Nadia, Obi, and I celebrated Uzbekistan Independence Day (September 1) by enjoying the best of Uzbekistan, the mountains! Led by our friend Aaron, we did a 5-mile hike in the foothills between Gazelkent and Chirchiq. It was a cool and sunny day and an absolutely perfect way to spend a free Friday.
We drove to the village of Chekhchim which is located about 60 kilometers from Tashkent. It is next to the Aksakatasay River. There is a trail that leads up the hills and we did a loop around a valley. It looked a bit like southern California because of the long, hot summer has dried out all vegetation. It was a bit of a dusty walk, but the cool breeze and blue skies kept our spirits up. Nadia is still recovering from a very bad virus and struggled a bit on the long, steep incline to the ridge. Once we were at the top, we stopped for lunch and watched the cowboys guide their herds of sheep to different pastures. There is always lots of livestock in Central Asia.
It is just so nice to get out of the city and between the distance and elevation, it was a good workout. It is a sign of our stage of life that we couldn’t get Oliver and Ocean to come with us. Both of them preferred either soccer with their friends or going out in the city. It was a preview of us as empty nesters. 😦 I want to thank Aaron for guiding us and finding this beautiful spot.
I noticed if you drive further up the valley, you can possibly reach the huge valley behind the Amirsoy Ski Resort. We could see the gondolas in the far distance on the hike. I’ve looked over that valley while on the top of Amirsoy, and it looks remote and beautiful. Perhaps next time I am in the mountains, I’ll make it to that valley.
We finished the day by going out to the Afsona restaurant. The salads and shashlik (grilled, skewered meats) were delicious and it was a perfect way to end the day.
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