Uzbekistan: Shakhrisabz to Tashkent

October 28, 2012

Another long 240 mile drive from Shakhrisabz to Tashkent today, with plenty of stops to stretch our legs. Not many words here, just photos.

First, a stop at Sharif Bobo’s house to check out his family’s carpet weaving business. The carpets here are made from sheep and camel wool.






Soviet “Mother Heroine” medal awarded to the family matriarch. she earned this medal by bearing 10 children. Yes, 10!



Small village

Our next stop (and probably one of my favorites) was a visit to this large open air market where vendors lay out wares on their blankets every Sunday morning.



















Camels!

Pomegranate and melon sellers on the roadside near Tashkent:







Uzbekistan: The Buddhist stupas and barbed wire of Termez

October 26, 2012

Located in the southernmost part of Uzbekistan, on the Afghan frontier, Termez is a small city with a history dating back at least 2,500 years. Throughout its history, Termez has been conquered by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, and Tamerlane. It was later controlled by Imperial Russia and then the Soviet Union, who used Termez as a staging area for the 100,000 troops who fought in Afghanistan from 1979 – 1989. Termez also plays a role in the current NATO military operations across the border by hosting the German military at the local airbase. Here, transport planes fly Bundeswehr soldiers and military supplies from Germany to Termez and Termez to final destinations in Afghanistan.

As one might imagine, there aren’t many tourists in this part of Uzbekistan. In fact, the only other foreigners we ran into were diplomats on leave from Mazar-i-Sharif, some 60 miles across the border. The lack of tourists is a shame, however, as I believe it is truly one of the most underrated parts of the country. This area has a unique Buddhist heritage; from the 1st to 3rd century AD, Termez was part of the Kushan Empire and hosted thousands of Buddhist monks in its various monasteries. (Remember the Buddha statues in Bamiyan that the Taliban blew up in 2001? They were also built by the Kushan.)

After breakfast we headed outside the city to visit some of these sights. Our first stop was at the Zurmala Stupa, thought to be from the 3rd century AD. The main purpose of stupas is the enshrinement of Buddhist holy relics. It’s been a bit worn down over the centuries, so now just appears to be some random mud stump in a cotton field.


From afar






Cotton fields

Our group of 16 foreigners wandering around a cotton field taking photos of a mud stump attracted the attention of some local kids.






View of Afghanistan from across the Amu Darya river.

Next we visited the Al Hakim At-Termizi Mausoleum, the main holy place in Termez. Al Hakim At-Termizi was one of the great early authors of Sufism. This complex dates from the 10-14th centuries.




Hill where you could go look at Afghanistan. But no cameras allowed.


It’s impossible, you see

Next stop, the remains of the Fayaz Tepe Buddhist monastery complex, which dates from the 2-3rd centuries AD.






Inside the dome are the remains of a stupa


Sand dunes in Afghanistan


Security tower


More border security



The archaeological museum in Termez. Incredible collection of artifacts!

Now let’s take a moment to talk a bit about the food in Uzbekistan, because it was in Termez, at dinner upon our arrival the previous evening, that my stomach finally said “No more, Lindsay. No. More. ” A typical meal would consist of salads (which were tasty, but often suspect because you weren’t sure if they used bottled water to clean the veggies), soup and non bread, followed by a main course of fatty beef or lamb with a side of potatoes or veggies. And for dessert, cake! Doesn’t sound too bad, right? It wasn’t, and the food was quite good at times, but I just wasn’t used to eating three large meals per day, and certainly not the same thing over and over. Before I went to Uzbekistan I loved beets, but I haven’t eaten them since returning a year ago. In Termez I began to have visions of salmon tacos and In-N-Out double doubles and carne asada burritos. I would be eating a carrot salad for the fifteenth time, but my taste buds and imagination were working together to conjure up images of the food I so dearly missed. So that day at lunch, when the restaurant staff placed large platters of french fries and small tubs of ice cream on the table, I was the happiest person in the country.

Our stomachs full of french fries and ice cream, we paid a visit to the local bazaar.



I don’t know why my mom always worries so much about my travels ๐Ÿ˜‰




Pram used as a shopping cart.




We went further out of town to the Kirk Kiz (“forty girls”) fortress, thought to be a summer estate for royalty dating from as early as the 9th century.






The kids like having their photos taken here.

Nearby was the memorial complex of Sultan Saodat, built during the 11-17th centuries. This complex contains the graves of the Sayyid dynasty of Termez, direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.




