tours | Jason Around the World

Samarkand, Uzbekistan – Part 1

Attractions, Europe and Central Asia 2013, Restaurants, Uzbekistan No Responses »

Jun 102013

When I got into this part of the trip, I realized there are a ton of pics and details from this day, so I’ll be splitting my daytrip to Samarkand into two parts. This is part one, covering the train to Samarkand, a morning of touring, and lunch. I was lucky to have a day off from work this weekend, and wanted to make the most of it!

Had to get up super early this morning, because I’d been booked on the 7am train from Tashkent to Samarkand. I had hoped to be on the 8am so I could at least get a little sleep, but unfortunately there was confusion, and my driver picked me up at 6am to go to the train station, leaving me operating only about 5 hours of sleep. And no breakfast. And no caffeine. Well, actually a little caffeine…I’d found a bottle of water the night before, but it was sparkling so I used the gross in-room water kettle to boil some up and make a little instant coffee that was in the room. Better than nothing!

The drive to the train station was only about 10 minutes, and security was tight. There were at least three security checkpoints to get into the station checking tickets and passport, but by the time I got it they were already letting people onto the train. I’d booked the new-ish highspeed train, which made the trip in just a little over two hours, traveling in excess of 200 kph! There were three classes on the train – regular economy, first class, and “VIP class.” The price difference really wasn’t that much, so I booked the VIP! I was too curious not too!

A few shots of the seats:

One thing that became clear quickly. There were carriage numbers printed on the tickets, but no seat numbers. It was first come, first served, with the attendants trying to sit groups somewhat together. It all worked out on the trip down, but the trip back was a hot mess!

I won’t talk too much about the train trip, since I got many more details on the return when I was more awake. There was a food and drink cart, and it had Red Bull, so that helped to wake me up a little bit. I really should have had a second one…and just like that, a little after 9am we pulled into Samarkand station.

I’d debated if I wanted to hire a guide/car before arriving, and in the end, I’m glad I did . The sights were a bit spread out, and I got a good amount of history. Plus, a car and guide for an 8 hour day for $80 (or so I thought) was pretty reasonable. He was waiting for me at the station with a sign with my name on it, and we were off. He asked what I wanted to see….and I said all the historic sights. Isn’t that what people come here for? “No club? No sexy lady?” Uh no, and yes, I had to spend several hours getting grilled about girlfriends…him cracking jokes about “only 3 kids, that I know of, I have girlfriends in many countries.” It was irritating, but I tuned it out more or less.

After convincing him I really wanted to see all the typical boring historic sights, we were off. The first stop was the Ulugh Beg Observatory. It was built in the 1420s in order to determine the midday point. The most annoying part of this site were the two giant tourbusses full of Korean tourists. No idea why they seem to come to Uzbekistan in such large numbers, but they apparently do.

Anyways, back to the Observatory. A picture of the outside:

Machu Picchu

Attractions, Peru, Peru 2013 5 Responses »

Mar 212013

By the time we’d grabbed a small snack, the drizzle had turned into a steady light rain…not a good sign for our afternoon at Machu Picchu. Let me back up here and talk about tickets a bit. You can in theory buy tickets from the government website, but when we went the website’s payment portal was down for two straight week so we had no way to get them in advance except through our hotel. The hotel arranged them for us by credit card, and we were able to pick them up along with bus tickets when we checked in. There was approximately a $10-15 surcharge per ticket for this service, but it definitely beat being caught out in the rain with no ticket when we’d gone that far!

We took the bus up the very very windy road to the top of Machu Picchu, and the steady rain continued. It was actually pretty miserable, but we did manage to walk around for about 45 minutes until the rain let up a bit. A few views from the very top of the site, looking down over the valley:

Day 3 in Libya: Leptis Magna

Attractions, Libya, New Years 2012-2013 4 Responses »

Jan 192013

On day three, we once again got a not-too-early start at 9am for the drive to what was promised to be the highlight of the trip: the ruins of Leptis Magna. Leptis Magna is located around 130 km to the east of Tripoli, and the road is in pretty good shape the whole way. The drive took nearly two hours, but that is because the suburbs of Tripoli just sprawl and sprawl, and it was a good while before we were able to get any decent speed going.

