Mosque Archives - Page 4 of 4

Asia Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan: The Final Day

As it turns out, my crumby day yesterday did not last even one full day.

After my post, I returned to my hotel, the Gulnara Guesthouse. It is on the edge of the old town near the bustling Chorsu market. I cannot comment on the rooms, because, as I mentioned, my reservation was screwed up and the only room they had for me wasn’t really a room, just a cot and electric fan, but I must say that I am quite happy with the accommodations. The owners are friendly and the rooms are all located around a pleasant courtyard with a huge apple tree and laundry strung up everywhere.

It is definitely a backpackers’ place, with everyone there being young and traveling with large backpacks or by bicycle. Almost everyone there seems to be French, although the Japanese girl i met in Samarkand (and saw again in Bukhara) is staying there as well.

Anyway, after my post, I went to my room and spent about 4 hours napping and listening to repeats of Bill Maher and Ricky Gervais podcasts on my ipod, which cheered me up immensely. After that, I went for an evening walk and had tea and a cigar on a busy corner, where I was joined by some Uzbek construction worker with some basic English skills. He said he had only seen cigars “in films”. He asked to buy one from me but I had only one left, so i didn’t sell.

All in all, it was a pleasant end to what started out as a crumby day.

This morning, after breakfast, I walked up to the Khast Imom, which is the holiest part of Tashkent. It is a collections of newish mosques and mausoleums and a small museum that houses a massive and old copy of the Koran. Surrounding the buildings were some very well manicured park areas, which were also home to many large stork-like birds (like storks, but bigger and with more intimidating beaks).

I then walked past many large and largely unattractive apartment blocks to Navoi Park, which is a big park containing some odd Soviet structures and a man made lake with beach areas, little paddle boats and small fair area with rides. I wandered there for a while and had some ice-cream-like frozen substance. I have on this trip mastered the pronunciation of the Russian word for ice cream, which had previously eluded me.

Now I am just sort of pleasantly killing time. My flight is at 9:00pm, but i plan to get there nice and early, as I could not check in on-line. I plan to stroll through the market again, see if i can spend my remaining Sum and then I will probably just hang around in the courtyard of my hotel and smoke my final cigar.

I may post again either from Tashkent or Seoul, internet access permitting.
d

Asia Uzbekistan

Yurt Sweet Yurt

After my last post, on my last night in Bukhara before going to the desert, I spent the evening until past midnight drinking tea and smoking peach shisha with the British girl i had met on the train coming here, as well as a couple from Switzerland. The evenings here are really perfect, weather-wise. Whoever suggested that I bring a jacket or sweater for the cool evenings was mistaken.

The next morning after breakfast, I was picked up my my driver who was to drive me to the Kyzilkum Desert (Kyzilkum means “red sands”, i believe). Normally they arrange these desert excursions for groups, but i was just one. I had hoped that others might have decided to go on the same night as me, but alas, I was alone.

So my driver, who did not any English, drove me for 3.5 hours into the desert. The drive was great. I was able to watch as the city of Bukhara and its outlying areas melted away, leaving only rural areas, then just occasional tiny towns, then just desert. As we drove, the cars began to be outnumbered by donkeys and carts. The desert was totally sandy in spots, and in others is was dotted with dry sage colored shrubberies. Often I would see a tribe of goats roaming without supervision, or a few lazy cows.

We stopped along the way at a couple of holy sights, but mostly we just drove in silence (silence except for the driver’s mix of 1990s dance and techno hits, that is).

Finally we arrived at the yurt camp. Twelves yurts arranged in a circle around a fire pit, plus a large dining yurt and a sort of a house (though ‘house’ seems like the wrong word – more of a ramshackle shack) where the family who runs the camp live. There were some outhouses and a couple of sinks that didn’t produce any water. It was all quite in the middle of nowhere. Shortly after arriving, i went on a walk and climbed to the top of the highest sand dune and do you know what I saw? An endless vista of sand dunes marked by the odd, solitary camel.

My yurt was delightful! Large and cozy with rugs on the floor and a little mattress (like a small, soft futon), a pillow and blanket. It was decorated with multi-colored textiles and decorative objects made of yarn hanging from the ceiling, like large mobiles. It stayed relatively cool in the yurt – cool compared with the 40 degrees outside. I had no difficulty napping or sleeping in it.

After resting for a while and enjoying a cigar, My drive took me about a half an hour away to a massive lake! What a surprise that was. The lake was huge and seemed to have a tide. The sand was beautifully soft and i waded out quite a ways into the water. We sat in a couple of old chairs left by the water and i dozed off for a while. After awaking, we stalked a tribe of goats who were at the lake to drink. Every time i got close to them though they ran off irritably.

