Nukus Art and Commerce

Oct. 23, 2023-Nukus Art and Commerce I was unprepared for the experience that was the Savitsky Museum. We rode by bus four hours through desert, rain, and corduroy roads to spend equal time at a museum. Our docent spoke five languages. Her English was stellar. Of the 100,000 works in the collection, Savitsky saved 80,000. We must have seen 60,000. I couldn’t stop taking photos of the obscure works by tortured and imprisoned artists who never knew the notoriety their life’s work achieved. Along with paintings and sculpture, Savitsky saved ethnographic art such as weaving, embroidery, and jewelry. One wedding robe was made of a familiar looking fabric. On close examination, it was denim. Three hundred years ago, Karakalpak people were making what old Levi Strauss turned into an unparalleled fashion mania. This is a small city. Everything is walkable. With recovery almost complete our group now had pep in their step. I’m pleased to say David is not and hasn’t been the slowest. We walked to lunch and had one of the best yet. The usual salads of roasted eggplant and veggies appeared as well as cheese flatbread and lentil soup. We were spared another stew. We had various kabobs. They’re not served on skewers but are piled on a platter. There was lamb kofta, beef cubes, chicken, lamb cubes, tomatoes, and flatbread with spicy paprika and ground beef. Dessert was pistachio baklava. We rolled out of there and on to the city market. What I like about Yura is that he takes us to different specialty areas of each market, so we’re not always looking and produce or fish. This time we went to the gold section. It’s set up like a pawn shop where jewelry brought by sellers is weighed by the buyers. Prices are based purely on weight. Women working there wanted to know how old we were and were amazed that we were so spry. They then asked if we had our real teeth and showed off their gold ones. Off we marched to the tobacco sellers. This wasn’t cigarettes, but loose tobacco combined with chicken and camel poo. It’s placed under the tongue or between the lips and teeth, is extremely addictive, and carcinogenic. The smell is primarily of poo. Yura is a man of many talents. Although he comes from a wealthy family, still owns and runs his father’s factory with 150 employees, and works as a guide, his father wouldn’t let him be spoiled. He learned to do manual labor and was skilled enough to build his own house. That came in handy last night when he fixed the A/C in one of our rooms. DInner was at the home of a family that is in the restaurant business. They also cater dinners in their home for tourists. The house had oversized rooms decorated in brocade wallpaper and gilt. Food was sumptuous with literally soup to nuts spread on the table when we began. The main course was besh barmak, a noodle dish with turkey cubes. It is indigenous and served once a year at special occasions. Happy early Thanksgiving. WIne and local vodka was freely poured as was Coke and Fanta. David pronounced the vodka “very smooth.” A professional trio played local instruments and did throat singing. If I had to describe the sound the singer made, I’d say gargling while trying to speak. We had special packing instructions for our internal flight. We don’t have to take off our shoes, all liquids and aerosols must be in checked luggage, computers must be in carry-ons, and there are two x-ray checkpoints. Tomorrow, we fly back to Tashkent for a day before our flight to Kazakhstan. Toby

Home

Nov. 2, 2023-Home We’re home. It’s been a long road. Don’t know how many steps, but I’d venture to say we did at least the goal of 10,000 a day. We managed to wear all the clothing we brought, and I have the laundry to prove it. We have a long weekend to get caught up with that. I’ll try not to do it all today. One of the guilty pleasures of being back is getting to flush toilet paper and not have to place it in a receptacle. The other is not having to hoard bottled water and being able to drink tap water. One of our friends said it would be good to sleep in our own bed. Not so. Hotel mattresses have been more comfortable. I think that means we’re in the market for a new one at home. I slept 11 hours last night without ambien. I know I’ll need a nap today. We’re grateful for the people who have helped us on our trip. Besides fellow travelers. guides and drivers, there were many people who grabbed our bags and carried them down steps at airports when there were no elevators or escalators. I was even able to pay it forward a few times. Airport personnel who saw looks of confusion on our haggard faces jumped in to direct us….especially at JFK. And thanks to DHL, the rug one of our group bought in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, was delivered to her home safely by way of Dubai, New York, Cincinnati, and Phoenix. It’s better traveled than some of us. Thank you all for your comments and for joining us on this odyssey. I always appreciate your willingness to go along on our crazy adventures. We’re actually talking about “where next.” Oregon may be put on the back burner again. Toby

Homeward Bound

Nov. 1, 2023-Homeward Bound Luggage out at midnight. Yura was there to see us off and Sayeed escorted us. On the van at 12:30AM Not eating most of a lame boxed breakfast at 1:30AM No elevators at the Bishkek airport; flights of steps On the plane at 3:45AM A better breakfast followed by three hours of passing out; cookies and coffee Forty minutes to landing. Surprise!! Sandwich and cake. Landed after six hours Walked forever from Concourse B to F. Got to our gate in time for boarding Went through two more security checks They wanted me to take my IPad out of its case. Didn’t now how. Neither did they. I turned it on, smiled, gave a little bow, and put it back in my carry-on Recognized two flight attendants when we boarded. Flying Turkish Air too much I slept 5 hours , thank you ambien. Ate a total of about 6 meals. We’re in New York now and will be home tomorrow. Best investment was our Global Entry Pass. There was a two hour line-up at passport control. We breezed through with just a retina scan. Slept three more hours. Oy! Home tomorrow Toby

Bishkek City Tour

Oct. 30, 2023- Bishkek City Tour Miracles happen. Our gimpy group member is much better. It was a knee sprain and not dislocation. Yura wouldn’t let her join us today as there was a lot of walking. Not taking chances. Perhaps the miracle was inspired by the reading material and directional aid in the nightstands. Clearly, the Gideons haven’t been here. The city tour started with a stroll through several lovely parks. We took photos of old Soviet office buildings still in use and monuments. When I look at the pictures, I won’t remember which is which. Yura told us to send him our photos and he’ll ID them for us. He will also download pictures of what we’ve seen and of us as we traveled. Such a nice service. The overall impression is that Bishkek is an historically young city with lots of young people. It’s vibrant, clean, and safe. It is a planned city with boulevards, floral plantings and shaded parks. A sweet custom is that when you double park your car, you leave a note with your phone number under the windshield wipers of the car you blocked. We vanned over to the outskirts to American University of Central Asia. The Soros Foundation is the largest donor with minor ones listed, like the USA in third place. Bard College is a partner. AUCA is a liberal arts university attracting international students. The entrance exam includes English proficiency as 80% of classes are taught in English. The 1200 students share the one building housing classes, library, gym, cafeteria, auditoriums, etc. Tuition is $7000/year and housing is $140/month. Grants are available. Students graduate with an American and local diploma in BA and MA programs. Most Americans come to study Central Asian culture and Russian. Our guide was from here. He has a BA in law and is studying remotely in English for a MA in international law from a university in Italy. He wore a sweatshirt saying “Way of Wade.” He was well aware of the link to LeBron and Akron. I asked him about any LGBTQ+ organizations on campus. He was a bit flustered and said it was uncomfortable to talk about. I told him why I was interested, and he opened up a bit. Homosexuality is severely frowned upon and coming out is dangerous. There are “underground” groups but nothing official. There’s no jail penalty, but physical safety is compromised. After he explained, I said, “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He smiled. Recently, Indian medical students have been attracted to Bishkek attending the public university. It costs less for them to study here than in the US. Then they can move to the US and become our doctors. Their presence has added welcome options for Indian cuisine. All I can say about lunch is lava cake. We walked from our hotel to a new multi-level mall. Wow! It was crowded with families on this Monday afternoon. It’s really stunning with all the designer shops you know and some you don’t. Babies were in snow suits. We were in t-shirts and sweltering. We didn’t stay long. We snagged chilled Pepsi Zeros at a convenience store and returned to our heated hotel room. The window is wide open and we’re peeled down to our skivvies. Our farewell dinner was in a yurt. I thought we’d never get there. Rush hour is gridlock. It took 1 1/2 hours to get to the restaurant and 32 minutes to return to the hotel. Yes, we timed it. The food was a glorious gourmet rendition of the Kyrgyz fare we’ve been eating. The entertainment was a group of professional traditional musicians who play with the philharmonic here. One of the men recited a chapter of the Manas. Manas is a mythical figure much like a Superman. The poem is a 600,000 line detailed epic history of culture, dress, food, rites, rituals, and battles. The epic is a compilation of oral histories from nomadic people that was compiled and finally written down in Soviet times. After the collapse of the USSR, it was used as a roadmap for reconnection to their past. Last night we listened to Mayim Bialek’s talk on Facebook. I’m sure it’s on You Tube. It’s scary, poignant, and her message is emotional. After listening, I asked David if we should change our return ticket and go to Israel. I’d feel safer there even now. I won’t give you details because I want you to hear it. Tomorrow, we go to new heights. Then it’s time to prepare for our flights home. Toby