Leptis Magna was initially founded somewhere around 1100 BC by the Phonecians, and really finally grew under Carthage around 400 BC. Around 200 BC it was conquered by the Romans in the Punic Wars, and that’s when it really began to thrive, and it’s that period that most of the ruins seem to be from, although some go back to the times of Carthage as well. Around 400 AD the Vandals conquered Leptis Magna, and it declined relatively quickly.

Approaching the ruins, the first ruin we came across was the Arch of Septimus Severus, built in the year 203 AD. It is restored, and thought to be a gift from the Emperor when he returned to Leptis Magna as a gift.

Continuing past the arch, the next area was the Plastra, a 3rd century courtyard for several different sports. It was in front of the Hadrian Baths, built under Emperor Hadrian between 126-127 AD.

Day 2 in Libya: Tripoli and Garyan

Attractions, Libya, New Years 2012-2013 No Responses »

Jan 182013

We decided to head out at 9am again on the second day, since once again it would involve quite a bit of driving. The plan was to take the airport road south out of Tripoli, stopping by the ruins of the Qadaffi compound on the way, and then heading to the Nafusa mountains and the town of Garyan.

The former Qadaffi compound (known as the Bab Al-Aziza) sits on a roundabout on the airport road on the south side of Tripoli, right before you leave the main part of the city on the way to the airport. It used to sit on several square city blocks, taking up a huge amount of real estate. NATO airstrikes did quite a number on this place, but ever defiant, one of Qadaffi’s sons sneaked out through its network of underground tunnels and actually gave a press conference at a hotel on the other side of the roundabout. Eventually, near the end when Tripoli fell, revolutionaries burst through the gates and pretty much took anything that wasn’t bolted down. Now, the entire site is a huge heap of rubble more or less.

The remains of the main headquarters building:

Day 1 in Libya: Zawiyah and Sabrata

Attractions, Libya, New Years 2012-2013 No Responses »

Jan 172013

I had arranged with my guide the night before to pick me up at the (very quiet) hotel at 9 the next morning, and we had a decently long drive planned to see a couple of sights before returning to Tripoli for a short walking tour of the old city. As I mentioned, I was the only guest in the hotel but that didn’t stop them from setting out the whole breakfast buffet just for me. Fresh orange juice, breads, jams, cheeses, and instant coffee….argh. Somehow, I managed to survive on instant coffee for four days, which was a minor miracle in itself!

Our first stop for the day was the town of Zawiyah, located around 50km to the west of Tripoli. Between March 6 and 8, 2011 there were large-scale protests in Zawiyah, and rebels/protesters took the town. After some very nasty fighting Qadaffi troops took it back on March 10. Protests picked up again in a few days, and continued through August when Qadaffi troops were finally forced to abandon the city on their retreat towards Tripoli. All around the main town centre were buildings that had been heavily damaged by the fighting. A government building:

Exploring Haïti – Touring around and sights seen

Attractions, Haiti, Haiti 2012 4 Responses »

Sep 202012

Promptly at 9am I was picked up by my guide, and we were off for our tour of the Port-au-Prince area. Before even booking my tickets, I’d contacted Voyages Lumiere to enquire about a tour/guide/driver. I’d heard enough rough stuff in the media about Haiti that I was uncomfortable attempting it on my own, especially for a short trip. I felt more comfortable having a driver arranged, and someone who could help me maximize my time there. Jacqui was quick to respond, proposed what looked like a great itinerary, and I was set! Jacqui is English, but has lived in Haïti for most of the last 15+ years, so she knows the country like a local. She speaks Creole, and as I was to learn – everyone knows her. I would very highly recommend using Voyages Lumiere if you go to Haïti. That said, on with the show!