After the lake we returned to the yurt camp, where my camel was waiting. I went off into the desert for about 2 hours just before sunset. It was lovely. I saw many long-tailed, hopping desert rats and a few rabbits. I also saw this one mud shack in the middle of nowhere with an old women outside. My camel was very docile and I found him reasonably comfortable (no more or less so than a horse).

After the camel there was dinner of vegetable stew, fresh vegetables, melons, and tea. After dinner I had another cigar and watched the stars come out. With no city lights or electricity to get in the way, the stars were magnificent. It was like being at a planetarium. I sat there until i remembered that i am afraid of the dark and then I went to bed.

I slept soundly and awoke when the sun started to slice through the gaps in my yurt’s roof.

After breakfast the next day, there was supposed to be more camel riding, but the camels had apparently disappeared during the night. I should point out that my driver, nor the host family spoke any English, so i didn’t do much talking during this overnight excursion. All i got regarding the lack of camels was “Nyet Kamel”. So we drove back to Bukhara.

On the way back, more desert scenery and silence and 1990s music. When Ice Ice Baby came on the driver and I both “sang” along – I did the verses and he the chorus. Vanilla Ice, bridger of cultural divides.

Yesterday afternoon after I scrubbed the sand and camel off of my skin (my clothes may just have to be burned when I return – I have basically been wearing the same outfit for 2 weeks in 40 degree weather), I spent the rest of the day smoking shisha and reading.

Today I have no plans. I am taking the 7:50pm overnight train back to Tashkent, which is supposed to take 11 hours, but I expect will take longer.

Bukhara has been amazing. It is definitely one of those places that is very easy to just hang around in. The yurt/camel thing was really good. I loved how desolate and quiet it was, but, not being a ‘camper’ by nature, one night was sufficient.

Tomorrow: back to Tashkent and the beginning of the long journey home.

Asia Uzbekistan

Playboy mansion, Uzbek style

Last night, after i posted to the blog, I went for a walk around the neighborhood. It would seem that things only get busier in the evening. All around Lyabi-Hauz people and families – almost exclusively locals – were walking and sitting, eating sunflower seeds and ice cream, having dinner, and kids were running around playing in unsupervised packs. It was a delightful scene and made me wish we had more squares for congregation in Vancouver. I had a cigar and people watched until bed time.

I must also mention that i had the best dinner last night – something other than the bread and cucumber/tomato salads i have been surviving on. I had this delicious salad of warm, crispy eggplant and tomatos followed by a rice, bean and vegetable dish. It seems that they don’t hate vegetarians here after all!

Today i awoke with nothing planned for the day. I had basically seen all sights on my list, so the day was a mystery. The mystery was solved as over breakfast i was chatting with another guest at the hotel: a man from Istanbul who had arranged for a driver and guide to take him to some of the sights outside of the city. He invited me to tag along, and i agreed.

We first visited the Bakhautdin Naqshband Mausoleum, one of Sufism’s more important shrines. It was beautiful and very peaceful, surrounded by roses and filled by visiting Uzbeks. I filled my water bottle from one of the legendary wells from which pilgrims believe springs water that brings good luck and well-being. (I must say, I was skeptical of the use of the water bottle I brought – one of these ones that has a filter built in, so you can fill it from anywhere – but it has proved to be a great asset. I can fill the bottle from any random hose or tap and drink without getting sick. Plus, I have now drank water from 3 holy springs, so I am pretty much blessed with good health and luck for the rest of the year.)

We then went to the Emir’s palace, where he and his family, slaves and harem (about 40 women at any given time) would spend their summers. As far as palaces go, it was modest in size, but its decoration was stunning: elaborate decoration and design often inlayed with mirrors for a sparkling effect. One room, all in white absolutely glittered. There was also a pool in the the back where the harem would frolic while the Emir sat in a shaded area atop a platform to watch. The Playboy mansion, Uzbek style.

We visited another site before returning to Bukhara where I and my Turkish friend went on the hunt for a new memory card for my camera (because you can’t have too many pictures of blue-tiled mosques). A bit of lunch and then I retired for a short nap, which turned into a four hour sleep.

Now it is 9:30, but the whole town again seems to be out, enjoying the perfect evening air. Not being at all tired now, I will do something before returning to the hotel.

Tomorrow morning I leave for my two day desert safari adventure. As I understand it, we will be driving for about 3 hours, stopping at some sights of interest along the way, then transferring to camel, and heading into the desert, where I will be camping out in a yurt, then doing it all in reverse the next day.