To Bishkek

Oct. 29, 2023-To Bishkek What a start to the day. The woman who is constantly late and scattered hurt her knee while asleep. Her knee replacement slipped and she’s really in pain. They carried her down the steps on a chair and to the van. They brought breakfast and lunch to her in the van and she didn’t get off until late afternoon when we arrived at the hotel. They had a wheelchair waiting and she’s confined to her room. She doesn’t want to go to a hospital. At day’s end her knee was feeling somewhat improved. In the interest of fairness, I must tell you I learned that her food particularity stems from radiation treatment for thyroid cancer. Her taste buds were compromised. We had a long day, but not a lot of driving. Our first stop was an outdoor museum of petroglyphs. Boulders carved by nomads were strewn over the landscape. The art was translatable to what we’ve seen in the American southwest, France, Bulgaria, etc. Art, the universal language. There were what looked like miniature Easter Island statues called bal bal that were tombstones. They were used later than other graves that were marked solely by a pile of rocks. On a modern note, China is perpetrating a quiet neo-colonial takeover of the world. As of now 120 countries have been sucked in. Here’s the deal: China lends money for infrastructure with an unrealistic repayment schedule and terms. When a country is unable to meet those terms, China takes over mineral rights, power production, etc. as compensation. It can be seen as far away as Italy, Cuba, Sri Lanka where they’ve built modern ports they now own. Their goal is to build up political influence and edge out Russia. Back in time, in 751 AD, Chinese and Arab armies clashed in Central Asia. Muslims won. Is China trying to get it back now? Lunch was in a home set up to cater to tourists. The food rewarded the expectations built up by Yura. There were dishes we’d eaten before and a new dessert; pieces of fried dough sprinkled with honey and cream. Luckily it wasn’t made from a favorite nomadic drink: horse milk. It comes in regular and fermented. The visual of milking a horse is now stuck in my brain. Put me on a plane for home. My reason for coming here was to see the horseback competition typical of the area and I just did. But first we saw demonstrations of two lesser games. One was horsemen riding at top speed trying to grab a rock from the ground. The second was two men on horseback “wrestling” each other and trying to unseat each other. Kok-Boru started as a rite of passage for young men. They teamed up and rode their horses until one team grabbed a live wolf by hand. The game has evolved to Ulak Tartysh which is what we watched today. The translation is “pulling the goat.” We called it goat polo. Yes folks, a goat was sacrificed today according to halal law. Its head and feet were removed and its body was fought over. The game was frenzied and aggressive as each team tried to grab the goat from the ground and race to a cauldron/goal. There are rules, but it’s hard to discern them with such fast action. Two horses and riders fell with no injury. One rider’s tactic was to have his horse rear close to another horse and try to destabilize the other rider. By the end of the competition, the goat is well tenderized and the winning team eats it for dinner. There are professional competitions with prizes worth the battle: Mercedes and cash. An archaeological find in the area is a UNESCO site waiting for excavation. Bakun Tower is the most visible remains. It was the minaret of the mosque of a prosperous former capital of the area during the 10th to 12th centuries. It was a natural destination for Chinese coming down from the mountains on their journey along the Silk Road. We walked around the staged collection of bal bals and headed to tonight’s destination, the Ramada Hotel. Yura took us on a familiarization walk around our hotel neighborhood. He pointed out restaurants, drugstores, groceries, etc. And then there was Nathan’s Hot Dogs. It’s a natural fit here. Nathan’s is kosher in the US. It’s halal here. We all caved and ate there. It was a pleasant change from “stan” food. Tomorrow, we have a city tour of Bishkek. Toby

Karakol Birds and Brides

Oct. 28, 2023- Karakol Birds and Brides This morning our welcoming party was a trio of friendly dogs. One was a puppy who was still young enough to be mouthy. He loved my jacket sleeve. Such joy. To distract us from our relentlessly bumpy ride this morning, Sayeed challenged us with a history quiz. What happened here in the 14th century which affected Western Europe? The Bubonic plague of the 14th century has been traced to the gerboa, a Gobi Desert rat. The plague jumped to this area and spread West. What did nomadic tribes contribute to civilization starting in 4000 BCE? Making and use of felt, domestication of then breeding of horses, chariots with spoked wheels, geometrical collapsible portable yurts, trousers,belt buckles, boots with heels, stirrups. Our ride was worth it. We arrived in Karakola at a field where we met a champion competitor who hunted with golden eagles. He is one of 50 licensed in the country. Hunters go in teams to steal eaglets from the nest. Females are preferred. The team distracts the parents as one man climbs down a rope to the nest. Birds start to train three months later and are handled with affection and consistency. You really don’t want to be on the wrong side of that beak or talons. They have elephantine memories and know who’s trustworthy. They hunt small animals ( fox, rabbits, jackal, etc) and are allowed to eat the meat of their kill. Hunters get the pelts. Adult golden eagles weigh 12 lbs. and have a wingspan of six feet. We learned how heavy that was when we were allowed to hold her on our arm. They live 50-60 years, but are only used to hunt for 20. They are then released back into the wild to live out their lives. Our 5 year old eagle was very vocal as she knew food was in the offing. One of the hunter’s sons ( 5th generation hunters) took the bird up a hill. The other son dragged a coyote pelt. As soon as the hood is removed, and the signal given, she was off. The bird quickly pounced. She was rewarded with raw meat from the trainer. The next demonstration was unnerving. A live bunny was set in the field and the eagle was released from the hill. We all rooted for the rabbit. It didn’t run and the eagle quickly caught it. The bird won’t eat or release the catch until the trainer gives a signal. In this case, the rabbit was alive and walked away. But it’s fate was not as we imagined. Because of the damage done to it in the take down, the rabbit had to be killed. It will be dinner. That is their way. Happy bird, happy family, sad tourists. We stopped briefly at a museum honoring Nikolai Mikhailovich Przhevalsky. You remember him from history class, right? He was an explorer/spy for Russian military from 1867, until he died of typhus at age 49. Sayeed said he travelled with an entourage of young men and there was never mention of any women in his life. Duh. Just say he was gay and stop pussyfooting around. The museum was unheated and I was cold. I returned to the bus before the walk to the grave. If you got upset about the dead bunny, wait until I tell you about kidnapped brides. Lunch was at the home of a Uyghur widow who told us her story. First, some background. It’s an ancient tradition of nomadic tribes of Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia for young men to kidnap their brides. Not a surprise given the historical status of women. It continued until 1941, when Soviets put a stop to it. Now there’s a penalty of jail time, but police would rather have the families work it out before prosecuting, Today, kidnapping may be consentual and pre- arranged. In that case, it’s only done for “tradition” with the bride making a big show of protesting. Sayeed said it’s more like a public elopement. In a true modern kidnapping, the bride is held at the home of her kidnapper’s family until her father finds her. Negotiations are entered and famiies try to convince the bride to stay. Upon agreement, a white scarf is placed on the girl’s head and a 30 day betrothal period starts. The wedding is simple. If she insists, she may refuse, but it taints her father’s name for a short time. Our hostess, age 59, was kidnapped at age 18 as she left her university class. Her contemporaries were experiencing the same thing. When her father came to get her, the families agreed she would stay. She never agreed. Her husband wouldn’t let her continue her education. She became a servant for his parents and siblings. After some months she realized he was a kind but firm man and fell in love with him. They were married 33 years before he died. They had three daughters and a son who drowned at a young age. She explained to her husband that her main regret was not getting an education. He vowed that he would rescue any daughter who was kidnapped before she finished university. The eldest daughter married a man of her choice , but the middle daughter was kidnapped at 17 by someone she didn’t know. Her father stormed into where she was being kept and made it clear he wasn’t leaving without his daughter. She is now married to a man of heir choice and is a college graduate. The last girl is still in school. In the end, pretend kidnappings are still popular since it saves having huge expensive wedding. Tomorrow we move on to Bishkek, our final destination. Toby

Kyrgyzstan?

