Tashkent II

On Monday morning (December 9, 2019) it's again the alarm clock that wakes me up at quarter to eight. Hopefully today we can pick up our visas for Iran at the embassy. So I play with Rango and then prepare a poppy seed braid with a few candles for Marcus in the hostel kitchen. The man is celebrating his 34th birthday today. After the usual breakfast trio (bread, sausage, egg), we make our way to the metro and arrive at the Iranian embassy around half past nine. I can actually pick up my visa, but unfortunately Marcus cannot. Nobody can tell us what the problem is. The embassy employee tells us to come back tomorrow. 'Inschallah!' So we make our way towards Neustadt and meander around a bit. I go back to the hostel at noon, Marcus finds a museum to visit. In the Ibsa, I dawdle around, write a travel report about our stay in Osch, take the Dicke for a walk in the area, and then dedicate myself to Schrotti. I renew the connections for the battery, remove (perceived) a few meters of useless cables, and look for a way to reconnect the horn. Marcus has recently had the urge to honk at other road users. Now he can. I spend the evening with beer and chickpeas with Marcus in the hostel kitchen.

On Tuesday, we have breakfast again at around eight. Instead of the industrial sausages, today we have some industrial waffles. I go buy butter and cheese and elevate breakfast to a new level. Then Marcus sets off to the Iranian embassy again, and I take Rango for his morning walk. Meanwhile, it starts to drizzle. Back at Ibsa, I treat myself to a tea to warm up and receive bad news from Marcus. The Iranian embassy is closed today without notice. Very annoying. I use the gained free time for a nap. Otherwise, I write another travel report, enjoy a cup of coffee, learn Russian, and cruise around with the Dicke. In the evening, Marcus cooks a pumpkin curry with rice, and we try to repair our gas stoves. Around midnight, we finally go to bed.

On Wednesday morning, December 11, 2019, at eight o'clock, a note in the hostel kitchen greets us with the message 'Breakfast today only from 9:00 a.m.'. So Marcus gets some reserves from Schrotti's trunk, and in the meantime, I play with Rango. Then I can enjoy fresh somsas, bread, and yogurt. By the way, I also receive the joyful news that Marcus has finally received his Iranian visa. So I set off to the Turkmen embassy with my passport, passport photos, and my visa for the Islamic Republic. We need transit visas for the country that blocks our way south along with Afghanistan. At the embassy, we receive bad news, the guys need at least 10 working days to process the visas, or a whole month if we want to collect the visa directly at the border. We have to think about that first and leave the embassy without submitting any applications. We play through a few variations over a cup of coffee, but don't come to a decision right away. Back at the hostel, we hang around and I take care of Schrotti. In between, we have coffee and I take the Dicke for a spin around the block. After a little training, a shower, and dinner, we go to bed.

There is nothing noteworthy to report about Thursday. We spend the whole day hanging around at the hostel. The weather doesn't invite us to stay outside for long, and the Turkmen embassy is closed due to a holiday.

On Friday morning (December 13, 2019), after breakfast at the hostel, Marcus sets off to the Turkmen embassy. The internet says it's closed today. Marcus is still hopeful. After I return from my playtime with Rango, I receive the message that I can come to the embassy. They are open. So we can finally apply for our transit visas. Suddenly, picking them up directly at the border is no longer possible, so we have to go back to the embassy in Tashkent at the end of December. What a mess! On the way back to the hostel, we replenish our cash reserves and try to exchange some of it for dollars or euros. Unfortunately, without success, we would need a registration from the hostel, which we don't have because we camped for too long in between. Back at the hostel, we talk to the manager and can buy some dollars at a reasonable rate. Then I work on my travel blog while Marcus goes on Tinder in Tashkent.

On Saturday, after breakfast and a walk in the snow-covered Tashkent, I dedicate some time to my travel reports and Duolingo. In the early afternoon, Marcus returns from his expedition, and after a cup of coffee, we try to remove a tire to inflate it. Unfortunately, the wheel nuts won't loosen, and our attempt to start Schrotti fails. The temperatures are affecting the battery capacity. So we leave the accumulators in the hostel to warm up and postpone the problem. Then I play with Rango and afterwards, I earn my keep by preparing dinner. Salt potatoes, a roast made from some lamb meat, and sauerkraut taste good to both of us, and the Dicke also enjoys some leftovers.

After breakfast on Sunday morning, December 15, 2019, we manage to start our Moskvich (the warm batteries work wonders) and drive to the tire shop to inflate the tires. Then we find a workshop to charge the battery and drive back to the hostel. We hang around for a while before we can pick up our battery after a good hour. Then, after a cup of coffee, I clean up the traces of my tinkering in Schrotti and reconnect the speedometer cable. I must have forgotten to do that when assembling the dashboard, which Marcus rightly criticized. The evening ends again in the hostel kitchen, and we enjoy some leftovers from the previous evening. We also need to do some laundry, so we don't go to bed until well after midnight.