We set off out of Petionville, and down toward the city centre. First stop was to see some of the old “gingerbread houses.” Many of them are quite run-down and in poor condition now, but after the earthquake many of them are also being restored. They’re in the process of being added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which should hopefully help with restoring them a bit. I didn’t manage to get any pics of them, but also didn’t feel like there were any really good shots to be had. We continued into the city, and headed down to Heroes Square. From there, we continued down to the National Palace, which was destroyed in the Earthquake. A few pictures of the square, as long as the ruins of the Palace:

Touring around St Vincent and SVD to GND (Grenada) on LIAT

6 Countries in 6 Days Caribbean Trip, Grenada, St Vincent, Uncategorized No Responses »

Jul 122012

Having arrived in St Vincent, it was already quite late. However, it was quite easy to get a taxi to my hotel, the Paradise Beach Hotel and check-in was swift. The AC was strong, and it was still an hour til closing time at the hotel bar on the beach…which was filled mainly with Trinidadian businessmen trying to impress anyone that would talk to them. It made for a few interesting discussions! Now, a few thoughts on the hotel:

The restaurant was odd. Yes, they served food, but it doubled as the hotel bar and patio. However, when asked, the bartender could produce a menu and breakfast, dinner, snacks…you name it. More than adequate, and the two meals I ate there were very tasty. Rooms were clean (but spartan) and the AC was strong enough to keep cool, so overall it was a bargain for the price paid. I would definitely stay here again, although you really need a taxi to get anywhere. That said, when asked, the hotel staff could easily arrange taxis to get you anywhere you needed.

I finished off the evening watching reruns of the Tour de France Prologue, and a couple local beers, while trying to explain cycling to the Trinidadians. They found it “a challenging sport, but I could never wear all that elastic clothes.” Hmmm!

Local brews consumed, I passed out for almost 10 straight hours due to sheer exhaustion. It was time to rise, and start the day. It took me a good hour to get moving, but when I did I found “breakfast” was just at the bar. Sat outside watching the waves, and when the bartender brought the menu I just skipped it…and told him to bring me what he’d eat for breakfast. Turned out to be a perfect choice!

Salt fish, hot peppers, and some local bakes (bread rolls) which I swear weighed at least a pound each they were so dense…but OMG it was delicious. Coffee consumed, I was ready to try and arrange a day of touring! Oh, but first I caught up on a bit of internet time, while enjoying the view from breakfast:

I must admit…it was 10am, and I was just not feeling it. I don’t know if it was jet-lag, the 10 hours of sleep was too much, but I was absolutely exhausted and sluggish. I’ll admit taking an hour nap post-breakfast, before stopping by the front desk and asking to arrange a tour. She got to work on it, while I headed back to the bar for more wave-watching and a couple of delicious diet cokes. Soon, a torrential downpour started, and I was informed that my tour could begin at 12:30 and the driver was mine for $50 to take me wherever I wanted for up to four hours. Perfect!

Touring around St Lucia and SLU (St Lucia) to SVD (St Vincent) on LIAT

6 Countries in 6 Days Caribbean Trip, St Lucia, St Vincent No Responses »

Jul 112012

After landing and a very quick trip through immigration where I confused the officer (transit? how do you transit? oh, you’re going to the domestic/regional airport….what will you do here for 10 hours? Oh, fascinating.) I was through in less than 3 minutes thanks to the American escort. Talk about amazing service. I think I’m going to get some business cards with this website printed…if nothing else to share with immigration officers. It lends credibility to my “country collecting/visiting” story, and immediately defuses the tension when they see my 192 page passport.

Based on very strong recommendations on TripAdvisor, I’d booked my day with Serenity Vacations and Tours. I was doubly sold when their transfer service promised “homemade rum punch.” I mean, come on, how much better does it get?! Immediately through immigration the very cheerful representative and driver met me, and we were set for the day. Up front, the van was wonderful (at least six people could have fit in it comfortably), the rum punch was delicious and plentiful, and the local beer was also supplied. Now, on to what we actually DID!

