Before you go on vacation to Uzbekistan, you, our esteemed guest, traveler familiarize yourself with the prevailing erroneous judgments and opinions about our country.
Let’s begin:
- Travelling around Central Asia is dangerous.
Why? The people of Uzbekistan are world famous for their hospitality and peacefulness, honoring and respecting their traditions. There are no revolts, uprisings, revolutions and destruction here. Guns do not shoot, bullets do not whistle, tanks do not ride through cities, bombs do not explode. No tourists, no travelers are attacked, they are simply not threatened. Every resident of our country is happy to meet, to tell a guest-traveler about our art, religion, about our legends, myths, cities, sights, national costumes, cuisine., Uzbekistan is a land of stability, in this aspect one can only envy it!
- In Uzbekistan, everyone eats on the floor and with their hands.
In Uzbekistan, during meals they use national tables on short legs called khan-takhta and dastarkhan. They sit on kurpachas, national mattresses spread on the floor. This national peculiarity allows some people to think that the population of Uzbekistan eats on the floor. They used to eat with their hands before there were cutlery in Central Asia, with which every inhabitant is now familiar and friendly. There are long-standing mentions when Uzbek pilaf was eaten with hands, but now you can very rarely see this feature, which will be more of a “find” for tourists hunting for cultural and ethnic customs of the peoples, rather than a tradition.
- The most popular mode of transport is the arba.
An arba is a cart pulled by a donkey. This cute oriental combination, coloring the eye, can only be found in rural areas. However, on the streets of cities with developed infrastructure, you can also, though in very, very rare cases, you can see this cute sight. More seriously, each Uzbek family has one, and even two cars. Moreover, the Uzbek cars are happy to buy not only the Uzbeks, but also people from near and far abroad.
- There is no “Night Life”.
This is not quite true statement. Nightlife, which implies going to night restaurants, cafes, discos and other places of rest, all possible entertainments, we have. In the city of Tashkent not a few institutions of this kind – from small to large. Some of them are open until late at night, some until 23-24 hours. However, the question of gambling is a separate subject, because we simply do not have them.
- Hotels in the national style is very expensive.
Perhaps start with the fact that the hotels in Uzbekistan, beautifully decorated national style and distinguished by their amenities and high-class staff. If you look at the prices carefully, the high prices and the hotels in the Oriental style become incompatible things. Here are some examples. Hotel Minzifa, located in Bukhara, with a rating of 4 stars, having in each room a bathroom, shower, cold, hot water and other amenities, is not expensive. A single room costs $72, while a double room costs $87.
- All day long guests, tea parties, celebrations.
Interesting observation. Once again, thanks to our tradition, Uzbeks give a warm and hospitable welcome to the guest. Without pila, hot tea and oriental treats, not a single conversation begins. If we take the fact that life in the East is measured, then the process of tea drinking can have a protracted nature. It happens that one person hasn’t even managed to leave yet, and then another will come, to whom the host will also give a warm welcome, tea and oriental sweets. Holidays, in the usual sense of the word, are not as frequent as they may seem. They are simply celebrated in a big way, whether it’s a wedding, or a reunion with old friends.
- In Uzbekistan, there is a neglectful attitude toward women.
A very widespread misconception. Since ancient times in the East, women have been treated very respectfully. They will give way to a lady and help her carry her heavy bags, and will listen to advice. The trivial phrase: “Silence, woman! You will not hear the trivial phrase: “Silence, woman! And no matter how surprising and strange it may sound to your ears, in the East the carefully concealed matriarchy rules. The last word, of course, is left to the man, here it is appropriate to say that the man is the head, and the woman the neck.
Having visited “4 GEMS of Uzbekistan” tour you will know more information about this mysterious Uzbekistan, rich of legends, myths and stereotypes.
Sincerely, Minzifa Travel Team.
To be continued…
Just wonderful and marvelous article. Thank you. I hope you will continue this kind of articles. Because these articles are very useful for students, teachers and other people around the world who have not yet seen or known very much of our country. Good luck!