When I first looked up Samarkand on Pinterest, I instantly saw why everyone raves about it. This city is truly breathtaking. Determined to capture perfect sunrise photos without crowds, I woke up extra early—but the weather had other ideas. Instead of warm desert sunshine, I was greeted by a chilly 45-degree morning and steady rain. Pushing my departure to nearly 7am, I still managed to get stunning photos (including some LBD shots) without another soul around. Even better, I made it back in time for breakfast, a warm cup of tea, and some photo editing and blogging before I had to meet my tour guide.
The beauty of Samarkand is almost indescribable—the enormous buildings and vibrant blue tiles are something no words or photographs can truly capture. Every corner seems like a fairytale setting.
My tour guide today was a lovely university student studying languages—so far, all my guides have been impressive young women with a remarkable knack for memorizing historical facts and dates. I can’t imagine how they retain so much detailed information… and in multiple languages!
As we explored, the pattern of regional history became clearer: cities repeatedly devastated by Genghis Khan, later by earthquakes, then Soviet rule, and finally independence in 1991. After three countries, the historical narrative feels increasingly familiar, yet each city brings its own charm and recovery from it all.
Samarkand itself is quite sprawling, far more spread out than previous cities I’ve visited. Despite the persistent rain, armed with an umbrella provided by my guide, we covered significant ground.
This stop marked the first time I’ve stayed in the same hotel two nights in a row—a welcome relief. Instead of spending hours confined in a car, I could finally relax and recharge, knowing tomorrow’s long travel day loomed.
My day ended with a “cooking class”—though it was less of a class and more of watching a delightful ‘elderly ‘grandma’ in a restaurant kitchen prepare plov, a traditional Central Asian dish. Her method: start by cooking meat in oil, add onions and stir continuously, then layer sliced yellow and orange carrots on top without stirring and cook gently. Finally, add well-washed rice and water without stirring until perfectly cooked. Seasoned simply with salt, pepper, paprika, and other spices I wish I’d noted down, the plov tasted unbelievably good – it reminded me of like a Central Asian pot roast. Delicious and comforting, it was the perfect end to a damp but delightful day in magical Samarkand.
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