Make sure you put the key in the box
We left the hotel early in the morning. Today's train departs at 7 a.m., of all times. Once again we left our Airbnb with plenty of time. And one more important thing.
Make sure you put the key in the key box. After that incident, we kind of got traumatized (laughs).
To Urgench by sleeper train
We headed to the station. This train was a sleeping train — a sleeper. It would take about four to five hours to Urgench. Since it departed at 7 a.m., we'd arrive around 11 or 12. I thought sleeping in the morning was odd, but it was a good experience.
The sleeper train was second class, so it was a 4-person compartment. The first time I rode one was when I was studying in Saint Petersburg and took a sleeper to Moscow — nostalgic. We were hoping nobody would come into our compartment this time, and that's exactly what happened: no one came! So we made the beds and slept.
Sonya handled it like she was very used to it, so I figured she'd done it several times. I thought it would be terrible if someone showed up here, but surprisingly no one did, and I was really relieved.
It wasn't a direct train, so it stopped at stations along the way, and I kept worrying someone might get on at one of them, so I couldn't really sleep.
When I woke up, it was already light outside. We rocked along on the train toward Urgench.
This is what 'travel' is.
Arrived in Urgench! We hurriedly packed our bags and got ready to disembark. Attendants in each carriage told us the next stop was Urgench. They were really kind.
We were really on an adventure. Visiting different towns, experiencing the culture and food, feeling the atmosphere of the towns firsthand. This is exactly what 'travel' is.
Freezing Urgench
It was insanely cold outside. Compared to Bukhara and Samarkand, I couldn't understand why it was so much colder. Because it's surrounded by desert? Because it's at a higher latitude? I don't know, but it was cold enough to freeze me. Maybe it was worse because we were sleep-deprived and our immune systems were down.
We arrived at the hotel by taxi. Since we'd sleep until late and then head to the airport, we chose the bare minimum room. It was truly just one unit in an apartment building — like an inn from Dragon Quest.
We were exhausted and wanted to nap, but couldn't fall asleep, so we ended up walking outside. Sonya really loves walking. We walked through the central park and along the riverbank. But it was far too cold.
A menu with no prices
We went to a nearby restaurant. There were no prices on the menu. Is this a rip-off place? Urgench is weird — there are extremely few restaurants and it really felt like a rural town. There's honestly nothing to do.
I ordered Uyghur lagman and kebab. I thought they'd warm me up in the cold. Sonya wasn't very hungry, so she didn't eat anything.
Winter Soviet vibe
We went for another walk outside. Sonya lent me a layer to wear under my sweater. Without it, I'd have frozen. Having spent five months straight in Southeast Asia, I wasn't used to the cold, and it was really freezing.
There were extremely few people walking around the city; it felt like a sad town. But that's exactly the winter Soviet vibe, and I found it interesting.
When we headed to the park, there was a newly married couple holding a wedding. A cameraman was there, filming video. The newlyweds were being filmed while walking through the park. It felt very traditional. They were using a gimbal, so I realized even Urgench has gimbals. That left a strong impression.
It got colder so we went back to the room for a bit. While napping, I smelled something burning and felt fed up with everything. Apparently someone was having a bonfire outside and the smoke was coming in. Well, things like that always happen when you're traveling. That's part of the charm of travel, too.
Last dinner, memories of the Plov Center
Night came, so we decided to have our last dinner. We were tired of Uzbek food, so we chose Italian. The Italian restaurant was very luxurious, and there was such a contrast between the outside world and the interior — the gap was striking.
We ordered pumpkin soup and a cheese-and-pear pizza. Sonya seemed to like pear pizza. The taste was pretty good, but it was very oily and felt heavy on the stomach.
Since it was our last meal in Uzbekistan, we told each other stories about our favorite memories. For me, without a doubt, the plov I ate at the Plov Center was among the top two or three best things I've ever tasted.
We also mentioned watching Demon Slayer together on the sofa. Sonya said the plov at the Plov Center was absolutely delicious. It really was ridiculously good, you know.
Messages in the notebook, and then the farewell
We returned to the lodging. I had Sonya write a message in the notebook, and I wrote a message in Japanese in the Ghibli notebook I had given her.
Then we took a two- to three-hour nap. It was pitch dark, but we couldn't really sleep because our flight was at 3 a.m., and the need to be awake was too strong to let us fall asleep.
We got up at noon, packed our bags, and checked out.
We called a taxi to Urgench Airport. Our passports were checked at the entrance, but we managed to check in without problems!
She returned to Russia and I went to Azerbaijan! It was a moment of parting and the start of a new journey. We decided we'd go to Ethiopia in a few years! As for why Ethiopia, apparently she watched a documentary and wanted to go.
To Azerbaijan on an Embraer plane
Flying with Azerbaijan Airlines! Amazingly, even in economy the seats were only two abreast on each side, so the space was huge. The windows were enormous.
Apparently this aircraft was made by Embraer. It's quite different from Airbus and Boeing — another big discovery!