Oct. 27, 2023- Kyrgyzstan? The van goes over the mountains and what do you think it finds. Another van to go over other mountains. We navigated the border crossing from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan faster than estimated. Yura hired porters to carry our bags, which certainly facilitated everything. For some reason understandable only to bureaucrats, luggage on dollies pulled by porters don’t have to be x-rayed. The crossing was muddy, congested, dirty, but new pavement covered the path we took. Border control on both sides examined us as closely as they did our passports. I’ve never seen officials turn documents sideways and upside down to be sure they’re genuine. Some dilemma was caused by women whose passports photos were pre-Covid and had recently let their hair go gray. Our new local guide, Sayeed, met us with a lovely Mercedes van. He took us to a money exchange then launched into history. Kyrgyz people were nomads. They didn’t wander hither and yon. They had fixed summer and winter camps. Today many are semi-nomadic. They work in cities in winter, but yurts dot the hillsides as they tend flocks in summer. They were first mentioned as an ethnic group in China, migrated to Siberia and showed up in this area in the 14th century. The official language is Kyrgysh with Russian being the second. English is compulsory starting in 5th grade and is mostly used by younger people. The country is secular by Constitution. The largest religious group is Suni Muslim, then Russian Orthodox, then Jewish. There are two synagogues in the capital, Bishkek, but I doubt we’ll see either one. Writing is predominantly in Kyrgysh using Cyrillic letters, then Russian. Sayeed thinks it will be a long time before the Latin alphabet is adopted There were so many horses grazing in the fields that I wondered what they do with them all. Sorry I asked. They’re used as meat for special festivities and kept as we do money in the bank. If a family needs to cover a large expense, a horse is sold. Cattle is also valuable, but not as much as horses. Sayeed is a Uyghur. There are also Dungan Chinese Muslims who live here. He’s adamant about the world not only seeing Uyghurs as oppressed and in concentration camps in China. He wants people to know there are 25 million in the world and they’re very successful. The Uyghur capital of the US is Chicago. Central Asia politically does not recognize their persecution in China. I guess trade is more important. We’re back in the land of good food. Lunch was at a resort/party center that adopted a Hawaiian theme and decor. I’m certain none of the designers had been there, as they feature statues of tigers and crocodiles, oh my. We were served lagman, a Uyghur dish of thick homemade noodles with beef and veggies. We ate with chopsticks. Cuisine is definitely moving in the right direction. The woman who was late to the bus by 20 minutes the first day has been a trial, She misplaces things (Yura now holds her money), broke her camera (Yura loaned her one of his and she broke that), and is particular about what she eats and always requests substitutions (which have been provided). This morning she came late to breakfast and said she just woke up. She hadn’t set an alarm and told Yura not to leave a wake-up call, because she always wakes early. She got a big eye roll from me and I left the table. Yura went out of his way and found her a Pepsi Zero (Coke wouldn’t do). She then stated she’d only drink it with ice. Ice is rare and has to be made from purified water. Everyone has been solicitous and polite and I know we can hang on a few more days, but I’d hate to be on another trip with her. We’re staying at the mile high Kapriz Issyk-Kul Resort on a lake the size of Erie in Cholpin Alta. The views are stunning, The town population quadruples in summer. Lest you think we’re at Canyon Ranch, think more Grossingers. Rooms are adequate although there’s no A/C and heat is controlled by plugging and unplugging electric wall heaters. Our windows are open now. Luckily, it’s in the 50’s. I spoke too soon. Dinner here was lame and we eat here tomorrow night too. The only thing I ate was greasy, soggy fries. Hoping for a decent breakfast. Tomorrow, we fly with eagles and lunch with Uyghurs.

Almaty Unlimited

Oct. 26, 2023- Almaty Unlimited It’s a good thing I read the sign over the toilet this morning. It said to run the water in the shower five minutes if you wanted it to be hot. There isn’t a corner of Almaty we haven’t seen. If there is, it’s unremarkable.. Svetlana had much to say in ther fast, heavily accented English as we went from museum to monument to museum. If possible local architects were sure to limit access by using marble steps, and no handrails. We passed our members hand to hand and didn’t lose a one to a fall. I did Almaty injustice yesterday. There are some lovely modern districts where people live who shop in the Max Mara and Fendi stores. How did they make their millions? Oil and gas. It was easier than raiding the Golden Room at the first museum. Nomadic tribes of 1,000 BCE were well acquainted with crafting gold. Discoveries of their work have been unearthed to reveal art featuring animalistic depictions. Of course, there’s an Independence Square and monuments and memorials to WWII. It was refreshing to walk through pine laced paths and smell their freshness instead of the fumes of Uzbekistan. At the end of one pine alley was a wooden Russian Orthodox Church that survived the earthquake (about 9.0) of 1911. It was a pleasure seeing its multi-colored and gilt interior after all those blue and turquoise mosques and madrassahs. The ethnographic museum of musical instruments was so overly heated that I chose to sit outside. I was rewarded with a concert of Kazak music blasting from a souvenir shop. I had private time and got to wiggle my toes to the beat. We rode a gondola up the mountain for photo ops. It was quite the challenge maneuvering our group onto and off the moving car, but we managed. I took off on my own to explore the amusement park and scope out new vistas. There was supposed to be a zoo there, but I missed it. There was a sculpture of the Beatles where people were lined up for selfies. Evidently, they were so popular here, they were immortalized. The visit to a chocolate factory was a let down. There were no tours of the factory and no free samples. Yura eased my disappointment by buying a large candy bar and handing out tastes. Nothing remarkable. Another bazaar just down the block was in our future. The Green Bazaar was small by usual standards and a convenient place to buy our bananas. David asked for and paid for 4, but when he handed the man the money, instead of change, we got a 5th banana. At lunch, David asked Svetlana about the Jewish community. There is a Sephardic synagogue with a rabbi in Almaty as well as in the capital, Astana. She has several Jewish friends many of whom live in Israel. She’s in almost daily contact with them and has visited Israel and the W. Bank three times. For those who complained that portions were too large, they should be relieved. Meals sizes have dramatically shrunk. Today’s lunch was potatoes and mushrooms. I ate David’s mushrooms and he ate my potatoes. We were both satisfied. Dinner was interesting. The main was brisket Stroganoff with mashed potatoes. I scraped the white stuff off the meat and left the tasteless potatoes. I’m not a fan of Kazakhstan food if that’s what we’ve been eating. The best part was when a professional Kazack band played for us. The four perform internationally including Carnegie Hall. The leader was a hoot. He involved us by playing guessing games and paid off in chocolate. As if that wasn’t enough, the servers did a folk dance to “wake up the customers.” Very festive and unexpected. It certainly made up for the food. We’ve been in Central Asia long enough for Facebook to think we want to see posts in Russian. Nope. Tomorrow we have a long ride to the border of Kyrgyzstan where we will hopefully cross without incident. Toby

Onward to Kazakhstan

Oct. 25, 2023- Onward to Kazakhstan You can take the man out of Russia, but you can’t take Russia out of the man. This was the hardest airport transfer yet. One carry-on bag was 1 kilo overweight. I took my iPad out of it and put it in a bag that was underweight. That satisfied them. I later put the iPad back in its original place. They decided the formerly overweight bag was oversized. Yura put it in the sizing form and it hung over maybe an inch. He convinced them it was ok. I didn’t see money change hands, just lots of talking. That bag has literally been all over the world with no problem. We had to go through three passport checks and two X-rays. One passport check was delayed for those who had Uzbek visas. Although not required for visitors over 50, OAT strongly encouraged us to get them. The only time anyone here cared, it took longer to exit the country. One of the enjoyments of the trip has been that no one talked of their health history in detail. Some issues were mentioned when pertinent to an activity but never brought it up again. Most of my relief was I didn’t know these people and would never see them again. I care about those at home: these folks, not so much. I did learn that several of the group wore hearing aids. My hearing is diminishing and I’ve been avoiding a hearing aid. My reasoning was validated. They don’t help much. People with them were the ones always asking for repetition of directions or misunderstanding explanations. They’ve declared it to be winter in Uzbekistan. Children are in winter coats, hats, and scarves. The heat is turned on. I’ve stripped down to a tank top. Compared to 145, I guess the 70’s feels chilly. The last newest airline we’ve flown is Air Astana. Luck continued. We managed to arrive on Republican Day. Before leaving home, we registered with the US embassy in every city. They sent us an alert about holiday demonstrations and advised us to avoid the crowds. That was easy.The flight was only 1 1/2 hours, but it took all day to get here. No time to get into trouble. We were met by Svetlana, our tall, blond, Russian local guide. On the drive to the hotel she gave us a quick rundown on Kazakhstan. Although no longer the capital, Almaty is the largest city in the country with a population of 2.1 million. The predominant language is Russian, but young folks are preferring and learning Kazakh. Kazakhstan is in the process of changing from the Cyrillic to Latin alphabet. Ethnicity (there are at least 120+ varieties) is printed on passports which are used for general identification. Jewish is considered an ethnic group. My first impression is that this is very different topographically. There is green. The Khan Tenerife Mountains, some 23 thousand feet high, surround the city. Trees are changing color. They have four distinct seasons. Their collection of old Soviet buildings is untouched and unmaintained snice 1991. All meals are included here. Tonight’s dinner was orzo con pollo (chicken and rice). Yura assured us it’s not traditional. Kazaks make a version of plov he says is far inferior to Uzbeks. We ate our first mixed green salad, fruit and cake. Very pedestrian, but we won’t starve. Tomorrow our city tour will be fast moving. We’ll cover lots of territory including a chocolate factory store. Not the factory, mind you. Just the store. Toby

