UZBEKISTAN: Elspeth W - Carwoola, NSW

I must say I thought the tour was excellent. I enjoyed every moment. We had such a delightful and proficient guide in Shira. She was known and respected by everyone that showed us their crafts and workshops. She looked after us so well and taught us so much about every aspect of Uzbekistan. She was a walking encyclopedia about just about everything! We will miss her company. She is a very special person and we were lucky to be guided by her. Nik too was a charming tour manager.
We will all have many happy memories from the tour.  The food was all so abundant and very tasty – nice to be able to eat so many fresh salads and vegetables.  Everything surpassed my expectations – the Government and the Russians did an amazing job in repairing and renovating the wonderful mosques, madrassas and minarets. We were even lucky enough to see all stages of the silkworm’s life cycle, one way or another! It was nice, too, to be in a country where we felt extremely safe all the time. I very much enjoyed being able to see the Art Museum in Nukus – what a treat!
Uzbekistan is so interesting in so many ways: thoughts of Marco Polo and the Silk Road; all the learned scholars making incredible breakthroughs in the fields of mathematics; astronomy and medicine: the amazing Islamic architecture; the Uzbek folk tales depicted in the miniature paintings and bronze statues. Shira always had another story for us as we journeyed through the fertile agricultural landscape. Stories of tyrants and despots and empire builders – it went on and on. It has opened my eyes and whetted my appetite to learn more about the history of Central Asia and Marco Polo and the experiences he had on his travels.
Thank you for all the time and care that has gone into organising this extremely interesting Small Group Tour of Uzbekistan.