Uzbekistan - Tashkent - October 2022

 We took the 14 day tour to Uzbekistan with Gate 1. This is our second trip with the company and it turned out quite well. We flew to JFK to catch the midnight flight with Turkish Airlines on September 30 to Istanbul. It was an eleven hour flight to Istanbul, then a four hour layover before the final five hour flight to Tashkent.  We arrived early in the morning two days later.  Since international travel resumed, Covid 19 PCR tests were no longer required by the US government or the airlines we flew with. All flights were packed, not an empty seat. Istanbul International is a very busy airport. It is a popular connection point for all travelers to and from the US, Africa, Europe, Asia etc... Our Istanbul-Tashkent flight was half occupied by pilgrims returning home from Mecca.  All of our flights were uneventful without cancellation, delays or loss of luggage!. 

 

Arrived in Tashkent 

Outside the airport - crowd waiting for arriving passengers

We had a few hours of sleep and got up around 9:00 am. After a good breakfast at the hotel, we walked to the closest metro station to go downtown Tashkent. Tashkent's metro is the first underground commuter rail system in Central Asia. This metro system was easy to manage and inexpensive. One ride costs about 30 (US) cents. The metro is very efficient, and clean.. Beautiful ceramic, tile artwork decorated throughout the underground walls and ceilings. Young people on the train would stand up to offer their seats to us as being respectful for the "elderly". Very impressive! 

Amir Timur Museum

Palace of International Forums

Amir Timur Square

Ming O'Rik - Metro station

Artwork in the metro

Alisher Navoi station

The last stop was Chorsu Market, the most famous farmers market and bazaar in Tashkent, topped by a giant green dome. The market has been in this location for 600 years.  In addition to the large variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, bakery, there are stalls filled with spices, dried fruits, nuts... We could spend all day here to browse the market. But we needed to go back to the hotel for our tour meeting and the welcome diner afterward. We did come back to the market the next day with our tour group.

Chorsu Maket 

Inside the dome (market)

Fresh vegetables

Nuts and dried fruits

Beautiful (basket) bread 

Gate1 tour explored more of the popular sites on our second day in Tashkent. The main attraction is the Khast Imam Square or complex, located in the heart of the old city which survived the 1966 earthquake.

Earthquake Memorial Monument

Khast Imam Tomb

Tashkent Madrassa (only one story) - Khast Imam Square 

Hasti Imom in the background

 Madrassa entrance

The Holy Hair Madrassa is on the right. It houses the oldest Qoran. (No picture allowed)  

Teleshayak Mosque

Cotton ball fountain -Between Opera House (front) and Tashkent Hotel (back)

Independence square - metro stop

Inside metro

Painted over Soviet Hammer & Sickle inside metro.

Anhor Park in the evening

Canada & Greenland - St. John's , Newfoundland and Labrador - August 2022

 St. John's is our last port of call. It is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of  Newfoundland and  Labrador. Located on the northeastern tip on the island of Newfoundland, St. John's is also an oldest city in North America.

The weather was very pleasant the day we arrived. We enjoyed the walk around town, strolling the narrow cobblestone residential streets to view bright colors of Jelly Bean Row housing.  We made the hike to the top of  Signal Hill, a famous public park and attraction of city.  At the highest point of the park is Cabot Tower, one of the best examples of Gothic Revival architecture. From this vantage point, we enjoyed the beautiful panoramic view of St. John's busy harbor where our ship docked. 

View of downtown from ship

View from ship

The Supreme Court building

St. Patrick's Hall - 1877

Jelly Beans houses

In front of a Jelly Bean house

Bond Street

Location of the TV sitcom "Curl Up & Dye"

St. John's City Hall

The Colonial Building - Legislative assembly from 1850-1959

View of the Provincial Admin building from the hill @ Governor's House

The Governor's house surrounded by beautiful garden

Start the climb to the top of this National Historic Site

Landscape near the Signal Hill signage

View of the harbor from top of Signal Hill

View of the ship in the harbor

Cabot Tower on top of Signal Hill

View of the harbor

Johnson Geo Center - Cut from the ancient rock of Signal Hill

Harbor entrance/exit

On the ship open deck - ready to sail

Quite a narrow exit for our ship

Cabot Tower sent three gun salutes to bid farewell when our ship leaving the harbor.

It was a fine evening when we left St. John's.  St. John's residents are the nicest people we met on our journey to Canada and Greenland. We are on our way home... 

Our trivia team and card group

With Bill, Candy and Bonnie , our usual dinner mates

Formal night