Landing was just before 2pm, so it was around 2:15 by the time we got going. We did a short drive, and my guide was fantastic in answering all the little questions I had about St Lucia. Questions about the demographics, economy, politics, you name it. She knew her country well, and was thrilled to share the details. I knew I was in great hands! First, a view from the side of the road near the start of our drive:

Before doing any actual climbing, we stopped at the Tet Paul nature reserve, where I got a fantastic view of the Pitons….this is two small mountains known as Gros Piton and Ptit Piton. Honestly, they’re almost the same size, and the easiest way to tell them apart is that Ptit Piton is more “pointy” shaped. We did a short hike around Tet Paul, and got some great views of the Pitons:

Cultural Walking Tour of Sofia, Bulgaria

bulgaria, hotels, Indian Ocean and South Asia 2012, Restaurants No Responses »

Jun 082012

After landing about 1pm, first chore was to get cash from the ABM and head to the hotel. Based on advice from Wikitravel, I decided to get a taxi from the soothingly named “OK Taxi” – and true to name, they were ok! The lady at the counter walked me out to a taxi, who didn’t speak English but we did just fine in French, and he was very curious why I’d chosen to visit his city – even more curious when he found it was for just one day! Wikitravel had told me to expect 10-12 leva for the taxi, and it came to 9,20…wow, a city with an honest taxi system, I was liking this place already.

This is a good place to mention…I was seriously impressed with Sofia, which given how tired and jet lagged I was says quite a bit. Although it was a brief trip, I was perhaps more impressed than with any other place I’ve visited in eastern europe. I can’t wait to go back for a longer trip, and explore more of the country. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and between English, French, and Russian I never once had any trouble communicating…and not just getting what I “needed” but asking enough questions to get what I was really looking for. Huge thumbs up!

That said, in deference to points collecting and status whoring, I decided to stay at the super-cheap and affordable Sheraton Sofia. Was upgraded to a fantastic junior suite which was amazing for the one short night. Friendly, helpful staff that answered all the questions I had, went out of their way to help me find things, and all-around were awesome. Highly recommend this place based on my brief experience!

By this time it was around 3pm, and I headed out for a few hour walk in advance of the 6:30pm tour I was planning to take. Walked a total of around 8km around the city, just taking in sights. Stopped for a couple espressos (I confess, one of them was at Starbucks for all-too-predictable and needed caffeination) and then just camped out for a little bit at a small cafe near the start of the tour for a couple local beers and people-watching.

For a tour, and to see as much as possible in a short time, I’d decided to go on a walking tour with Free Sofia Tour – which was also ranked the number one thing to do on Tripadvisor! Let me just say, it was definitely an excellent choice! They say the tour is about two hours, but our guide was fantastic, and at the urging of our group of approximately 10 he went for nearly 3 hours. That combined with my earlier walk definitely had my feet sore, but it was well worth it! If you get a chance to take this tour I highly recommend it, and our guide Kiril was fantastic!

So, on to the tour! Hopefully I get the names of all the sights right…it was lots to see in three hours!

First stop was the Sveta Nedelya Church.

Visiting Mauritius

Indian Ocean and South Asia 2012, Mauritius 1 Response »

Jun 042012

When I found this fare, I realised that due to flight schedules, I could actually have an 8 hour stop in Mauritius…right in the middle of the day! I figured with a good driver, on a small island nation, I could see a lot. Everything worked out, and it was an amazing day!

We landed right on time in Mauritius at 8:45am, and by 9am I was out of immigration and customs with all my bags, and my driver had met me. I had booked the “Mauritius Private Southwest Tour” with Mauritius Attractions, and they met with with one of their drivers at the airport…and dropped me off back there about 6 or so hours later. It was a slick deal, and for 100 euros I had a driver and all entrance fees covered. For the efficient use of time, it was absolutely awesome!

Stop one was the Trou au Cerfs. This was approximately a 30 minute drive from the airport, and is a huge natural volcanic crater, 85m deep and 200m wide that was formed millions of years ago. It had a fantastic panoramic view of the crater as well as the town of Curepipe. Supposedly when the sky is clear it is possible to see all the way to Reunion Island, but I was unable to find it in the distance. The pictures don’t really do it justice, but you can see a bit of how deep it is.

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