More curious kids


Huge bales of cotton



View of Hairatan, Afghanistan. Termez is separated from Afghanistan by the Amu Darya river and connected via the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge, which was built in 1985 to supply Soviet troops in Afghanistan. But aside from the increased border security, you wouldn’t know that this war torn country lay less than a kilometer away.


Soviet military forces withdrawing from Afghanistan to Termez in October 1989 (RIA Novosti archive)

Uzbekistan: Nukus to Termez via Tashkent

October 25, 2012

This morning we boarded an Uzbekistan Airways flight and flew over the vast desert back to Tashkent. We were actually headed to Termez, a city in southern Uzbekistan on the border of Afghanistan. But with a few exceptions, all internal flights in Uzbekistan are via Tashkent, so we would be stopping there for the day until our late evening flight south.

We would be returning to Nukus in four days, to cross the border to Turkmenistan. But why not cross now? It is a long story, but in short, there were complications with the Turkmen visa that necessitated an extension of our time in Uzbekistan, and so for the next few days we would be flying and driving around the opposite side of the country.

We had eight hours in Tashkent, so did a bit more sightseeing after lunch (my stomach problems cleared and I was finally well enough to eat). We visited the Chorsu Bazaar, the oldest market in Tashkent. Here you could buy everything: meat, produce, spices, Fanta, carpets, and wedding clothes.



Sheep that will be slaughtered for the religious holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Next, we stopped for tea at the Rakhimov Ceramics Studio. This studio had a lovely courtyard filled with pomegranate trees (and, of course, ceramics).

Our flight that evening was delayed, so when the plane finally arrived, the stern flight attendant yelled that we were late, and we were to take any seat. Passengers hurriedly stuffed their bags into the overhead bins and buckled their seatbelts, lest they be lectured again. Our flight was further delayed when the attendant discovered that one of the passengers was considerably drunk, and so she had him removed from the plane with the assistance of several crew members. With everyone seated, and the drunk passenger gone, our aging Ilyushin turboprop began the bumpy flight south to Termez.

We were the only tourists on board, and so the curious Uzbek teenagers seated behind me took the opportunity to use the English they had learned in school and pepper me with questions: “Where are you from? What is your name? Where have you gone in Uzbekistan? Why are you going to Termez?” (“Just to see it” was met with a quizzical look).

As we began our descent into Termez, I was horrified as my seatmate pulled out her cellphone and began to call someone (presumably the person who was picking her up from the airport). Thankfully, we landed without incident and my new Uzbek friends announced “Welcome to Termez!” and wished me a good trip. Stepping off the plane, the first thing I noticed about Termez was how dark it was. The next thing I noticed was the police officer standing at the gate confiscating all the American passports before allowing us to leave the tarmac. Apparently they were to be taken to the police station and kept overnight, but after some negotiation they were returned, much to our relief.

As we drove through the city to our airport we couldn’t help but notice the thousands of blue, white, red and green (colors of the Uzbek flag) lights strung along the light poles and across the streets. Termez was either the most patriotic city in the country, or, as one traveler joked, it was simply to let NATO drones know that they had crossed from the Afghan border into friendly territory.

Uzbekistan: Two days in Bukhara

October 20 & 21, 2012

Arrive in Bukhara today and you will be warmly welcomed. This wasn’t always the case, however. Consider the fate of Charles Stoddart and Arthur Conolly, two British officers who traveled to Bukhara in 1838 and 1841, respectively. Stoddart’s mission was to convince the Emir of Bukhara to sign a friendship treaty with Britain and release the Russian slaves held in Bukhara. Stoddart committed a major faux pas, however. Upon entering Bukhara, he did not dismount his horse, as custom required. Worst of all, he didn’t bring any presents for the Emir, and we know how much brutal dictators enjoy being showered with gifts! The Emir responded by throwing Stoddart in the “bug pit”, which is pretty much what you would expect – a fetid pit filled with various bugs (and rats, of course). Sounds pretty awful, doesn’t it? Next comes Conolly, who had arrived in Bukhara intending to free Stoddart, now imprisoned for three years and counting. (Conolly, by the way, was the man who coined the phrase “The Great Game” to describe the struggle between Britain and Russia for domination over Central Asia). Unfortunately for Conolly, the Emir ordered him to be thrown into the bug pit with Stoddart. On June 17, 1842, both men were beheaded on the square in front of Bukhara’s Ark.

But don’t worry, Mom, it’s not like that anymore. These days, the most uncomfortable situation a traveler will experience is to be repeatedly pestered by silk and pottery saleswomen.

