{"id":3848,"date":"2026-05-16T04:19:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T02:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/?p=3848"},"modified":"2026-06-03T16:01:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T14:01:38","slug":"welcome-to-uzbekistan-no-money","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/2026\/05\/16\/welcome-to-uzbekistan-no-money\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201eWelcome to Uzbekistan, no money\u201c"},"content":{"rendered":"

You can imagine it like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The road goes straight on. Always straight on. And every 70 to 90 kilometres there's a chance to buy something, have a drink \u2013 and today, even some food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is Karakalpakstan. A region in the northwest of Uzbekistan, almost as large as a country in its own right, sparsely populated, surrounded by desert and shaped by its proximity to the former Aral Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where water once was, there is now dust, salt \u2013 and above all, vastness. The Aral Sea, once one of the largest inland bodies of water on Earth, has largely disappeared, leaving behind a new desert landscape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It therefore needs to be well planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I plan for about eight litres of water for each day. Not just for drinking, but also so that I can still cook something in the evening. Out here, nothing can be done spontaneously \u2013 everything here is subordinated to distance, heat, and in our case, the strong headwinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had to cross the border by train. And in the small town immediately afterwards, in Karakalpakia, there was actually a cash machine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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However, it only gave me 400,000 So'm \u2013 about 28 Euros. After three days, almost none of it was left. Card payment? No chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today in Jasliq, we (I've been travelling with a Frenchman since yesterday, a blessing in this wind) wanted to get supplies. A place with just a few hundred inhabitants in the middle of this vastness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the only cash machine in town had no power. We even tried plugging it in again \u2013 but it just wouldn't be coaxed into working.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So, we were faced with two problems: we needed to do the shopping for the next two days \u2013 and we desperately needed dinner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were able to solve the first problem thanks to a nice boy. He gave us the idea to use Kazakh Tenge<\/em> to pay. We had a bit of that left over \u2013 the border isn't far from here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It actually worked out in the second and only other shop in town. If they'd generously rounded up, they would have sold us everything: the deal of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivated by this success, we tried it at the only restaurant in town. The question: Can you also here with Tenge<\/em> To pay?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer came dryly, with a smile: \u201eWelcome to Uzbekistan, no money!\u201c<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then the exact opposite of what we had expected happened. Dalia, the owner, invited us in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Salads, fish, kebabs \u2013 beef and chicken. Water, tea, grenadine soda, beer, vodka. A feast, as we hadn't had in days. And in a region where people have been living for decades with the consequences of one of modernity's greatest environmental disasters, the drying up of the Aral Sea, this invitation carried an even greater weight for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the end, we stood outside the restaurant, full, a bit speechless, and very grateful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wheels have now been reloaded with food and water. We continue tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Straight on. Always straight on.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Man kann sich das hier so vorstellen: Die Stra\u00dfe geht geradeaus. Immer geradeaus. Und alle 70 bis 90 Kilometer gibt es eine M\u00f6glichkeit, etwas einzukaufen, zu trinken \u2013 und heute sogar einmal etwas zu essen. Das ist Karakalpakstan. Eine Region im Nordwesten Usbekistans, fast so gro\u00df wie ein eigenes Land, d\u00fcnn besiedelt, von W\u00fcste umgeben […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":263519337,"featured_media":4015,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[785537874,785537870,785537878,785537880],"tags":[785537882],"class_list":["post-3848","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-allgemein-de","category-unkategorisiert-de","category-fahrrad-de","category-taschkent-2026-de","tag-usbekistan-de"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgqEoM-104","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4323,"url":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/2026\/06\/03\/ankommen-innehalten-weiterfahren\/","url_meta":{"origin":3848,"position":0},"title":"Arrive, pause, carry on?","author":"FriLu","date":"3. 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Nach 5.073 Kilometern seit Istanbul und 8.617 Kilometern seit unserer Abreise in Norderbrarup bleibe ich nun noch eine Woche in der usbekischen Hauptstadt, werde mich ein wenig erholen und die Heimreise vorbereiten: Das Fahrrad muss wieder eingepackt und die\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Allgemein"","block_context":{"text":"Allgemein","link":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/category\/allgemein-de\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9016.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9016.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9016.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9016.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_9016.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3896,"url":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/2026\/05\/17\/gegen-den-wind\/","url_meta":{"origin":3848,"position":1},"title":"Against the wind","author":"FriLu","date":"17. May 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Grunds\u00e4tzlich schreibe ich in meinen Episoden selten \u00fcber den Weg selbst.Vielleicht, weil ich lange dachte, dass genau das der langweiligste Teil ist und keine:n Leser:in interessiert. Denn wenn ich ehrlich bin, klingt Radreisen in seinem Kern erschreckend banal: Man steht auf, packt seine Sachen, setzt sich aufs Rad, tritt. Man\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Allgemein"","block_context":{"text":"Allgemein","link":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/category\/allgemein-de\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_8233-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_8233-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_8233-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_8233-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_8233-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3273,"url":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/2026\/04\/20\/tuerkiye-tesekkuer-ederim\/","url_meta":{"origin":3848,"position":2},"title":"Thank you, Turkey","author":"FriLu","date":"20. 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Es waren nicht die gro\u00dfen Sehensw\u00fcrdigkeiten, die ich systematisch abgeklappert habe \u2013 daf\u00fcr ist diese\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Allgemein"","block_context":{"text":"Allgemein","link":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/category\/allgemein-de\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5741-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5741-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5741-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5741-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5741-3.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3484,"url":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/2026\/05\/03\/abschiede-grenzen-und-andere-zufaelligkeiten\/","url_meta":{"origin":3848,"position":3},"title":"Farewells, boundaries and other coincidences","author":"FriLu","date":"3. 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Auch wenn wir selten gemeinsam geradelt sind, war da doch dieser stetige, verl\u00e4ssliche Kontakt \u2013 und hin und wieder\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Allgemein"","block_context":{"text":"Allgemein","link":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/category\/allgemein-de\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_7346.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_7346.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_7346.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_7346.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2970,"url":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/2026\/04\/05\/wechselbaeder\/","url_meta":{"origin":3848,"position":4},"title":"Alternating baths","author":"FriLu","date":"5. 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Entsprechend wechselhaft fiel\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Allgemein"","block_context":{"text":"Allgemein","link":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/category\/allgemein-de\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_6027.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_6027.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_6027.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_6027.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_6027.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4676,"url":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/2026\/06\/04\/cycling-east-das-projekt\/","url_meta":{"origin":3848,"position":5},"title":"Cycling East: The Project","author":"FriLu","date":"4. 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Diese Reise folgt einem anderen Rhythmus: Sie ist ein Versuch, die Welt nicht zu erobern, sondern zu umkreisen \u2013 mit der Geschwindigkeit eines Fahrrads, das\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Art des Reisens"","block_context":{"text":"Art des Reisens","link":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/category\/unkategorisiert-de\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/img_5665.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/img_5665.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/img_5665.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/img_5665.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/img_5665.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cyclingeast.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/IMG_8180-2-1.jpg?fit=2048%2C2048&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/263519337"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3848"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3895,"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3848\/revisions\/3895"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3848"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3848"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cyclingeast.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3848"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}