Banished

We went out on our own, navigated the menu but when we ordered in addition two beers we were ushered out of the main dining room into a back room!! It was a lovely meal lamb kebabs plus two each of \240monstrous tomatoes and rice. The beers cost 100,000 som! A total bill of £11 more than half going on the beer. The waiter even took a clandestine photo of our dreadful behaviour. What a laugh it felt like the prohibition. It has been a naughty but nice day food wise just had cake for lunch, a chocolate one and a pistachio one and iced tea which was actually a cup on cold black coffee.

What a culture shock 500 metres across the border makes; 4 lane motorways, bordered for 200km by business outlets, every thing from plumbing supplies to huge bags of onions, from coal bagging heaps to bread stores... it’s like the A1 yet this doesn’t faze pedestrians and cyclists who are happy to proceed against the traffic. The best was a man on a pedal bike pulling a push-chair complete with baby .

First exposure to crafts, yes a ploy to entice one into their shop but the Ikat silk workshop was really interesting. \240 Margilan is the home of Ikat weaving. From living munching silk worms to spinning, dyeing and weaving. The process was quite intriguing. The ceramic workshop was less convincing and we were suspicious that they were produced by a more modern method than demonstrated

The results of the batik dyeing demonstration

Another market, authentic this time and no sign of any other tourist. The quality of the fruit and veg is magnificent and in such huge amounts. The meat section still rather surprising with a fridge full of tongues and trotters. This is the Fergana valley which is a very fertile area.

Melons

They are also very into their sweets here called Halva.

Another crop grown here is cotton. We were shocked to hear that until only 5 years ago students were conscripted to work on government cotton farms for 2 months each year, for subsistence rations. Their target was 100 kg per day i.e. 4 huge bags. If they failed to hit this target it was noted on their student record and it affected their career prospects. Reminders of the Deep South in America !! Now locals are paid to do this work.

A mosque and a palace later and we were in the hotel.We did get into trouble at the palace, it was late and we suggested we would give the stuffed animal section a miss. Why are you not interested in our natural history was the response. Of course we did as instructed, about 85 % of the balding animal skins were of bird/mammal species we can see in our own garden 🤩 It has been a long hot day and only a beer hits the spot… and so back to the beginning.

Pomegranate tree in the courtyard

Another bazaar, actually in part like a huge version of Whites Market in Sunderland. \240A massive meat section, enough to make you a vegetarian, and in contrast interesting packages of sweets.

Then a trip to the metro, a bit like the London Underground really, and a trip to the park to view a statue of Timur.

I’m actually quite tired tonight, a walk around London sort of tired, we’ve had a nice supper in the hotel and I’m ready to nod off .

To some degree this comes from the guide, a rather rote spouting of who is buried or responsible for building what and to me it always seems to be the same person. His tone is always dogmatic about the Islamic religion, which frames his text. \240He would seem on face value to be a wholly moderate Muslim but today seriously told me that it is quite certain, all non-Muslims are heading for Hell whilst they, Muslims, are guaranteed a spot in Paradise. He has no respect or consideration for other views.

In part the history is hard to sense since the buildings have been renovated so much that they seem to have been built yesterday.

The pure artistry of the decorative work is beautiful, particularly inside the mausoleums. Gold work is stunning, the ceilings are amazing and so symmetrical and the blues and turquoises look jewel like in the sun.

The square of \240the Registan is huge, easily accommodating the large numbers of tourists. There are bridal parties having their wedding photos taken. Teachers enjoying a very lavish celebration of Teachers Day, and fat & fair western tourists dressed up like desert princesses, running round in very long floating gowns for photographers to catch instagram shots.

We walked there last night to enjoy a floodlit scene. The ‘light show’ was rather gaudy but later it looked lovely in ‘more natural’ light.

This morning’s trip revealed the frescoes from the ancient palace submerged under mounds of sandstone. Surprisingly this featured many Chinese players. Also a huge construction for celestial observation . The name of \240Ulag Beg the astronomer comes up a lot here. And finally a Soviet style museum complete with dreadfully boring and disconnected exhibits and prison warden style staff. We even had to ask them to put the lights on so that we could see what we were looking at.

Packets of tea !!!!!

The hotel is lovely with a cool court-yard and our own balcony . A terrace where we sat last night listening to the mixing of the call to prayer and eastern flute music. We have the afternoon off so I think we’ll have a mooch around and perhaps look for an ice-cream to soothe my sore tummy.