I am very excited for this experience. I don’t usually like camping, but this is a special experience and a yurt isn’t exactly a two-man tent from Canadian Tire.

If all goes according to plan, you should hear from me in about 48 hours. Thanks for following along with me.

Good night.

Asia Uzbekistan

Assalomu Alaykum from Bukhara

Here I am in Bukhara. I arrived yesterday afternoon after a pleasant train ride (first class really is the way to go on Uzbek trains). The AC was working, I had two seats to myself, we were only 1.5 hours behind schedule, and I spent the ride chatting with a British girl also traveling around Uzbekistan.

My hotel, the Komil Hotel, is perfect. It is in a 18th or 19th C home that is beautifully decorated and adorned with details carvings and design. The courtyard, breakfast room, and my own room are all like small, exotic palaces.

Bukhara is slightly more compact that Samarkand, and while Samarkand may have overall the more breath taking monuments, Bukhara is by far the lovelier city. Bukhara has not been restored and modernized the way much of Samarkand has. Its main streets are still an ancient feeling warren of dusty roads, sandy buildings and covered bazaars. At the centre of the town is Lyabi-Hauz, a plaza built around a pool, surrounded by giant mulberry trees and with stunning medrassas on either side – all dating back about 500 or 600 years. There is a pleasant poolside restaurant (where i ate last night and fed many hungry cats), and lots of inviting shops selling carpets and scarves and whatnot all around.

The monuments here are less tiled and colorful, and more the color of the desert, which means that wherever an azure dome appears it is astonishing. My favorite site so far though is the Kalon Minaret. It is 900 years old, about 50 meters tall and covered in rings of varying design. It is so enormous and so precise, that it is truly stunning. (Also, i like that at one point in history they used to put alleged criminals in sacks and thrown them from the top of the minaret to the ground in front of approving crowds. (This is why it is also known as the “Death Minaret”.)

So today i wandered, visiting the usual sights (mosques, medrassas, bazaars, and a fortress). I has some wonderful tea and a strange stroll through a very ghetto Uzbek “carnival”. It basically consisted of four rickety soviet-era rides, an ice cream stand and the world’s most depressing zoo. The zoo was a collection of trailers painted with pictures of men shooting animals, depicted with bloody bullet holes. In side, there were a few fowl and about 4 or 5 canine looking creatures miserably chained to posts or in cages. I didn’t go in.

I like it here. It is very relaxing and pleasant. Tomorrow i will hang out (I actually saw most of the sights I wanted to see today). The day after tomorrow i set out in to the desert for my camel adventure.

Asia Uzbekistan

Registan

Samarkand is amazing. It is a bit like Luxor, in the sense that it is just bursting with impossibly large, old and jaw droppingly beautiful monuments and mausoleums.
Obviously, the first place I had to go was the Registan. This is really the whole reason i am here, to see this collection of mosques and medrassas. It did not disappoint.

It is really hot here. It feels much hotter than Tashkent. The landscape is very deserty. On the train ride here, I watched as the land went from green and fertile to dusty and brown, with the odd, irrigated plot of land growing corn or green…something. It is definitely much more rural out here. People riding donkeys and tending to flocks of goats.

On my first evening here, I spent it handing out with Furkat at the hotel. We drank tea and ate bread and tomatos and cucumbers. I smoked a cigar. He told me does not smoke or drink, but then, minutes later he offered me cognac from a black bottle with cyrillic writing. “It is from Moldova,” he told me with what seemed like pride. We each had a glass of the vile liquor and i went to bed.

I have only met a couple of other travelers here. I met a couple from Colorado who have been on the road for one year. Staying at my hotel are two Japanese girls, each traveling solo, with whom I shared breakfast and as many stories as were possible given their limited English and my non-existent Japanese. It is nice to see other, solo female travelers.

It is so hot here that during the late afternoon, i retire to my room to enjoy the AC and have a nap, leaving me free for night time wanderings.

Asia Uzbekistan

Tashkent: day 2

hello again.

After breakfast I went to the train station and bought my ticket to Samarkand for tomorrow morning. I took the metro (a few times today actually). The subways here are very similar to those in Moscow. They are quite elaborately decorated (not as much as the nicest of those in Moscow, but lovely nevertheless). I wanted to take photos, but it is forbidden, and there are police everywhere here. They haven’t given me any trouble but i have seen them stop random people and look in their bags.