We spent two days in Bukhara. This city was where I actually felt like I was on the Silk Road of yesterday. Don’t get me wrong, the Registan and Shah-i-Zinde of Samarkand were incredible. Bukhara doesn’t have anything imposing like the Registan, but here, in the center of the city, the vestiges of the Soviet era were kept at bay and the simple mud houses and traffic free dirt roads have remained unchanged for centuries.


Bukhara’s only remaining synagogue, which dates back to the 16th century. Bukhara once had a sizable Jewish minority population, but it has dwindled to about 300 now.


Jewish cemetery


Sasha & Son, the charming bed & breakfast we stayed at, was a former Jewish merchant’s home.


Some locals hanging out.


Nadir Divan-begi Madrasah, built in the early 1600s.


Statue of Nasreddin, Muslim folk hero


Nadir Divan-begi Khanaka


Lyab-i Hauz (Persian” “by the pond”). Ponds such as this used to exist throughout Bukhara as the city’s principal sources of drinking water, but the majority were filled in by the Soviets to prevent the transmission of water-borne illnesses.


Traditional clothing and veil worn by Uzbek women in in the presence of unrelated men, prior to the eradication of this custom by the Soviets.


Of all the beautiful carpets in Bukhara, this was the one I wanted. Unfortunately, way too pricey (to the tune of $1,200).


Master knife maker


Shopping for tonight’s dinner



The Po-i-Kalyan Ensemble:







Inside the Kalyan Mosque, completed in 1514.




This couple asked to take their picture with me, so I obliged them, and they allowed me to take a photo of them. I felt like a celebrity in Central Asia because so many locals asked to take their photo with me. But why? I have no idea. Maybe I looked like an alien from outer space.



The Kalyan minaret, built in 1127. This is one of the few structures that Genghis Khan ordered his men to spare as they ransacked and destroyed the city. It also served as an execution tool; criminals were flung to their deaths from the top of the minaret. This practice continued until the early 20th century.




The massive walls of Bukhara’s Ark fortress.



Mausoleum of Ismail Samani, built 892-943!



Demonstration on how to make plov, follwed by eating plov! ๐Ÿ™‚ It was incredible; I had four servings! (If you can’t tell already, I love plov).



Chor-Minor (“Four Minarets”) formerly part of a large Madrasah (long since demolished)

And on our last day in Bukhara, we drove outside the city to this palace, formerly the summer home of the Bukharan Emirs.



The next morning, after being rudely awakened by the call of a rooster (seriously, does he realize it is still pitch black outside?!) I packed my bags again, had a quick breakfast, and headed down the long, bumpy road to Khiva.

Uzbekistan: The bazaars and caravanserais along the Silk Road to Bukhara

October 19, 2012

Another five hours of driving today. Visiting all these Silk Road cities necessitates a lot of driving, but I’m not one to complain about a road trip; I’m perfectly content to put my headphones on, choose a playlist, and let the scenery roll by. And an air-conditioned bus certainly beats the camels that previous Silk Road travelers relied upon.

As usual, the long drive was broken up by a few stops along the way. We visited a huge outdoor market located in Mirbozor. I think the locals were quite surprised and amused to see a group of 17 Americans and Canadians pile off a large tour bus. Not your typical everyday occurrence, I’m guessing.

The bizarre itself was an incredible mishmash of Safeway, Home Depot, Walmart, and a food court. Here was nearly every product you might need, all laid out on tarps to protect from the desert dust. Need a bottle of Fanta? An axe? Perhaps some homemade sour cream? The market was vast, and I could have spent hours here, but our visit was a quick half hour. Much like the market in Khujand, we were asked “Otkuda, otkuda?” “Ya iz Ameriki” “Ah, Amerika”.


Tasty Uzbek carrot salad. This stuff is great!














And then back on the bus for some more driving, with a quick stop at the Rabati Malik Caravanserai in the Navoi Province. Built in the 11th century, this caravanserai provided protection and shelter to Silk Road travelers. It was composed of walled-in courtyard lined with merchant stalls. Here, travelers could purchase supplies, feed and water their animals, and relax safely within the confines of the caravanserai, without fear of being attacked by bandits.





All that remains of the interior




Water reservoir that supplied cool drinking water to the caravanserai.

Before arriving in Bukhara that evening, we visited the studio of the Narzullayev family, who specialize in the Gijduvan school of ceramics. There are various schools of ceramics throughout Uzbekistan (i.e. Rishtan, Tashkent Gijduvan) each with their own preferred colors and designs. The art of ceramics is passed down from family member to family member, and the Narzullayev family is currently headed by its sixth generation of master craftsmen and women.









