily remixed Russian songs with great vocals. The one English song is I Will Survive.
My meal is interesting - of the ten or so steaks listed, only two are available, so I try the Bon Fillet Medallions. Three come, with quite the range of roasted vegetables - a tomato, eggplant, a turnip, an apple and something I cannot identify. The beer here is really good.
It is a Russian beer - I might have already had a few samples since leaving China.
Cheers!