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