Back in Tashkent

Oct. 24, 2023- Back in Tashkent Another first. We flew Uzbekistan Airlines from Nukus to Tashkent. Air service to and from Nukus is only from Tashkent. That’s why we couldn’t fly from Khiva. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss my sand potty anyway. The plane was an airbus. They played the best safety video ever. I don’t know who thought to dress the actors in ancient costumes and put them on camels instead of airplane seats, but it was genius. I was laughing out loud. I almost lost it when they talked about water landings and showed a plane in a puddle in the desert. I was surprised to see the use of the word “oriental” in the airplane magazine. It’s not PC for us to say that in the US. We’ve convinced ourselves that “Asian” is preferred. As to preference, I would have liked a jetway instead of steps getting on and off the plane, but it was not to be. We both did well schlepping our carry-ons. We toured a bit before going to our hotel. The Memory Park was lovely, shady, and featured a large eternal flame and towering statue of a mourning mother. A million and a half Uzbeks were conscripted by and fought with Russia in WWII. Males from 12-75 were taken. Maybe 550 thousand returned. Close by was Independence Square and the first subway station we conquered. Crowds were thick, escalators were speedy, and steps were aplenty. The subway system was built by the Soviets in 1977, after the president of Uzbekistan made 25 trips to Moscow pleading for it. They are typical of those in Russia with mosaics and dramatic columns. We navigated three stations with Yura keeping tabs while urging us to hurry on and off. He even gave instructions in case we couldn’t get off in time. We were to ride to the next stop, get off, and he’d find us. His concern was unfounded. Individually, the New York group of 5 on our trip are nice enough. Together, not so much. It is typical and, I think rude, that they huddle together planning where to go for a meal without asking if anyone else in the group would like to join them. I’ve never seen this happen on an OAT trip before even with travelers who knew each other. I won’t miss them when they go back to the States tomorrow. The remaining five of us are compatible if quirky. David is busy sorting and counting money. We still have US and Uzbek. Yura said there’s nothing to buy in Kazakhstan and all meals are included. They do take cards should we make a purchase. More Yura information: His factory makes flour and pasta. He owns four apartments besides his home. He wanted to be assured that his children would have places to live after marriage if they didn’t want to live with family. At dinner we farewelled those flying home tomorrow. We walked back to the hotel and settled into our rooms looking forward to a later wake up. Our flight leaves at 2 something AM for Kazakhstan. Here’s to new border crossings. Toby

To Nukus

Oct. 22, 2023- To Nukus Sorry about bounces and/or several copies of the same email. The WI-FI was unreliable. Dinner in our room was accompanied by BBC and Al Jezera news. BBC was more depressing. They seem to have forgotten who pulled the tail of the tiger and are surprised at the force of Israel’s retaliation. We got to sleep until 8 AM. Our departure wasn’t until noon. We had a leisurely breakfast and watched a musical show arranged by Yura. I’ll call them the Khiva 6. It was an extended family from grandfather to grandson. The musical tones were typically minor key and instruments regional. Everyone looked as if they were having fun except for the 12 year old boy who only smiled towards the end. The dance moves were reminiscent of Egyptian head bobbles and Indian or Hawaiin hand motions telling a story. Our group’s health is improving. Folks are perkier though sounds of coughing and sneezing continue. Sadly, I’m able to tell who’s hacking by sound. We collected extra food from breakfast for our lunch on the bus. It’s 4 hours to Nukus. Yura helped by handing out bananas, chips, Snickers bars, and crackers. Not well balanced, but I brought cheese and cucumbers. Yesterday, we saw a boy and at his circumsicion party. Circumcision was adopted by Muslims from Jewish tradition but is done at age 3, 5, or 7. It’s done in a clinic with anesthetic while the child watches TV. To make it palatable for the boy, a huge party is thrown. By huge, I mean 1000+ guests. Some families combine two or three circcumcisions to save money. The child may attend the party if he’s comfortable enough. Girls are named on the 40th day after birth. A smaller party is given for namings. According to Suni Muslim, tradition the deceased must be buried before sunset of the day they die. Notification to friends and relatives is expedited as funeral attendance is more important than weddings or circumcision parties. Asking for three days off work for a funeral is never questionsed The family of the deceased does nothing. Responsibilities are divided among friends. The body is washed and dressed then wrapped in red cloth for those over 63 and white for those under. Men take turns carrying the body on a palllet to the mosque then cemetery. Only men are permitted at the cemetery. Mourning is one year. Since Yura is inter-married, he will be buried in a Christian Korean cemetery and his wife in a Muslim one. There is no cremation. Some of the cheapest land for sale is the site of former cemeteries. Every one hundred years cemeteries are destroyed and re-purposed. Our rest stop was not in the tour description. Yura told us we’d find a good place on our way. So far they’ve been Western style, modern, and clean. When the bus pulled to the side of the road and Yura told us to pick our sand dune for toileting, we thought he was joking. We hesitantly climbed off the bus and realized it was very windy. Aside from not wetting my clothes I had to take into account wind direction. I tried the “funnel” again with better results. No one minded that I carried it onto the bus and threw it away in the trash. When the bus stopped a second time I knew I wasn’t getting out in the rain. It turned out the windshield wipers needing tweaking. We were opposite a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence. Zoroastrians came from Persia about 19 centuries ago. There are few left in Uzbekistan as most have gone to India. They believe dead bodies pollute the earth. Bodies are tied to altars in the Tower and vultures clean the bones. After two weeks bones are placed in ossuaries and buried underground. A famous Zoroastrian was Freddy Mercury of Queen. Another stop and two tweeks later, we pulled into Nukus. It’s actually a city. David went on the orientation walk this time while I rested and wrote. He pronounced it a pathetic excuse for a city. We watched a documentary called Desert of Forbidden Art (available on Netflix). It’s about Igor Savitsky, a Russian/Jewish electrician, artist, enthusiast of Central Asian culture, and dreamer. He surreptitiously collected banned Soviet art by those who were sent to Gulags. He cajoled the families into giving him the works for a promissory note. He managed to scrape together funds for the museum in Nukus, a desert town where nobody came. The museum is now a magnet for tourists adventurous enough to brave desert winds and peeing behind a dune. Tomorrow we’ll explore the Savitsky Museum and learn more about the Karakalpak people. They’re closer in tradition and ethnicity to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This will be good preparation for our week in K&K. Toby

Khiva walking tour

Oct. 21, 2023-Khiva walking tour We have become the walking wounded. Aside from the woman who hurt her leg, at least five have colds, and three got food poisoning at the hotel dinner last night. The doc in our group diagnosed the latter as he was a victim. David has a cold that I’m trying to avoid. Believe me, the tour company will re-evaluate this hotel before next season. Yura took pity on us. Instead of walking 15-20 minutes to the Western Gate our bus drove us there. Khiva is a city of two walls. The inner wall is higher and more formidable. There is the physical barrier and the psychological barrier. The invaders believed it was bad luck to step on a grave. Khivans placed tombs on the outter side of the taller inner walls to deter enemies from easy access. Competition between Khiva, Bukhara, and Samarkand accounted for the large numbers of mosques and madrassahs in the city. Size didn’t matter. And with a slave market front and center, it was cheap and easy to get them built. Many were destroyed during the Bolshevik invasion readying the residents for a peaceful surrender to the USSR when the time came. Aside from the many and unvaried M&Ms (mosques and madrassahs), we visited the khan’s palace and the old mint. Three men were hired to work at the mint for only six days before being replaced. Their heads were shaved to prevent hiding coins in their hair, and they were given a laxative periodically to be sure they hadn’t swallowed coins. There was a “receptacle” on site for them to use before they left the facility. The worst job had to be the guy dunking for stolen coins. The reason the men only worked six days was so they couldn’t get friendly with the guards and bribe them to not give them the purge. Our group dwindled as lunch approached and the sickest returned to the hotel. Those left enjoyed pumpkin purée soup, dark green noodles made with dill, and beef stew topped with yogurt. There was a brief tour after lunch. We skipped out and rested. We never left the room. We had leftovers from our grocery shopping in Tashkent, and they sufficed for dinner. Too much food. Tomorrow we leave at noon for Nuukus, the capital of the autonomous Republic of Karakalpakstan. I haven’t been reading the itinerary in advance, so it was a nice surprise. Toby

