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Thursday 2004-06-17 - Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Evening light
At 4:30 we arrive in Samarkand, in Mr. Furkat’s pleasant family hotel: a shaded courtyard with fruit trees and seats with fresh fruit (small apples, apricots and prunes all from their own trees) and nuts on the tables — a real Uzbek tradition — and free coffee and tea. And it’s at a very short walking distance from the Registan complex making it an ideal location to stay in Samarkand. Carla and I first walk to the Chorsu cafe, on the corner of Tashkent street and just around the corner from the hotel, for a (draft) beer on the terrace: this is my favorite place to sit and watch people in Samarkand where mainly locals come to eat, drink and sometimes play a game of chess, and many people walk by on the way to and from the bazaar.
After that, we stroll to the Registan complex, just now basking in beautiful evening sunlight, where we enter (without buying a ticket) through one of the ‘secret’ back entrances to make pictures. A watchman approaches us — not to chase us away but to tell us we should climb the minaret (we decline) and feel free to take pictures now; and if we want, we can come back early in the morning (between 5 and 6) and will get in for free, too, he assures us, so we can take pictures in the morning light. Like last time, I take a lot of pictures, it’s very beautiful in this warm evening light.
Friday 2004-06-18 - Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Shaken awake
At 4:44 I wake up because my bed is gently, and quite regularly, shaking. Carla is still fast asleep — it’s not from her tossing around. I know immediately: this is an earthquake, but probably at a distance. Later, we hear others have felt it, too, and some of the men in the hotel confirm: yes there was an earthquake this morning; not an uncommon event here, as demonstrated by the cracks in the walls of some buildings (including the Registan and our hotel). They don’t know where exactly it was, but usually it’s earthquakes in Afghanistan that are felt here in Samarkand, they tell us.
Taking it easy
I want to give my foot some rest and Carla would like a day of rest as well so after our early-morning visit to the Registan for more pictures and an excellent breakfast at the hotel we install ourselves in the hotel courtyard and stay there most of the day. I’m catching up with my travel journal after getting behind as a result of the long travel days and my health problems. Meanwhile, my foot is turning all kinds of red and light and dark purple: my favorite colors but not under my skin! Every now and then I take a little walk around the courtyard to keep my foot exercised a bit while most of the day I just spend writing, drinking tea and (later) beer, and snacking on the fruit and nuts on the table. Every now and then there’s a loud ‘tock!’ when another ripe apricot falls off the tree onto the sunshade. Dinner is a portion of five delicious mantis (a kind of dumplings filled with finely chopped meat and onions) and a local Samarkand beer at the Chorsu cafe.
Saturday 2004-06-19 - Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Catching up
We’ll be leaving for Tashkent only after noon, so I have time to try out an Internet cafe in Samarkand; there’s one on Tashkent street just around the corner from the Chorsu cafe. Many young boys sit around here and play games (suggesting they have fast and modern machines). Access speed is reasonable — I don’t need much for my travel blog email anyway: most of the time I’m just typing. One of the young boys seems to be managing the place, redialing the modem when necessary, and taking in payments, although an older man is around who seems to be the boss. I manage to catch up with my blog until arrival on the Turkmen border; for the 1:45 hours I pay only 900 so’m: less than a dollar.
