A PASSAGE TO INDIA: 183. CENTRAL ASIA

This image from a museum clearly shows why reviving the Silk Road is so critical to China...

It shows too that the migrations of peoples - the human mammal, (like animals and birds, like fish and amphibians) have taken place since time immemorial and from that intermingling of peoples, new stocks are produced. This whole region is Eurasia. No borders, no immigration and custom controls - peoples moved freely, they simply merged. My earlier posts were all about this Oneness...

'All is One' - Sathya Sai Baba

I'll start with it's people. Still relatively unspoilt but with Uzbek being a hot travel destination, I hope things can stay that way for some time to come. As of now, they are quiet, polite and respectful. Those who are unsmiling, scowling, distant, are likely Russians - the 5 Stans (Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan) collectively Central Asia, were part of the Russian bloc of the great USSR. They are independent republics now, each with mixed fortunes, Kazakhstan and Uzbek, likely the most successful.

They asked to have a pic taken, I'm pleased they did as I wanted a picture of a group of their people with their unique features...they've heard of Singapore. Most are not conversant in English...

They didn't smile broadly for the camera - I wanted them to flash their gold teeth - something I've not seen for the longest time!

They can pass off as mainland Chinese, they probably share that DNA. It's in the eyes.

How to recognise a newlywed - they wear sparkly, shiny, bling things...an unattached lady wears 2 plaits or more, a married one wears one down her back or plaited to the side - tribal language!

At this show, which I suspect is those 'compulsory' shows for tourists arranged by their Tourism body, to showcase their rich cultural heritage. Their womenfolk are quite stunning. The models showoff their local fabrics and prints and handwork, something international designers have not discovered yet. It's ethnic yet modern - they produce their own silk fabrics...

A typical groom costume

Spontaneous warm smiles - this still happens in agrarian societies that are communal, close knit...it takes a village to raise a child - their young are respectful of the old and give up seats without being told or asked. They speak soft, mannerisms are not aggro...there's little tooting of horns in the streets, little loud talking on mobiles...in the markets and bazaars, surroundings are kept clean...not by cleaners or sweepers

In this residential area, the lanes are spotless. Several meals were had in the homes of families, prepared by them, I got to see how they did it, their homes, their settings...

A bazaar in downtown Tashkent, Uzbek's capital city. It wasn't crowded nor noisy, nobody's talking nor shouting at the top of their voices...their staple is bread, I had that at every meal...

The food is clean, I observe, they are not 'perfect' in color nor shape. Most families cook and eat at home, the country would be self sufficient in meat and greens...

This is wheatgrass which is slow cooked into that thick chocolaty paste eaten as dip for bread, fruits, crackers...not bad

Starters...with bread...followed by soup, main course...dessert...tea...coffee here is ghastly - there's an excellent dumpling of sorts its skin thin and translucent. This meal was eaten in a cozy home

Traditional set up - this dining low table inside someone's home is atop a raised platform and diners sit cross legged or stretched out...Middle Eastern/Turkish style...in some towns in Indonesia, they do this. Their tourism program is to open homes to visitors to allow them a glimpse of local life and Uzbek food...their people in turn are exposed to peoples of the world, good and bad attributes, for they were cut off for too long.

The oven is a tandoor and you stick your head in! They use wheat or millet flour - good stuff!

At this home, she prepares my plov meal also known as pilaf or pilau and pulao in India - delicious all the same...what's in a name - same same but different...

She's preparing the same outside a restaurant on the pavement, in a wood fired cauldron...

Wall niches seem a favourite way to display collectables. Their glasswares are quite lovely

A bar counter in a restaurant - I don't see liquor but they do drink wine...and produce that...

Apricot and apple flowers are in bloom - they look like cherry blossoms...it's early Spring, the weather is pleasant this time in March

Don't mess with them! They are gardeners and maintenance crew in this large compound and they are armed...! These ex Russians are built like men and have the strength of an ox...!

Very eco friendly. Their tools of the trade are brooms made from dried stems and their implements are primitive but effective...For a long time since Soviet days, cotton has been a cash crop. The dried parts are used for firewood and possibly as broomsticks etc. Due to the very dry weather, the vegetation has adapted and are those woody, stiff, hard, wiry types...that can stab you and give very nasty scratches

The dry climate is great for drying fruits and flowers which are naturally sweet and fragrant - they are meant for teas

Best buys - their ceramic wares are quite fine and well made with interesting creative designs

The man's caps can appear like there's a small sheep on his head. The ladies' versions are elegant with fine needlework and bead work

Bazaar shops - the word literally means 'I have what you want' - nothing bizarre about that!

Go fly kite!

Long bus rides can get monotonous, here I get to stretch my legs and admire the lovely turquoise waters of this reservoir and the mountains beyond...

Tasted wine from their own vines - 10 to sip - I warned them, after the 10th glass, I'm no longer responsible for my actions...

Took a quick metro ride - the only thing of note was this station's ceiling with those arches. They may have grander ones along the line but not at these 2 stations - definitely not as spectacular as the stations in Moscow...

Saw plenty of these Russian Orthodox churches in Russia couple of years back - I'm surprised to see so few in these parts as they were part of the USSR for a long while...