To Khiva

Oct. 20, 2023-To Khiva Our daughter alerted us before the US Embassy did of terrorist threats against US tourists, especially Jews. Yura assured us that he was a champion boxer and would protect us. He also said that it was unlikely to happen in the countries we visited. Remember, guns and knives are outlawed. He gave an example of the seriousness of the law. A 17-year-old boy brought a pocket knife to school. He was caught, expelled, and his father lost his job. How much freedom would we be willing to give up for personal security? I’ve been assured that it takes 1 day per hour of time zone change for a person to normalize. Business class doesn’t help. I’ve just caught up. That’s a good reason to travel abroad for three weeks. At least we’ll be energetic and alert for 2/3 of it. Why did OAT eliminate visits to Turkmenistan? Since 1991, after the Soviets left, it became a dictatorship with closed borders. To this day, it is hard to impossible for individuals to visit. Covid tests are given at the border. If anyone in the group tests positive the whole group is quarantined 21 days. With each change of ruler (this is the third) it has gotten more repressive. It’s oil and natural gas riches have been squandered on monuments honoring the ruler and his crazy ideas. One leader decided to change the climate by planting pine trees in the desert. He solved the unemployment problem by forcing people to water the pines. Hundreds of people died in the heat as did the trees. He flew over the land regularly and didn’t want to see brown dead trees. The workers got smart and planted plastic trees in place of dead ones. They only kept real pines alive along the perimeter where the ruler might travel by road. Uzbekistan is 60% desert. I think we’ll see 99% of it. We drove across the Red Desert to our destination. The sand isn’t red, but it had to be distinguished from the Black desert, which isn’t black. At least the scenery changed. We found autumn and a drizzle. So, how hot does it get? In summer it can reach 145 degrees F. Asphalt highways melted and had to be repaved yearly. Now they’re being replaced with concrete. Torn up highways and a bus with no functioning suspension made for a long painful ride. We had several rest stops, but I would have paid more to fly the distance. The scenery wasn’t exactly stunning. Evidence of trade routes along what we call the Silk Road date back 25 centuries. What we now call The Great Silk Road could take 9 months to travel one way. It was a two year-round trip. The catch was that, according to Muslim law, men were obligated to “satisfy” their wives at least once a month. If they hadn’t returned in a year, the wife could go to the Imam to ask for another husband. She would then marry one of her brothers-in-law. It was common for husbands to travel only half way on the route so they could return within the year. Thus, Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva became large hubs of trade as they were midway between China and Europe. Health care is free, except for “tips” and major treatment. Food is provided by the family. There are no nursing homes or psychiatric institutions. Long term and elder care is at home. Some long-term care is defrayed by the government. Villages have clinics for minor illnesses. Cities have extensive private and public hospitals. If Uzbeks can afford it, they go to Israel, Germany, Russia, or India for major procedures. Remember the bribes for grades in medical school? In the future, university education for doctors will be free. Entrance exams will be the only requirement. Formerly, a low score on the exam could be defrayed by paying a high fee. Yura treated us to a picnic lunch of peanut butter, bananas, jam, garden veggies, cheeses, salami, cookies, and bread. Then lamb kabobs appeared. Oy! In the middle of nothing and nowhere we came upon a traffic light. It was red. We were crossing the border into the Independent Republic of Karacalpakstan. Karacal is within the borders of Uzbekistan. It has chosen to keep its independence and has signed an agreement to hold that status for a long period of time. There was no doubt it would be able to renew its special status, but then arose a problem. Oil was discovered in Karacal. Now it’s not guaranteed that Uzbekistan will agree to the renewal. Yura filled us in on cultural information on this long drive. I’ve covered marriage, but I must add that couples submit to complete physicals and HIV-AIDS testing before marriage. And, yes, the old bloody sheet test for virginity is still in vogue. Ick! Abortion is illegal, but happens.. There are cash fines and doctors lose their license if caught. The approach to Khiva showed a strong agricultural base with water adequate enough to support rice cultivation. The language is a mixture of Uzbek and Turkmen. There are few if any mosques. Existing ones were neglected during Soviet times and locals were too busy surviving to build them afterwards. Tomorrow, we take a walking tour of Old Khiva. It is a walled citadel. The mud and straw construction looks more like the SW US than Asian. Toby

A Day in the Life-Bukhara

Oct. 19, 2023-A Day in the Life-Bukhara David refuses to deal with bad weather when traveling. So far, we’ve had occasional drizzle during breakfast and nothing else. The temperature in Bukhara has been in the low to mid-70s. I think things will change soon. We traveled 45 minutes to the village of Nayman named for an ancient nomadic tribe that settled there 1500 years ago. There are over 120 ethnic groups in Uzbekistan. This one is Turcic. Nothing to do with Turkey. The tiny mayor of the 8,000 people in five surrounding villages welcomed us. He’s not small in stature. Tiny refers to his position as elected leader of a small amount of people. He’s low man on the totem pole, and reports to town, city, district, regional, and federal leaders. His biggest problem is lack of good drinking water and access to natural gas. Cooking is done with wood and propane while water is bottled. Plans are in place for improvement by 2030. There is a central school and health clinic for the villages as well as two policemen. Since 2022, the only crime he’s had to deal with was a fight between neighbors and one between a mother in law and daughter in law. There is more Russian spoken than I imagined, but in this area, the language is Uzbek. Remember, in the city of Bukhara it’s Farsi. They’re separated by only 20 miles. The host family on a day such as this asks the visitors to “help” them with a chore. Today we picked cotton. It was very strange for Americans. There was talk about our slave history and how this experience couldn’t compare to the barbaric conditions of the Old South. We couldn’t even find a song to sing as we picked that didn’t glorify pre-Civil War days. Of course, we had fun shleeping and filling flimsy cotton bags tied to us like aprons. The ruts between rows made footing unstable, spiky plants scratched us, and the sun beat down. We only worked 15 minutes, picked an average of 1 kilo each, and set off for lunch. Nope, no comparison to the slave experience. Yura told us a former guest who was African American refused to pick. The family was eagerly awaiting us at their house. Three generations live in a compound surrounding a large garden in the courtyard. The mother is a retired teacher and her husband worked in government. She, her daughter, and granddaughter instructed us on how to work dough they’d prepared and fill it with potatoes, spinach, and meat. We watched plov being made in an enormous “wok” then sat down to eat. We dozed on the ride back to the hotel then were free to nap or continue shopping. We did both. Tonight’s independent dinner was “meh” burgers and ice cream. We met up with folks from the group and enjoyed chatting until a violinist and bongo drummer set up next to us. Actually, the music was pleasant enough with a Middle Eastern beat. During our walk back to the hotel, we heard them play Shalom Aleichem and Hava Nagilah. There is a sizable Israeli tourism industry. The lack of them now is conspicuous and regretable to the locals. It’s later than we wanted for bedtime, so I’m sending this without David’s review. Any additions or errors will be addressed tomorrow. We face a long ride to Khiva tomorrow broken up by sightseeing. Toby

Bukhara Walk

Oct. 18, 2023- Bukhara walk The glitch of this morning was that the charger to my phone is dead. I borrowed one and Yura is on the hunt for a replacement. Also, David forgot to bring Systane eye drops for dry eye (Yes, Phil. I couldn’t believe it either). Yura had printed out in Farsi what we should ask for at the pharmacy, but we hadn’t gotten to one yet. This morning, Yura showed up with drops that actually work quite well. The talk at breakfast was comparison of water pressure and hot water. Ours was fine, but many didn’t figure out that the hot and cold direction for the spigot is opposite what we’re used to. The New Yorkers aren’t exactly cliquish, but they make it clear they want to eat together with “their group.” They were foiled this morning by the matron in charge of the breakfast room. You sat where she told you to and if a spouse came later, you ate apart. We learned some of what Yura carries in his backpack. A first aid kit. The fittest and least likely person in our group tripped over steps protruding onto a sidewalk. She had two nasty cuts that Yura tended to on the spot. Luckily the streets are kept clean. We all volunteered what antibiotics we had, but the doctor won. We have a medical psychiatrist among us. What’s a day without a madrassah? The first one was 403 years old. The best part of it was the friendly puppy who shared it’s belly with anyone who wanted to rub it. The other madrassah, citadel, and mausoleum we saw had more tile and less adorable attractions. We walked to the Jewish area, which was around the corner from our hotel, and were met by Avram, the man in charge since the rabbi died three months ago. Jews have been here for 1200 years. He proudly showed us one of three Torahs. It was 1,000 years old and came to Bukhara by way of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Tashkent. Now 15-20 people come on Shabbat, 50 for high holidays. The Jewish day school had 150 pupils, but now is an international school with only a few Jewish students. Community relations have always been open and welcoming. The building itself was built by a Muslim and is in the Sephardic tradition. There had been an Askenazi synagogue, but it closed when the Poles left for Israel or Poland after WWII. Avram didn’t understand Hebrew or Hebrew terms like “ner Tamid,” but chanted beautifully from the prayer book. We all joined at the end singing “Oseh Shalom.” What a relief! No plov, kebab, or stew for lunch. Soup is de rigor and today’s was their version of garbage soup. All the leftovers were dumped into a pot with a touch of lemon and sprinkle of magic spices. Our main was what looked like a large won ton filled with meat and vegetables. It was served with yogurt instead of soy sauce, and the translation worked. There was a visit to a combined madrassah/mosque after lunch, but we opted for rest. We have found the cure for insomnia….exhaustion. We napped then set out for dinner and shopping. We knew what we wanted to buy and thought everyone bargained. We made our selection and I began bartering. I wasn’t getting good results when I was handed a pad of paper. I thought we’d haggle in writing so other customers wouldn’t know my “special price.” I got nowhere fast. David finally realized there was no moving them on price and the paper was for me to write the name I wanted engraved on the object. We paid in full. The sun had set. Lights came on giving a subtle glow to the walkways, trees, and pond. Local families socialized and mingled with tourists while listening to the high pitched thrum of Uzbek guitars. We haven’t run into cobblestone streets or walkways. It’s all tiled or paved. Such a relief except for protruding steps, that is. Dinner was on our own. We chose “Waffles and Ice Cream”. It’s far superior to our chicken and waffles. We stopped at the hotel desk to pick up the new charger Yura left and to retrieve our laundry. The hotel service was reasonable, the sun shone to speed the drying, and we once again have clean undies. You know how I hate to hand wash. BTW, we are the oldest group Yura has escorted. No one is under 70. Tomorrow we travel to a village for “A Day in the Life” where we help a family with chores and they feed us lunch. We may tend animals or pick cotton. Who knows? Toby