Not only potters, also musicians!


Uzbek suzani embroidered by hand

We made it to Bukhara by early evening and would be spending the next two days there.

On to Khujand, Tajikistan

October 15, 2012

Another early morning wake up and we were off to Tajikistan. When we arrived at the border, it was completely deserted with the exception of a few locals just hanging around. The strange thing about this particular border crossing is that Uzbek and Tajik citizens can’t use it – it is only open to foreigners. As you can imagine, this particular area of the world doesnรขโ‚ฌ™t have many tourists passing through, so we were the only travelers that morning. Now, with the lack of people passing through you would think that the process would go rather quickly, but you would wrong. Our passports and customs forms (and for God’s sake don’t lost it; you don’t want to find out the consequences!) were checked by three different officers, and our bags were inspected by an extremely bored looking guard. Also unusual about this border crossing, aside from the complete lack of travelers, was that I received not one, but two marriage proposals – one from the Uzbek customs officer who went through my luggage and another from the Kalashnikov toting soldier who escorted us out of Uzbekistan. Nice enough guys, but I declined. I can’t cook plov worth a damn so wouldn’t make a very good Uzbek wife. Also, I like living in Seattle.

The process on the Tajik side of the border was much quicker, and we were finally off to Khujand. Immediately crossing the border, you could tell that the Tajik villages were much poorer than their Uzbek counterparts across the border. There were no brand new, appliance filled tract homes being built by the government, as was happening in Uzbekistan.


The fall of the Soviet Union has not been kind to Tajikistan. After the disintegration of the Soviet empire, Tajikistan descended into a civil war that lasted five years and left the country politically, economically, and socially devastated. Relationships with its neighboring countries have also soured. Despite being lumped into the USSR together for over sixty years, the ‘Stans don’t play well with each other, and relations have become so fraught that over the years borders have been sown with landmines and skirmishes have erupted between border guards who only decades earlier, as schoolchildren, had sung the same Soviet anthem.

map_of_tajikistan
(From Lonely Planet)

One of the main reasons these countries spend so much time fighting each other is the same reason why countries around the world do so: natural resources. Not oil in this case, but water, which is even more valuable in this landlocked part of the world, and something that Tajikistan has in abundance. Tajikistan, energy poor and plagued by electricity shortages, wants to build more dams in order to harness hydroelectric power and become independent from its neighbors, who cut off the electricity and oil and gas supplies to Tajikistan at will. The government in Dushanbe sees hydroelectric power as the key to economic development; not only would domestic industry be assured a constant supply of cheap energy, but any extra could be sold to neighboring countries. Uzbekistan objects to the dam construction, however, because this would allow Tajikistan control over the water supply that feeds the irrigation canals lining Uzbekistan’s water hungry and wasteful cotton fields.

So Uzbekistan will block rail transit, cut off energy supplies, and close borders, which makes Tajikistan even more determined to dam these rivers and make for reasons of economic self sufficiency and security. And so it just becomes this downward spiral of economic warfare between these countries.

But enough of politics.

On the way to Khujand, we made a quick stop and unintentionally found ourselves outside the gates of an army base. A curious young soldier boarded our bus and politely asked if he could take a picture of us. Again, not many tourists in this part of the world.

TajikSoldier
The picture I took of a Tajik soldier taking a picture of us.

Two hours after departing the border, we finally arrived in Khujand, formerly known as Leninabad. With a population of 165,000, it is the second largest city in the country. Khujand has ancient roots going as far back as the 6th/5th century BC and during its history has been conquered by the forces of Alexander the Great and Ghengis Khan and served as a major staging point on the northern Silk Road.




Our first stop in Khujand was the Panjshanbe market located in the city center. Not many tourists come through there, so all the locals kept asking us where we were from (“Otkuda vy?” or the simpler “Otkuda?”). When I told them the USA, they would reply “I love America!” or “George Washington!” One guy showed us the almonds he was selling and proudly told us they came from California. Of our short time in Tajikistan, this is the experience that stands out in my memory the most. I loved interacting with the locals at this market. Throughout all my travels, they were some of the friendliest and most genuine people I have ever met.


California represent!


Showing his appreciation for California almonds ๐Ÿ™‚


Giant mounds of cream cheese!

We later visited the Sughd Historical Museum, which was an excellent museum and well worth a visit if you find yourself in this part of the country.

We ended the day with an excellent Shashlik dinner (because meat on giant skewers = awesome) and headed back to our rooms to prepare for the early morning departure back to Uzbekistan.