5th of January, 2023
Hitchhiking in Uzbekistan.
Spoiler alert: more wonderful and generous people to show up.
In the morning, after breakfast, they drive me out of the village, this time for sure to a hitchhike spot. And it is a really good spot! I have said goodbye to everybody, with the promise of seeing them again soon, in Tashkent.
In a few minutes, an elderly man stops his car and he is going all the way to Bukhara. I tell him I have no money and I don’t know if it is because of that or something else, but he takes some time until deciding for finally taking me. In a few hours we arrive to the entrance of the city, where he drops me off and carry on in another direction.
I am in Bukhara! Yay! I walk towards what seems to be the centre. I ask for directions to the old town and I am told that it is a very short walk. Yay! Then I ask in this really fancy hotel, with an ancient architecture (quite common here in Bukhara), if I can leave my backpack there for a few hours. The manager, a Russian guy and the receptionist, from Uzbekistan, are lovely and say I can come back anytime!
It is funny how things work… when I am walking towards the old town, I pass by some old ruins of a mosque. It is really falling apart. Now, I have no idea of what to expect of Bukhara. It was not on my “to visit list”, so I haven’t made any research or anything about it. I have only decided to come on last minute, because Nasiba’s brother said it is more authentic than Samarkand. When I passed these ruins, I thought that, if this is what Bukhara is about it, vish…
But it is not. Bukhara is an amazing ancient town! And my favourite one in Uzbekistan! What a gorgeous, lovely old town to visit!
When I arrive at some historical buildings (Lyabi Khauz), for some reason, I decide to turn right. There are some fancy hotels and restaurants, all in this traditional style, with the clay bricks showing naturally and, of course, the blue mosaic tiles. After passing by some open-air shops (Toqi Telpakfurushon), like a bazaar, I see in a distance some blue cupulas, that’s to the right of these shops. I go there and I am to discover that this is the Registan of Bukhara. Amazing!
There are two buildings facing each other: Mir-i-Arab Madrasa (left side), the college which is still operational, reason why tourist cannot go inside, and Kalan Mosque (right side), which unfortunately is closed. In between them there is my favourite thing in Bukhara: Kalyan Minaret (Kalon).
Both names stand (basically) for the same thing: beautiful, lovely, noble. Curiously, Kalyan comes from Hindi, which could mean an Eastern Asian influence. Kalon comes from Uzbek language. This outstanding tapering brick tower (minaret meaning “beacon” in Arabic, and it is from here that the five prayer calls are made every day in Islamic religion), built in 1127, is 48 metres high Even though it has no blue mosaic colours, but only red clay bricks, it looks stunning! I just loved it! And the myths surrounding it are quite interesting to. Here it goes one for your curiosity: apparently, many minarets had collapsed before, and for this reason, the ruler of those times, Arslan Khan, was executing all the architects whose projects had failed. So, when the next architect in line, Baku, settled the bottom of his minaret, he fled the country for about 2 years, while waiting for this part do be dried and ready for the remain of the tower. When he came back, he finished the project, which the result is, apparently, the current one. They used Baku’s method to build many other minarets after his success.
Ah! Another thing is, rumors say that, even Genghis Khan himself fell for the enchantments of Kalyan Minaret. When he invaded Bukhara, he told his men to preserve the tower do to its extraordinary beauty. Everything else around was destroyed.
After staring at this extraordinary beauty for some time, I start walking around. If you walk behind the tower, there is another beautiful building, Madrasah of Emir Khan, with lovely wooden doors, and a view of the Registan complex. Actually, about the wooden doors, all the historical towns in Uzbekistan have amazing and gorgeous wooden doors in their buildings!
I explore the outside of the complex and then decide to go inside the college, in the small hall where people are allowed. Who do I find inside there? Anna and Micha! It is unbelievable! Anna suggests we go for a walk and explore a bit of the town together. Right after that, she gives me this extremely beautiful silk veil, all in different shades of blues. I cannot believe how sweet she is!
They suggest we visit the Arc of Bukhara, which I didn’t even know it existed, so we go there. Right in front of it, there is a super cute camel, which looks like a lion, with his not so nice owner, which looks like a gypsy. From outside, the Fortress looks a lot damaged. When we get inside and I realize you need a ticket to visit, I tell Anna that I will just carry on my tour and they should enjoy the visit. But Micha is ready to buy the tickets and he seems truly surprised when I try to refuse. He tells the lady selling the tickets that he wants three, and I tell her that it should be only two. The few people around us laugh. Micha says that this is his Russian hospitality, and that the ticket costs almost nothing for him. And Anna is very sweet trying to convince me that it is a pleasure for them and that she knows that I have no second intentions or anything.
The Fortress was built during the Emirate period of Uzbekistan, in the 5th Century AD. It was inhabited until 1920, and you can read about its history in a few different rooms inside. Unfortunately, there is a huge part which you cannot visit, including the side which gives a wonderful view of the Registan. What a shame! In somehow, it looks very different of many other citadels I have been. It is more… empty. My favourite part is the throne hall. It is an open-air space, simply ornamented, but something about it makes me like it a lot! The detailed wooden columns all around, give a glamorous air to it.
After here, Anna and Micha are going to the opposite direction where I am heading: back to the hotel to grab my backpack and leave the town. It is almost evening, the sky is getting dark, and I would like to leave the town while there is still day light. I say goodbye to my new friends and we go separate ways.
On my way back, I pass by a few more historical buildings: Ulug’bek Madrasa and Abdulaziz Khan Madrasa. But when I try to enter and visit the latter, a lady tells me I need to pay. I am not entirely sure if it an official thing or what, because there was no gates or ticket office or anything. I just walk away.
I go back to those first historical places I saw. I quickly walk around, just taking a look at some of the buildings, but now I need to go back.
I still haven’t decided where I will sleep tonight. Should I try to pinch my tent somewhere? It is not too cold. Should I try to ask in a family house? I don’t actually feel like bothering someone again. For some reason, I decide that I will ask to stay in the lobby of a hotel for the night, as I have done in Turkey and Norway before, just so I can do some work on my computer and watch a movie.
But first I ask for left-overs in the first restaurant I pass by. They have a table prepared for a party. I talk with a young woman and she is very nice. They give me some soup and bread. She also offers me some tea but I kindly refuse. After my delicious meal, I start walking towards outside town again.
I decide to go and ask in a place called Villa Oasis Hotel. I have to walk a little bit out of the road to get in there.
It is a big Villa, looking fancy, and I talk with a young man at the reception. When I am explaining everything to him, another man walks in. The receptionist translates everything to the him, and he then tells the receptionist to give me a room for free. I try to refuse and explain that I only want to stay in the lobby, or that I could put my tent in the yard, but there is no argument with the man, I must stay in the room. Should I have left? Should I have refused and just left? But he wanted to help! I didn’t ask for a room! And I surely wasn’t expecting one! I accepted it!
The room is so fancy and gorgeous! There is simple furniture and simple beds, two single ones and on king-size, but the walls, the ceiling and the curtains are so beautiful that makes the room look perfect! The bathroom is just great! And everything looks perfectly clean!
Before the owner had left, he asked me if I needed any food. I told them about how I had gotten my dinner. I only ask for some water.
After a lovely shower, I watch a movie and then finally go to sleep. Well, at least I try, but without success. I don’t know why but usually it happens like that when I stay in hotels. Or perhaps I was feeling guilty, for accepting the room. In anyhow, next time something like this happen, I am kindly refusing. End of story.
10 Years Around the World 