Train to Bukhara

Oct. 17, 2023- Train to Bukhara Hallelujah! AOL lives. Shame on us. How can the USA be outdone by Uzbekistan? This morning we went to a stunning train station from the Soviet era and rode a bullet train at 150 mph. It can go 200 mph, but why push it. We were “farewelled” by a cacophonous band playing local instruments as we readied ourselves to jump onto the train in the 6 minutes allotted for boarding. There was snack and beverage service, clean western style toilets, and a very helpful ethnic Russian woman sitting across from us. When my cappuccino arrived, it was in a paper cup, full to the brim, and hot. She whipped out a plastic cup holder with a handle and bailed me out. She also reached into David’s wallet as he fumbled with millions of “som” in currency and literally bailed him out with the cashier. David bought a cup of fresh fruit mid-trip only to discover that the price went down the closer we were to our destination. The entire ride was 1 1/2 hours versus 6 hours by car. Need I say the scenery was beige and got more so the farther we were from Samarkand. Yura told us we were now in the desert. Where the hell had we been before? Bukhara is Yura’s hometown so he’ll be glad to see his family and get his laundry done. It is also the hub of the old trade routes and oasis. Unfortunately, the underground water is heavily saline and had to be filtered. It also harbored guinea worms. Yes, the same worms President Carter has worked so hard to eliminate in Africa. It was in 1932, when Bukharans tackled the problem in a systematic and scientific way. They drained all the ponds, lakes and canals and set up a water purification plant. It wasn’t until 1977, when they refilled the waterways. The ponds are still drained monthly, cleaned, and checked for worms. So far so good. For sure we’re sticking with bottled water. Our hotel, the Amelia, is a boutique hotel of only 11 rooms. Charming. It’s in the heart of the old town and walkable to anything we’ll need. We took an orientation tour with Yura after lunch. There is a central park and pond surrounded by mulberry trees. It is lovely, except for memories of guinea worms of old. He introduced us to three of the several “trading domes” dating from the time when there were 72 caravansari in Bukhara. Each dome (actually a bazaar) had a specialty. Surprisingly, the one for moneychangers was run by Indians, not Jews. Jews in this region were known for dying fabric and leather. The town is still a trading post, only this time it sells to tourists. It’s one big gift shop. The madrassahs are gift shops. The caravansari are gift shops or hotels. Ancient mosques have been converted as well. So far, I’m not enchanted. As we rambled around the pedestrianized zone, we were stopped by several women from a town 700 miles away. They only wanted to take photos with us and smile to show off their gold teeth. Gold is a sign that you can afford better than steel. One woman bragged that she had the best teeth of all. She was born with them. Dinner was at an 18th century house catering to tourists. It wasn’t as lovely as it sounded, but the dancing girl made up for it. She whirled and twirled in time to two local musicians beating on a drum and strumming a 9 stringed instrument. Yura knew she was married because she only had two braids and no unibrow. Unmarried women have multiple braids and don’t pluck or shave until a week before their wedding. Uzbekistan must be the home of the u-turn. When crossing the street, we have to swivel our heads as cars, trucks, and buses swing wide and play “chicken” as they capriciously change direction. Toby Tomorrow, we walk to the Jewish section and see the synagogue then look at functioning mosques and madrassahs.

Conquering Samarkand

Oct. 16, 2023- Conquering Samarkand No need for a stress test for me. I conquered the mountain of Samarkand. The hike this morning took us to 3000 feet altitude. The only oxygen deprivation was due to my inability to process it. The footing was complicated by sand, stones, dung, livestock, and incline. Two village boys and Yura helped as needed. Fortunately, no one fell or was otherwise injured. We expect to be sore tomorrow.The scenery was beige, but we were too busy trying to stay alive to notice. I’m trashed. Our afternoon was spent visiting a silk paper factory where they made paper from mulberry trees. If you’ve seen paper made from any other tree, the process is the same. Our “enlightenment” continued at a Q & A with two married women. The 43 year old was in an arranged marriage, and the 23 year old was in a “love” marriage. Statistically, there is a higher divorce rate with love marriages. The women said that information is unreliable. Those in arranged marriages find it hard to divorce due to family pressure and shame. The woman in the arranged marriage came home from class one day and was surprised by an engagement party. She was 21. Her husband was ten years older. They only saw each other three times before the wedding. She began married life living with her in-laws and serving their needs. But before her wedding she secretly got a visa to the US in case the marriage didn’t work. She finished her education, and before her visa ran out, she told her husband about it. He thought it was a good idea and got a work visa. They lived in Raleigh, N. Carolina where their daughter was born. Their parents were aging and they reluctantly returned to Samarkand. The daughter is now in college in the US and is serious about a man from Samarkand who is studying in Russia. While not an arranged marriage, the families have met and approved. The 23 year old woman comes from Russian parents who are in a love marriage. Although they approved of her husband, they forbid her to date an Armenian Christian man with whom she was previously in love. They live with his parents and yearn for privacy. They won’t be able to have a home of their own until his younger brother marries and moves in with his bride. It would be shameful if they moved out before 3 or 4 years and without producing a child. There is a sad thread weaving through both relationships. The older woman is being pressured to produce a son, and the young bride’s mother-in-law asks monthly if she’s pregnant. Before moving to the US, the older woman’s mother-in-law snooped in their bedroom and found her birth control pills. Her husband had more modern ideas having lived and worked in Israel and agreed to postpone children. His mother didn’t speak to him for a month. Having been married only four months, the younger couple is going through fertility counseling. Their plan B is to go abroad for higher education to get away from his parents. Yura took us to a modern grocery store where we could buy dinner fixings. Fresh hot bread and cheese shared with some of the group back at our hotel was a perfect end to the day. Facts: Not unexpectedly, people here value lighter skin tone. It seems to be world wide. A common compliment is that someone’s skin looks like cottage cheese. No one is permitted to own guns or knives. Expensive licenses for hunting rifles are limited. We haven’t seen beggars. Weddings are booming. Bridal photo shoots are on every corner. No Visa is needed to go to Israel for 1 month. Tomorrow we go to Bukhara by bullet train. Toby

Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Oct. 15, 2023-Samarkand, Uzbekistan For some reason we are unable to use AOL. We can neither send nor receive. Please keep emailing us. Eventually we’ll be able to read them Hopefully, gmail works. Today was intense. We left the hotel at 9 AM and returned at 5 PM. We were on our feet walking or climbing steps all day. The last hurrah was the entrance to a Necropolis with only 36 steps to the top. Guess who’s got several laundries on every street? Uzbekistan. Guess what they’re called? Dorixana. Guess what they “front” as? Pharmacies. Guess what they “launder?” Cash. Guess who knows they exist? The government. No problem. We began and ended our day at Registan Square. Registan means “sandy place.” Sand is convenient at a site catering to executions among other social endeavors. It housed madrassahs during the 15th to 17th centuries, but now has shops for tourists. In the morning the blue and gold tiles glittered in bright sunlight. At night it was illuminated and was cast in the glow of romance and intrigue. We trekked over to the Bibi-Khanum Mosque (late 13th- early 14th century), which turned out to be a triple header. The other two mosques were built by rulers who came after Tamerlane and tried to compete with it and each other and failed. Again, the facility housed craft shops. After an informational talk, we were free to explore and shop on our own and then meet at an appointed time and place. One of the Madelines (there are two in our group) got lost and was late. We found out that Yura wasn’t as fierce as we thought. We waited for her as her friends called her phone and guided her to where we were. By the way, there is a group of five relatives from NYC who all live in the same apartment building. I re-counted, and there are ten out of the twelve in the group at large who are Jewish. There’s always a Bazaar to see. After lunch we walked to and strategically saw only two sections. Sweets, with oddly fudge-like halavah and dried fruit. We tasted, we critiqued, and we bought. We plodded through a former Jewish neighborhood to the Gumbaz Synagogue (1891). It was small and lovely with carved wood details, a blue and white dome, and two stunning Torahs in a locked Arc behind a locked door behind a curtain. They no longer have services there since the members are all over 70 and can’t get to it. Thankfully, our bus was waiting to take us to the Sha-i-Zinda Necropolis where Tamerlane’s nearest and dearest are interned. It is now thought that since making Haj is so costly and the quota is so low, three trips to this Necropolis equals one trip to Mecca. More steps, more blue and gold mosaics, one blessing later, we returned to the hotel to prepare for our hone hosted dinner. The host family was delightful. There was a twice married and now separated mother with two children, her mother, and two cousins. Two spoke excellent English. The food was the best so far with eggplant salad, pumpkin wrap, stuffed cabbage, stuffed pepper, and apple pie made with home grown apples. Grandma was the cook and we almost gave her a standing ovation. The house seemed spacious and somewhat modernized. We reluctantly left them since it was time to see Registan Square illuminated with colored lights. And that’s just what we found. Tomorrow some of us will hike in Gissar Mts. David will not. Toby

Road to Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Oct. 14, 2023- Road to Samarkand, Uzbekistan AOL isn't working. Trying Gmail. Hope this gets through Don’t mess with Yura. Not only does he have a PhD in history, but he was ranked boxing champion of Uzbekistan in 1996. He’s the only guide we’ve had who wanted to control our passports. He retrieves them from the hotel on days we transfer from city to city then deposits them at the next hotel. We don’t argue. We bounced our way out of Tashkent on our springless bus and soon were surrounded by pastures. The usual occupants grazed peacefully with the addition of domesticated camel herds. Since camels only bear one baby a lifetime and the meat is tough, Uzbeks keep them solely for their milk and wool. We only took photos of the livestock from the bus, but got off at a huge melon market. Yes, Virginia, there are real “melon farmers.” These men spend 24/7 at their stands during melon season sleeping on beds set up beside the four lane highway. They’re rocked to sleep by speeding semis but will wake to sell melons at any hour. The samples we tasted were “mazalli.” Our first rest stop was at a gas station selling methane and butane. Since tanks are filled under intense pressure, there was nothing self service about it. Passengers and driver have to leave the car and stand at a distance during fueling. Explosions are possible. Cotton fields were plentiful and Yura regaled us with fond memories of university days when students were compelled to “volunteer” two months a year picking cotton. He likened it to summer camp. Men and women were separated at night, but that didn’t stop hormones and ingenuity resulting in romance, marriages, and some babies. Nowadays farmers have to pay for labor, although they still rent and can’t own the land. Travel time is often educational. Yura explained the dilemma facing Uzbekistan in 1991. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, they had to choose between becoming a democratic republic or Islamic state. The IMU (Islamic Movement or Uzbekistan) was overruled and fled to Afghanistan and Pakistan. They still try to infiltrate and stir up trouble, but are strictly discouraged. As to general security, Uzbeks fear Afghanistan and China more than Russia. The government that emerged was constitutional, but weighted toward presidential control. The constitution calls for a maximum of two consecutive four year terms for president, but the first president held office for 25 years. How did that happen? Constitutionally, the senate is 50% elected and 50% appointed by the president. He kept having his term extended as all he needed was one more vote. The new president has extended his term, but made changes that are welcome. He cleaned up the black market currency exchange and restored confidence in banks. Education is free from elementary through high school, although parents chip in for supplies and cleaning. Schools are run in either the Uzbek or Russian language with Russian being more popular. New mothers have six months leave while their job is held. Pre-school is public or private and prepares children for the elementary entrance exam. Bribery is common if a child fails. Bribery is also used at the university level to ensure high grades. Nowadays, Yura would rather use a doctor trained during Soviet times and not a younger one who might have bribed their way through med school We arrived in Samarkand in time for a late lunch then started touring. The preferred language in this region is Persian. The crops are fruit, and the regional hero is Tamerlane (1336-1405). His real name was Temur. He walked with a limp. Brits called him Tamer the Lame, which evolved to Tamerlane. He conquered what is now Central Asia, Iran, and Afghanistan leaving 18 million dead. A patron of arts and science, he died of pneumonia, undefeated in battle. He left stunning architecture in his wake. He must have liked blue and green mosaic, because the similarity in design is striking. We visited his family mausoleum and Ulugbek Observatory (1426) where the remains of a giant sextant is preserved. We’ll be at the Grand Samarkand Superior Hotel three nights. It’s small and quaint. That means no elevator. It isn’t a coincidence that our room is on the ground floor. Yura has evaluated our abilities well. He hasn’t helped anyone with the hundreds of steps we’ve already climbed. That is left to group members. I’m in charge of David and KC. Nancy is in charge of Joan. It just worked out that way. Big news is that I scored a hippo keychain. No one in the shop understood “hippopotum.” One man thought it was an elephant and held his arm up to mimic a trunk. I moved his arm away and gestured “big teeth and mouth.” I then said “water.” He said “very round.” Bingo! Bigger news. One of our bus windows splintered into hundreds of pieces. Yura found a rock in the bus that must have been kicked up by a passing car. Tonight the driver arranged to have it replaced. Fortunately, no one was sitting near it and the safety glass did its thing. Tomorrow we’re introduced to Bukharan Jews. They’re Persian speaking Jews related to the Mountain Jews we met in Azerbaijan last year. There were tens of thousands of them in Uzbekistan. The majority of Yura’s schooling was spent with them until a Jewish day school was built. There was an exodus to Israel in the 1970’s and again in the 1990’s. Yura said it was for more opportunity and a better life. From tens of thousands there are only 50 today in Samarkand and 120 in Bukhara. Toby

Touring Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Oct. 13, 2023-touring Tashkent, Uzbekistan We learned that Yura is unforgiving. KC, a woman in our group, slept through her alarm. She was at least 20 minutes late this morning. The guide was royally pissed. Jet lag and other excuses aside, he told us that this was the last day he’d excuse lateness. From now on he’d leave on time and we’d have to call him to find out where we could meet the group and make our way there on our own and at our expense. On a more personal note, I found out that if I’m tired enough I will forget to take my contact lenses out at bedtime and wonder where they were when I open my case to put them in the next morning. Our first stop was the memorial to those killed in the earthquake of April 26, 1966, measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale. Uzbekistan has daily earthquakes that might not even be felt. There is usually one major quake per century. Being part of the USSR at the time, it was reported that 3 people died and 120+ were hospitalized. In actuality more like 180,000 died. All that being equal, buildings were not rebuilt up to earthquake codes nor is new construction to this day. In 2017 there was one that registered 6.2. I hope that’s it for the 21st century. When we stopped at the Central Bazaar we were met with a hive of activity. We followed Yura around for 1 1/2 hours going from one section to another chatting (through him) with vendors. I’d had too much to drink at breakfast and had to use the Eastern style facilities. It was time to try my feminine urinary device. Even though I’d practiced at home, this time I failed. The funnel style cone wouldn’t open properly, my jeans weren’t positioned well, and it was too dark to see where the stream was going. You get the picture of panic. Here comes TMI. I stopped the stream and squatted. AAAh! The old fashioned solution. On to the history museum. Uzbekistan was originally submerged under an ocean. All that was left after it dried up was the Aral Sea. Now that too is gone. The ocean gave way to desert enabling trade routes to be established. There are more civilizations that ruled or passed through this area than can be listed. This tour is titled “Exploring the Silk Road.” That is a modern term. Natives called it the Road of Fate. Whether you started your journey from China to the West rich or poor, the wealth you gained or lost on your trek was in the hands of fate. And fate may have led many of us on a scholastic road to Algebra classes. Some of us emerged wiser and some floundered and sank. We owe the experience to an Uzbek, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. We can also thank Uzbekistan for the founder of modern medicine. And an Uzbeki theorized that the Earth was round 500 years before Copernicus. Lunch was on our own except Yura offered to take anyone interested to a plov restaurant. We all went. Plov is similar to rice pilaf. Here it can be made with horse sausage. Yes, Black Beauty is food. Yes, it’s permissible for Muslims to eat their horse if it’s a matter of saving their life. Yes, it will still be a blot on their record when they die. Yes, they eat it here anyway. We watched plov being made in 8 ft. diameter pots heated by wood then plunged into a restaurant seating 2,000 people. They do have table service and we ordered meat (chicken and beef) as well as vegetarian variety. Quail eggs were included. It was made with the usual onions and carrots with the addition of raisins and chickpeas. Mazali. That’s delicious in Uzbek. We arrived at our hotel in time for a talk about life under the USSR and now. The bottom line is that folks have selective memory. They forget about purges, starvation, and shortages and remember free apartments, education, and medical care. Today there is a conflict between renewal of radical Islamic ways and Western ideas. The government is diligent about immigration from radicalized countries and wouldn’t even take Afghani refugees when the US pulled out. They fear the Taliban like the plague. And speaking of plagues, homosexuality is illegal. Discussion of the issue is allowed, but demonstrations are not lest children be taught of it and tempted. Like that ever works. To sum up, our group attention span was at a low point. Three people openly slept (David among them) and others listened with eyes closed. We are not planning to eat dinner tonight, but may get a snack in the hotel. We’ll go to sleep early since the bus leaves for Samarkand tomorrow at 8 AM. I don’t want to be late and have to figure out that trip on our own. Toby