A nice restaurant would be Russian in its concept - loud, bold, showy

They have a carpet industry. Dyes that are non chemical are distilled from dried fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers...it's people are proud of their culture and take pains to show and explain. The antique carpets in a museum were lovingly woven with very intricate designs with a story to tell, many in silk...at this carpet place, they produce modern designs in silk...

This chap Ulugbek was ruler of a state in Samarkand. He was a keen astronomer and this compound around his statue had a large architectural astronomical instrument constructed to study the cosmos. In Jaipur, India, there's a Rajput king who built 19 instruments in his palace grounds, the Jantar Mantar, with the largest stone sundial in the world. These chaps from another era are a smart intellectual lot with enquiring minds, they recorded their findings in sketches, some of which are displayed in the palace museums

This stork family had its home for a long while until they vacated it for reasons known only to them. The towns people must have missed them so they erected this fake nest to remember them by...!

Commonly referred to as the white palace, what's left are the burnt ruins of a solidly constructed monolith, for there's barely windows or doors, it appears more like a fortress, even a prison...such a monstrosity, how many suffered or lost their lives putting this up to feed the ego of its ruler, whose statue stands in between these 2 structures. Amir Temur was his name...It's abandoned but makes for an interesting monument to excess and decadence...made more prominent that it stands alone on a large park land...

What caught my eye - that symbol resembles the swastika, the Sanskrit word is Svastika - a spiritual symbol which I've written about before

Promises of things to come - peering from behind this high wall and a great many steps, lie perhaps a breathtaking scene?

Islamic calligraphy

A mausoleum for those with titles and greatness, others have smaller tombstones around the courtyard. It's a large madrasah...

Fabulous jewel colours of turquoise, lapiz lazuli, emerald, sapphire, aquamarine...Islamic art with it's calligraphy is truly beautiful. Very few art forms incorporate calligraphy into its buildings. Very few have numerous arches built into it, I've certainly not come across them in churches, Hindu or Buddhist temples. I could only stand and stare to marvel at its proportion, its form and function, its intricate mosaic and tiled work - wonder once again how people of centuries past did it, visualise it, conceptualise it, executed it, without technology or fancy tools and certainly without high education...such artisans are already highly educated - they visualise things so-called educated people cannot. The more education, the less creativity - they may brag of lots of schooling but did they get an education...creativity is not something one learns in a classroom - it comes from the depths of one's being...it's a process...it comes on quietly when one lives with full consciousness and sensitivity

The cities covered in Uzbekistan were its capital of Tashkent and its old town of Bukhara. Another old town, Samarkand, was an hour's flight away and nearby Shakhrisabz has some ancient interesting monuments. Uzbek is for culture vultures and anyone interested in monuments, artefacts, history, geography and the culture of a place and its peoples.

1 stop was unnecessary - the long bus ride to a snowy mountain top to go on a ski lift. It's almost as if the tour was prolonged just so to make it more days but what a waste of time when a quality package could be had for same number of days, even less, staying within Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand, having downtime for exploring by foot the areas around the hotels or bazaars, even an evening out at a sidewalk cafe as the weather was agreeable. Quantity without quality made it a rushed job...

Courtyards of note...

A wall received attention to details with ceramic trimming. You know they don't produce such artisans anymore as new buildings do not come with such work, which in any case, would take a long time to forge so builders don't spend any time on these fine details.

In China and Vietnam, I've come across workers putting together wall designs using broken ceramic plates, such artwork is always almost unique as they are put together by hand by different workers using different broken pieces. My pictures below show how different facades can be on the same building as different artisans work on them using manual labour, yet, the end result is beautifully coordinated and whole. Uzbek satisfied my fondness for arched doorways which are seen chiefly in Islamic architecture...

Soft lighting inside this madrasah gave it a healthy pink glow! A small donation into a box allowed picture taking...the excellent lens of a fellow traveller produced these shots worthy of Nat Geo!

Up against a brick wall in Bukhara! Put together without cement, just some white powdery lime thingy which has lasted centuries...the dry climate helps

This madrasah is different from all others. The inside is that pink prayer hall pictured above, the front porch is supported by those wooden carved pillars, each is different

Islamic calligraphy

Every inch of its facade has work done to it...

Ceilings get the same TLC - one can't help but look up

The artwork on the left hand corner is tile - it's new and modern, not as stunning...

Some colors are muted others are vibrant - all are fabulous

Some sharper brighter shots were received from fellow travellers for which I'm grateful as they give me the details I don't get on my camera which I didn't pay enough for...!

I've saved the best for last - my collection of archways and doorways - Rabindranath Tagore has a beautiful poem which says to get to that inner sanctum at the very end, one has to knock on every door...perhaps Islamic architecture subscribes to that same ideal...the doorways to pass through to get to the Light

Very rarely have I come across face images on Islamic work. Uzbek is not your typical 'Muslim' nation, ie. without Saudi influence...they are more Turkic - many young ladies don't cover their heads. They dress non-traditional but modest. Some eat pork. They don't have the call to prayer 5x daily - it's all quiet and personal...true choice and freewill...