The grandiose spires of Samarcand retain their architectural power despite
their semi-ruined state.
A narrow staircase littered with brightly colored tile chips, dirt, glass and occasional graphic evidence of stray dogs leads up to one of the cupolas of Samarkand's Bibi Khanym Mosque.
At the top of the stairs is a narrow ledge from which you can peer into the crumbling, graffiti-defiled cupola, then out at the buzzing central market below.
Looking farther out, you can see dozens of other cupolas scattered among the old part of Samarkand, and the looming, mystical outline of the Registan -- the center of the old city and the most famous of its numerous architectural treasures. It was standing on this spot that I decided on my wish.
The lone Uzbek woman who watches over the nearly 600-year-old Bibi Khanym complex had told me to walk three times around the Koran holder in the center courtyard and make a wish.
I did as she told me, closed my eyes, and wished with all my might: I hope McDonald's never makes it here.
Post-Soviet Central Asia is one of the world's most fascinating regions, with cultures and histories stretching back thousands of years. Once tightly controlled and exploited by the USSR, most of the region is now open to Western tourists.
Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata), the capital of Kazakhstan, is a charming, tree-lined city, more notable for its friendly people and small-town feel than for great architecture.
The multi-story banya (bath house), the market and a centuries-old but somewhat modest wooden church in the central park are the main attractions, but the city's real allure is in the spring, when flowers and greenery erupt all over the city.
Winter travel to Almaty is useful mainly as a jumping-off point for travels to other, more spectacular cities in Central Asia. There are still nearly as many Russians living in Almaty as there are Kazakhs, and given the mixture of other nationalities that live there -- Uzbeks, Uighurs, Kirghiz, and so on -- Kazakhs make up less than 50% of the population in their own capital city.
Most Kazakhs who are neither very young nor very old speak Russian better than the Kazakh language, thanks to having been schooled during the Soviet era, when all schools' primary language was Russian. Very few, however, speak English.
Kazakh hospitality is legendary. In fact, the generosity of the people is enough to almost make one squeamish -- in more ways than one. There are two national dishes that Kazakhs serve to honored guests: sheep's head and horse meat.
I had the great honor to be served horse when I was hosted by a middle-aged Kazakh woman. The hostess ceremoniously presented the steaming platter of noodles, horse meat, and pink horse innards, we drank a champagne toast to friendship between our peoples, and the feast began.
I watched the Kazakhs scooping up noodles and horse in the traditional way, with their bare hands, and thought to myself, "Well, it's just horse, after all. How different from beef can it be?"
The answer is, very different. The regular horse meat did not taste like any other kind of meat I've ever had, but it was certainly edible.
The pink innards I could not summon the will to taste -- not because I couldn't make the necessary psychological leap, but because they had the kind of smell you might expect from the guts of a large animal.
Traveling by train within Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan is very inexpensive and convenient, but rumors persist that it is unsafe for foreigners, especially on night trains.
Conventional wisdom has it that traveling in the cheaper, open-bunk cars is safer, as people can be easily trapped inside coupes.
Unfortunately, these cars are also frequently noisy and the bedding is lumpy and not especially clean. I traveled twice on night trains: once with two other American women in a coupe, from Almaty to Zhambyl; and once with one other American woman in an open car from Zhambyl to Tashkent.
In neither case were we harassed or threatened at all, although I did not sleep well in the open car.
The bus ride from Tashkent to Samarkand takes about six hours, runs numerous times every day, and costs a little less than two dollars. Samarkand is a remarkable blend of the mythical and the mundane. Majestic, intricately tiled ruins tower over dirt roads where old women with head scarves and gold teeth sell chickens bound at the feet.
Bearded men in long Uzbek robes sell shashlik (shishkabob) a few blocks away from where the mighty Tamerlane lies beneath his carved jade tomb.
While walking through Samarkand's main graveyard, a sprawling, hilly labyrinth of tombs with lifelike portraits carved into their granite slabs, I fairly stumbled into a long street of beautifully tiled tombs from the 14th century.
GETTING THERE: There are three flights a week to Almaty, Kazakhstan, from St Petersburg: one on Aeroflot and two on Kazakh Air, about $600 round trip. Daily flights on Aeroflot, Kazakh Air and Transaero from Moscow for the same price. Uzbekistan Airways flies twice a week to Samarkand from Moscow. You can also fly to Tashkent and then take a four-hour bus ride for less than $5 to Samarkand.
HOW TO GET THEREVISAS: No visa is necessary for a stay in Kazakhstan under 3 days, if you have a current Russian visa. Visas can be issued on arrival at the airport for stays of one week up to one month. You should request a visa at least two weeks in advance at any Kazakhstan embassy. The cost can range from $30 to $200, depending on length of stay. Uzbekistan is similar, with the cost ranging from $40 to $120.
STAYING THERE:
Almaty Intourist Hotel, $130/night, (3272) 63-63-33
Hotel Samarkand, (366) 35-88-12.