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