I went to the Chorsu bazaar today. It is mostly food items: produce and bread, spices and nuts, eggs, meats, etc., but there are also stall selling woven items, pottery, musical instruments, at whatnot. The Uzbekistan bread is very sacred to them. They incorporate it into ceremonies and pictures of it seems to be on all of their tourist advertising. Basically, the bread is this round, flat but with high edges, golden brown bread with sesame seeds. Sometimes they have intricate designs on them. The thing is, as i discovered today, it isn’t that great. I mean, it would be great with some hummus or a hearty mutton stew, but on its own, it left much to be desired.

Also while walking around the market, I had fruit, pistachios, and various types of honey. I watched a goat (or sheep) get hacked apart with a small axe in the butcher’ section. I also help collect fluffy yellow chicks that escaped from a structurally challenged cardboard box and were running away. My good deed for the day.

After the market I walked around the old city, which is entirely unlike the more modern parts of the city. It is rather decrepit and tangled, but charming. I visited a few mosques and a medrassa, but basically I walked…all day.

It was about 37 degrees today. I don’t know if this is the heat I was warned about; the heat that was supposed to crush me and force me inside in the midday with it oppressive hotness. I don’t know, but I thought it was beautiful out today. Hot and sunny and dry. Perfect.

Late afternoon I stopped for a coffee, smoke, and ice cream at some cafe. I read the menu, perusing the assortment of tongue and organ meats, when I read the last page of the menu, it said: “Payment for dish brakes”. And below that was a list of breakable dishes and prices. Apparently, if I had broken a plate it would have cost $5, but if I break a table it would be $75. This raises the obvious question: does this mean that I am allowed to break the table as long as I pay for it? Or, more importantly, how often does this sort of behavior go on?

Very strange and amusing.

Anyway, I walked some more, went to some parks and Independence Square and then to dinner at a Russian restaurant, which was delicious.

I think that’s it for today. My train is early in the morning and I want to be well-rested for the first day of the focus of my trip: Samarkand.

I’m sure I have more anecdotes, but they escape me at the moment.

Later. d

Europe Turkey

Pigeons to Peacocks

Hello agaın. I have survıved another day. As promısed, yesterday ı dıd vısıt the Basıcıllıa Cıstern, whıch ıs thıs underground resevoır from the 6th century whıch stıll collect water from roman aqueducts. The water ıs fılled wıth creepy lookıng fısh and ınsıde also are two huge carved Medusa heads.

I then made my way to the Grand Bazaar, whıch ıs practıcally a cıty to ıtself, wıh over 4000 shops ın a labryrınth also contaınıng cafes and tıny mosques. The selectıon of goods sold there ı ımpressıve, as are the relentless sellıng technıques of the merchants. I love to haggle, but ı have only so much that ı can buy, so mostly ı just looked. İ dıd walk away wıth a scarf, skırt, and necklace. I now offıcıally look lıke a gypsy or a hıppy. I have shed all remnants of my lawyer costume. The bazaar ıs overwhelmıng and ıntoxıcatıng. I wıll have to return at some poınt to make sure there ıs nothıng else ı need (want).

In the evenıng, after a short nap ı had a delıcıous dınner on a rooftop where ı met and ultımately dıned wıth a pleasant retıred couple from New Zealand who have been backpackıng around Turkey and Egypt for 6 weeks. They were full of good advıce and wıth them ı shared a glass of rakı, the anıse flavored drınk popular ın Turkey. I have to say that for a Mulsım country, there ıs an awful lot of drınkıng that happens here. I guess Allah turns a blınd eye where tourısm ıs concerned.
Thıs mornıng ı vısıted the breathtakıng Hagıa Sofya. It was buılt ın the 6th century as a church and sınce became a museum/mosque. It ıs truly magnıfıcent.

I then led myself on a walkıng tour up to the shore and to the Spıce Bazaar whıch sells, well, mostly spıces, but also sweets, an ınconceıvable array of turkısh delıght and delıcıous baklavas.

I also stumbled upon a weırd anımal market where every type of bırd was for sale (from pıgeons to peacocks), all flappıng frantıcally ın tıny cages. There were also cages of rabbıts, dogs and cats. The dogs and cats made me very sad and ı wanted to take them all home. There were also large jars of leeches, whıch were surprısıngly actıve. I dıd not want to take them home. I wanted to scowl at them and then run away.

I vısıted many mosques today, ıncludıng (but not lımıted to) Nurusmaniye Camii, Beyazıt Camii, Süleymaniye Camii and Yenı Camıı (ın case you haven’t fıgures ıt out yet, ‘Camii’ means mosque.)