Even the ATMs are ready to fleece you here. Hugh made and error with the number of noughts and instead of delivering 7 notes as expected, they came in their inch deep bundles… all 7.5 million of them !!! He went pale.

The Ark, site of the old palace and the setting for the key moments of the Great Game, is here. The prison is indeed grim but the palace which would have been a grand affair once, was largely raised to the ground by the Bolsheviks. In \240the spirit of proletariat enjoyment it has been replaced by a huge cycle rental outfit and Aladdins bouncy castle.

The beer at supper was ice cold ( no qualms here) and I finally got my ice cream.

The shrine

First a visit to a holy shrine, where there were some pilgrims mixed with the tourists, then onto the summer palace of the most recent emir who was, run out of the country by the Russians. The Harem… well having been told that Islam allows 4 wives and 40 concubines we saw the viewing platform from which this Emir would watch the concubines swimming in the pool, and I bet they weren’t wearing a full body covering!! Women are allowed 1 husband.

The viewing tower

This area is famous for suzanne embroidery, i.e. chain stitch arrangements into floral patterns. It is everywhere in the market. There are some fine examples in the palace but hard to see if there is no light. We hope to see some this evening when we go out to our cooking demonstration, plov, which is rice and vegetables with some meat. I think that this will be lost on Hugh.

We have had a bit mooch this afternoon very relaxing and the sky is blue again.

The fort

Just back from a cooking demonstration/meal set in an embroidery workshop cum showcase. The cooking was interesting, plov complete with quince and quails eggs. Very tasty. The embroidery was lovely, Persian in style, lots of birds and pomegranates. Very expensive 100s-1000s of dollars.

View from the hotel terrace

This is the last phase of our holiday and we are looking forward to a restful couple of days. I wasn’t sure that this was to be the case, deposited in some rather down at heel alleyways, at the hotel where we were booked. The room was like a cell with not even enough space around the bed to lay down a suitcase(closed!). Yes, an outside courtyard but here the seats were arranged around the drying washing. \240I’m afraid a bit of insistence was required to secure another hotel, and this was achieved. Not 5 stars but at least there is a terrace and we are in the old town.

It had been a long drive though the desert, a slow start since every 30 mins all vehicles are directed to stop points for a leg stretch or in the case of our driver a quick fag. A safety exercise. We passed oil and gas drilling installations, the Turkmenistan border and some other grim looking Soviet style towns. I am currently listening to the complete George Smiley radio plays, set in post war Berlin. So absorbing… and looking at these towns I was transported there.

The City didn’t seem too busy but it seems that everyone here has booked tables for an evening meal, “no room here at the inn”. But with advice of Trip Advisor we found a restaurant who would feed us and we watched the sun go down over the madrassahs. Kebab and chips has become our staple evening meal, with ice cream.

A mooch around the old town, beautifully flood lit, really quite relaxing. The photography is so easy with the iPhone!!

Today is teachers day; they get the day off and children give thanks to those who educate them and provide their upbringing. Our guide asked us if our children thank us for educating them 🥴😍

Hugh wasn’t tempted by the look.

We have spent the day exploring the town. With the help of many photos from the turn of the century it is possible to understand this old city. The overall structure seems still to be true to what is was like in the 1800’s . Yes, it is renovated and sanitised (marble plazas instead of flattened mud and straw) but it doesn’t feel imagined and we have been able to enjoy the palaces and mosques with their blue tiling.

It feels like we are winding down now, happy to sit on the terrace with a book.

On the way there we drove through interminable outskirts, including a copy of the Khiva Old town but with water and modern hotels; a cross between Disney and Dubai. There is history to celebrate here but it is being drowned out by tourism.

A last wonder round and a last meat heavy meal!! And we are packing to come home. No regrets about our trip at all, we have had a really good trip. In fact, we are very pleased with our stamina.

What have we learned: travel light and lighter still, it’s surprising how many times you can wear the same tee-shirt, so I shouldn’t take so many clothes. (There Hugh, I have committed this to text); read the glossy words of a brochure with a large pinch of salt, utter nonsense some of the time; and it’s great to keep in touch with people at home and the travel diary has been a great way of doing this.

I don’t think I’ve taken any photos like a National Geographic photographer, but I certainly know that one in particular has eluded me, an elderly man or woman in local headdress, smiling to reveal a mouthfull of gold or silver teeth. Apparently a remnant of Soviet dentistry. !!

Until the next trip🤪