Tashkent to Samarkand

We started our day with a three-hour city tour with “Svetlana” the Soviet guide and got the Russian view of the city. Jack baited the guide and she left us gladly.
Lunch was greasy schnitzel and $5 beers and a Dove ice cream bar
Note: Average salary is 750soms--- $5/month
It was another long (4-½ hour) drive to Samarkand in the shake and bake.
Jack entertained us with stories of being in the bathroom of a restaurant hearing the chef in the next stall, grunting, and watching him walk out without washing his hands and heading into the kitchen to chop.
Our hotel in Samarkand was a former Communist party hotel. All the doors have been blown off their locks and everything is either unlit or has 20 watt bulbs.
Note: As tourists, you have to keep your official paper receipt until you exit the country.
We dropped our bags and grabbed a cab to town. We ran into Regina, the Aussie, at the outside bar by the Hotel Samarkand. We grabbed a few beers and exchanged cards.
Then we headed to the top floor of the Hotel Samarkand for spectacular views of the city.

It’s supposedly a restaurant, but there was no one there but a group of locals, Tajiks (the doormen from the hotel). We took our chances on some bread and french fries with cold beers and watched the sunset while trying to talk to the locals.
Back to the hotel -for 50 som.