Sunday market near Samarkand
“Where the heck is Uzbekistan and why would you go there?” asked more than one friend. The first question was easy to answer: it is a country bigger than California with 28 million people, next to Afghanistan. Its location was why we were headed there: it was the center of the 7000-mile-long Silk Road of the Middle Ages, where goods were exchanged between the east and west, causing the area to flourish for centuries. Its rulers left behind impressive art and architecture, now preserved at four UNESCO World Heritage sites, which tourists are just starting to discover.
Uzbekistan reached its height as the center of the empire of Timur the Lame, or Tamarlane, in the 14th century, which stretched from northern India to southern Russia, from western China to western Turkey. He was to have a profound effect on subsequent history. His defeat of a sultan delayed the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople by 50 years, allowing time for books about the ancient Greeks and Romans to reach Europe and spark the Renaissance. Tamarlane’s great-great-great grandson, Babur, would found the Mogul dynasty of India.
It’s always wise to do some homework in advance, rather than expecting the tour guide to give you the complete background in world history. We read the best book on the subject, "Uzbekistan: The Golden Road to Samarkand" by Calum Macleod and Bradley Mayhew (also helpful was the DVD “The Silk Road: Music, Art, and Poetry,” www.silkroadmusicandart.com). But no matter how much we thought we knew, we didn’t know this would turn out to be the trip of a lifetime.
We signed up for Bestway Tours & Safaris’ 10-day “The Splendours of Uzbekistan” (www.bestway.com). We were joined by three adventurous and jovial Canadians, who had just come from Iran: Rob (a retired engineer), Kathy (a mental health administrator), and Sue (in passport control; she had been to 57 countries). One of the joys of travel is being able to share over meals everything from tales from the road to favorite movies.
The biggest surprise, for those who might have gotten the wrong impression from Borat’s movie about neighboring Khazakhstan, is that Uzbekistan is not third world. Its sparklingly-clean capital, Tashkent, has 2.3 million people and a modern subway. Provided you stick with the tour’s hotels and restaurants, there is no reason to be concerned about the food (although bottled water is always smart). There is little crime and Islamic extremists would have a hard time getting a foothold: we never heard a call to prayer the entire time we were there and the security forces are everywhere.
Not that the country is entirely ready for prime time: roads outside Tashkent can sometimes be bad and passport control at entry and exit is understaffed and confusing. Fortunately, Bestway provided a driver, Shafkat, who was a genius at avoiding potholes, and our guide, Zamira, not only knew everything of interest about her country, but was an excellent negotiator.
KHIVA AND BUKHARA
Our first destination was the most remote city of the Silk Road, Khiva, where the inner city, Ichan Kala, has been preserved largely as it was in the Middle Ages, with walls dating from the 5th century A.D. and fortified in the 17th. The homes are adobe and the people on the street in colorful robes and scarves aren’t dressing up for tourists: traditional clothing is worn widely, especially in rural areas (the flash of gold when they smile is due to its preference for fixing decayed teeth).
At the entry to Ichan Kala is a statue