Reunited

Oct. 12, 2023- Tashkent, Uzbekistan- Reunited At 3 AM our guide, Yura , was informed that our luggage had arrived. He called us after breakfast and we cabbed our way through a sea of white Chevys to the airport. Evidently, Chevrolet has factories here. White is popular because of resale in this 90% desert country. Oh, and although equipped with rear seatbelts, they’re never used. Found that out when the driver got upset that I was trying to fish mine out. They also use propane. More smog, more fuel smell, more explosive, less toxic. Yura is Christian, his wife is Muslim, and his three children (19, 13, 4) are deciding. His parents were S. Korean and Russian. He speaks 9 languages, but his children only speak 5. His wife was a pediatrician, but is teaching primary school now. Both jobs are similarly poorly paid. Most people speak at least three languages and read three alphabets. Originally, everything was written in Arabic. When the Soviets took over it was Cyrillic. In recent years the government has declared the written word be in Latin letters. The airport was crowded with hundreds of people going on pilgrimage to Mecca. This was not Haj. The Saudi government doubled the cost of Haj after Covid. It now costs $6,000 to $7,000 per person. The waiting list is 15 years or longer. Yura said the Saudis could make it free. Now it was for the privileged class. Yura wasn’t permitted into the airport for reasons he and we didn’t understand, but we had no trouble locating the lost and found. There they were in their purple and red glory. Our two bags festooned with more “Priority” and “Rush” tags than I’ve ever seen. It was a happy reunion. We had a group meeting at noon where Yura laid down the rules. He told us it was forbidden by him for us to discuss American politics. He had an ugly incident where he had to break up a fight between tourists throwing dishes at each other. There are twelve in our group. As far as we determined, eight are Jewish. One woman from San Francisco knew of my Aunt RIta Semel from when she was on TV doing a Q & A program. Lunch was at a lovely place where we were introduced to some local fare: mushroom broth, pilaf, borek (cheese filled fried roll-ups), and bean salad. The main was thinly sliced tough looking steak that turned our to be tender. It was served with fries and bbq sauce. For those of you who are interested in food, you’re welcome. For those who could care less, skip the food references. The real touring began after lunch. We headed for the old city where houses of straw infused stucco with fire brick foundations survived earthquakes for centuries. We walked to a plaza where typical mosaic embellished buildings housed a mosque, former madrassa, and museum for ancient books. There rested the oldest and most intact Koran, written in 644 CE, a gift from Tamerlane to the Uzbek people. Tamerlane ( 14th-15th century) was a Turcic-Mongul conqueror who ruled a century after Genghis Khan. We walked to dinner as a group. Why cities build boulevard sidewalks with steps every few feet beats me. I’d be inclined to stroll and window shop if I didn’t have to constantly check my footing. Dinner was less than Uzbek fare: pizza appetizer and pasta carbonara (beef bacon). Facts: Uzbeks hope to keep the separation between religion and government as long as possible, but there has been an infiltration of conservative Islam into schools and more women are choosing to wear scarves or hajibs. David is not the slowest person in the group. Yay! There are at least two who need help with steps and seem to have stamina issues. Yura’s pace is blessedly moderate. This is a cash society. US dollars are welcome for all transactions. They will give change in the same. There is no drug problem. The penalty is 25 years for buying or selling. They don’t believe it’s an illness. BTW, the word for hippopotamus in Uzbek is “hippopotum.” Everyone is on alert. If you’re new to my travels, our granddaughter, Rylee, collects them. We’ve brought her one from everywhere we’ve been. Toby

JFK-Istanbul, Turkey-Tashkent, Uzbekistan

JFK to Istanbul (9 hours) to Tashkent,Uzbekistan (4 more hours), They say it’s good luck for a bird to poop on you. I hope it’s true. It happened to me this morning while waiting for the airport shuttle. I hightailed it to the bathroom and scrubbed. The least of it was a soggy sleeve. The worst was I had to sleep in it. And, yes. JFK TSA had an interest in the Miralax, so where’s the luck? Before our flight, we chatted with some people in the lounge. One couple was from Sydney, and the single woman was a New Yorker. it came about we are all Jewish. David had just read an email from friends in Jerusalem and was brought to tears…real sobs. The Israeli folks who were ardent doves and worked against building more settlements and hoping for a two-state solution are distraught. Our flight was on time landing in Istanbul, but our connection to board the one for Tashkent, Uzbekistan left in an hour. That sounds like ample time, but the airport is enormous. We scored a tram that was at our gate and took Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride through clusters of travelers and around kiosks. He never stopped, his horn being his permit to break land speed records in an eight wheeled vehicle in an airport. Our plane wasn’t at the gate. It’s was in an annex field of what looked like the lost souls of Turkish Airlines. We took a bus across the main field, through a tunnel, over a bridge to the sad little collection of commuter planes bound for lesser destinations (Tashkent, Beirut, Thessaloniki etc.) Our Business Class ticket included this flight. The accommodations were the same, but Business Class was empty. After we settled in they made us eat again. It was our second breakfast in four hours. Flying into Tashkent was beige. This is not the Fertile Crescent. The airport is old and tired looking with Soviet era sterility. Everything is bleak and parched, even the decorative plants lining the walkways. Signs are in Russian, English and Uzbek. This Stan may have left Russia, but Russia hasn’t left this Stan. Fortunately, our driver, Dominic of S. Korean heritage who was born here, met us at baggage claim. We had none to claim. Remember that tight connection in Istanbul? The bags should arrive tonight. The glitch is that there is no such thing as delivering them to our hotel. We have to get them and go through customs. Our guide will be here to take us and make sure things go smoothly. I’m eager to get this sent so you know we arrived safely. Pictures won't be attached to these posts as I'm having trouble attaching them. I'll add them later if possible Toby

To Uzbekistan from New York City-

Oct. 9, 2023- NYC We’re off to parts unknown to us. That is, we can’t remember exactly where we’re going. Uzbekistan for sure. Then there are two other Stans. When we look at our itinerary it says, “ Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.” We have to trust that it’s accurate. So many Stans. My usual disclaimer is these emails are totally my opinion. I report facts as I learn them then give them my own personal reportage. There will be typos and grammatical errors. I apologize in advance. Most emails are written after a long day of touring, read to David ( who may be awake), then sent into the ether. Feel free to share these with whomever. I like getting responses, pro or con. Now for the elephant ( or donkey) in the room. We are traveling at an inauspicious time. Uzbekistan borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, two Stans we,hopefully, won’t visit. It is a majority Muslim country. As things stand with Israel and Hamas, we hope to avoid dramatic political discourse. I’ll keep this short as we’re exhausted. TSA took exception to David’s Miralax and gave it an electronic once over. It was cleared. Our one hour flight to JFK ended with a two hour trek to baggage claim, our shuttle and our hotel. We grabbed lunch at our favorite (only) deli across the street. We wished there were more places like that where a clerk safely spoke Arabic on a phone while checking us out speaking English. Bon voyage to us. We’re looking forward to getting on the plane tomorrow and parking our brains for three weeks. I’ll write next when we’re in Tashkent. Understand, Wi-Fi may be spotty. Don’t panic if you don’t hear from me daily. I’ll do my best. Toby