Khiva was founded the 6th century AC and was until the end of the 18th century the most important place for the slave market!!!
The old town is really impressive and I enjoy strolling around, exploring the old buildings and watching the local market sellers although it is extremly hot. The many stands with all sorts of goods show clearly the history with the "Khans" and Russians. There are not that many tourists although Khiva meanwhile is also part of the most "Uzbek-travels" but they spend more time with the two famous cities Bukhara and Samarkand. I spend two relaxing days in Khiva and enjoy as well the great local food - it is that cheap that I eat more than once far too much.
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| washing the hands is normal here before enter the restaurant... |
Thursday I travel on to Bukhara. It is a 420km long stretch. Normally I don't ride that far in one day; not with this high temperatures anyway but there is absolutely NOTHING in between than endless desert and steppe. 100km straight, a slight bend to the left and another 100km straight. The whole way to Bukhara like that. Meanwhile I'm even happy having quite some potholes again otherwise it could have happen that I fell asleep while driving ;-)
In Bukhara I stay again in a "homestay hostel". The family has furnished 2,3 rooms for tourists; kitchen and lounge we all use together. Hardly got off the bike I have to sit down and eat dinner, the traditional "Plov". While eating they ask me many questions about Switzerland as I'm their first tourist coming from there. It's funny to realize that they as well know the name of the capital town. It seems that is part of a touristic basic knowledge they get.
The hostel has a perfect location, I can explore the old town easily by walking.
Shortly before sunset I start to my first sightseeing. Normally I don't go out when it's dark in foreign cities (being alone) but here I feel absolutely safe - at least something good concerning the total surveillance through the state.
The next day I continue my sightseeing tour but this time in daylight.
Bukhara was already in the 9th century the religious and cultural main city of the Samanids. Throughout the different conquerers like Dschingis Khan, the Persians and the Bolschewiks the city got the look it still has nowadays:
Almost countless Medresses, mosques, minaretts, bazaars and the huge fortress invite to be explored. The 47 meters high Kalon-Minarett alone is worth a visit. It is said that Dschingis Khan was that impressed by the artful building that he orderd not to destroy it like almost the whole rest of the city.
The many caravanseries are asbolutely fabulous although they are huge markets nowadays for the tourists. But like in Khiva the sellers are quite decent and just advise you in case you seem to be interested in any of their goods. Like that it's a pleasure to walk through.
And of course I enjoy - as always - to sit somehwere, drink a iced coffee and watch the people.....
On Saturday I ride to Samarkand, an unspectular ride through the countryside with lots of harvesting and cows. And no potholes to keep me awake. Good that it's only 250km to drive. In Samarkand I booked a room in a relatively new hostel. The owner is with 57 already retired (woman with 55, men with 57) and she changed their building together with her kids into a hostel. Accordingly the atmosphere is really familiar and I'm sort of adopted immediately as her "little sister" .... and of course first I have to eat something :-)
Samarkand was founded already the 8th century BC and had it's peak as an important part of the Silk Road during the reign of Timur (Tamerlan) around 1370. He ordered the construction of many buildings and got the cultural and economical life moving. From that time origine the most famous buildings like: Registan, Bibi-Khanym Mosque, Ulugbek Medressa....and many more. A Medressa by the way was something like a college where students could study the Islamic religion but also mathematics, physics, asteorology and live there the same time. Most of the time the praying room and the teaching rooms had been on the first floor and the living rooms (3 students shared one room) on the second floor. During the 18th century a couple of massive earthquakes destroyed or damaged many of these buildings. It was not until the Russian governement that they started to restore them. Meanwhile all theses buildings are part of the Unesco world heritage and some stand still under restoration.
Sunday I engage the youngest son of my hostel owner as a guide through the city. After he graduated he specialised as a tourist guide. During 6 hours he tells me a lot about the history, culture and religion of Samarkand. It is absolutely fascinating and gives me a deeper understanding of the buildings and of the way of living during the ancient times. I can hardly record all the information together with the amazing colours and forms of the buildings. But have a look on your own:
Monday morning Lula, the hostel owner says goodby with a heavy heart. In two days I drive to Andijon, which is only 45km away from the border to Kyrgystan. The road leads me over a pass of 2000m down into the Fergana valley which is called to be the "breadbasket" of Uzbekistan. And after all these days I can see mountains again.... what a joy ;-) The Pamir-Alay-mountainrange is already quite near.
Andijon is not really an interesting city but I take the chance to have a guided tour through a silk factory - since I'm still on the Silk Road ;-)
The Yodgorlik silk factory is an old family owned business which employs about 200 people - some of them handicapped - and most of the work is still done by hand in the traditional ways. There is a beautiful 150 year old mulberry tree in the yard which was used for the breeding of the silkwoms. Nowadays that part is of course done in breeding stations. A nice young girl explaines me all the steps from the silkworm (the poor little worms who have to die for that), to the dyeing and the weaving into the finest materials for fabics and carpets. It is incredible what all these women create in month lasting projetcs. There are only women weaving nowadays as the young men don't have the passion and patience anymore that are absolutely necessary for that work (original quote of the guide). The tour through the factory is for free and you can see that these people are really proud of their handcraft.
I enjoied it as well and it is a perfect finish for that country which surprised me in many ways.
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| up is a picture and underneath is a handwoven carpet!!! |
Tomorrow now I'll cross the border to Osh, Kyrgystan.
Another chapter of my travel will open up......
PS:
I'm often asked by locals spontanously whether they can make a picture with me: at the fuel station, in front of the bank or the store. The people are enthusiastic about my way of traveling and mainly about the motorcycle. They cannot imagine how somebody can travel THAT long and THAT far to visit their country.
Very rarely the men shake hands as it would be indecent to "touch" a woman. But they show me their respect by slightly bowing or nodding and putting their right hand on their heart. And they smile at me with their golden teeth - something that is still strange for me and sometimes I really have to restrain not to grin.