Now, dınner and a bıt of hookah smokıng ı thınk.
My observatıons for today (Betty Lou was usually ın charge of the observatıons, so ı am tryıng to keep her happy): There are no maıl boxes ın Istanbul. If you want to maıl somethıng you must go to the post offıce and hand ıt to a postal worker. The reson for thıs? Bombs. For thıs same reason, there are very few garbage cans, although the cıty ıs not terrıbly dırty. Also, their streets really aren’t marked, whıch makes followıng maps very ınterestıng. Occasıonally there wıll be a card-sızed sıgn on a buıldıng ındıcatıng the street name, but usually these are absent or covered by plumbıng, plants, or other sıgns. Surprısıngly though, ı am fındıng my way around wıth ease. Usıng a mıx of ınstınct and land marks on the horızon ı have always found my way easıly (more so than ın Moscow).
That ıs all. I am famıshed.
Untıll tomorrow….

Europe Turkey

The Blue Mosque, Tom Jones, & The Kaiser

tünaydın. (Good afternoon)

My Turkısh ıs progressing slowly, largely because everyone speaks English here and they are all lookıng to practice ıt. Apparently Blonde western women beıng the tutors of choice. Ha. But ı don,t have tıme for tutorıng, because today ı am exploring.

I slept very well and had breakfast ın the garden at my hotel. Theır breakfast spread has omıtted nothing – there ıs bread and cheese, an endless array of fresh fruit, musli, yogurt, loaves, tomatos, cucumber, feta cheese, olives…I ate well.

At breakfast ı met a nıce gırl from Levenworth, WA who ıs studyıng at Harvard. She was readıng Ayn Rand, so ıt was an easy conversation starter. Today her boyfriend ıs arrıvıng and he ıs a law student at Harvard goıng ınto hıs third year. I look forward to hearıng about hıs experiences at school. (ı know, ı am on vacation, but I am stıll a law student.)

After breakfast I vısıted the grand Blue Mosque, which ıs amazing. It ıs stunning and serene. Its mınarets are so hıgh that you can see them from everywhere (as my hotel ıs rıght by ıt, ıt makes ıt very easy to fınd my way home).

As ın every cıty, there ıs no shortage of stupıd tourısts. Those women who do not have theır arms, head and legs covered must do so before they enter, whıch seems to be a source of great ırrıtatıon to the teenage gırls who thought ıt was a good ıdea to wander though Istanbul ın a demın mını skırt, tank top and wedge heels. The mosque guards made some of the men cover up too, but ı thınk that was just because they dıdn,t want to see large German men ın tıny shorts.

I walked to the küçük ayasofya camii, a much smaller and older mosque where chıldren were studyıng the Koran. It was also very beautıful. —You know, ı really should stop sayıng that the mosques are ‘beautıful’, as they are all goıng to be beautıful, so from now on, ıf ı say that ı went to a mosque, unless ı say otherwıse, you can assume that ıt ıs a beautıful, ımpressıve structure. Ok? I must say though that the carpets ın the mosques are very ımpressıve. They are so soft (one must enter barefoot) and so clean. How they can keep them so clean wıth thousands of sweaty-footed vıtıors trompıng through ı do not know.

I walked by a sıgn today whıch ıdıcated the temperature – ıt read 47 degrees. That was only because ıt was dırectly ın the sun ı suppose, but ıt ıs hot. I am lovıng ıt though. Yesterday ı sat on the grass ın the share outsıde the Blue Mosque and just rested, enjoyıng the breeze.

I walked through the hıppodrome thıs mornıng and then enjoyed a muddy cup of sweet Turkısh coffee and a smoke across from Kaıser Wılhem’s fountain. I know, i too was surprısed to encounter a reference to the Kaıser, but he has a fountain.

I am now off to the Basıllıca Cıstern and then ı shall brave the Grand Bazaar, where ı plan to buy something to wear. I brought only one paır of jeans and 2 shırts, so a skırt mıght be a good ıdea.

I apologıze for any typos but the keyboards here are all topsy turvy and besıdes, ı don’t have Betty Lou to proofread for me as ı type, Speakıng of BL, here ıs one more thınk to make you jealous – the musıc. At nıght there are musıcıans playıng Turkısh musıc at most of the bars and restaurants and out on the street. It ıs glorıous.

I shall leave you wıth thıs one strange anecdote – yesterday a man approached me on the street, gave me a rose made from a paper napkın and sang me Tom Jones’ Delılah. Weırd.

Europe Turkey

Istanbul

I have arrived in Istanbul!
It was a 20 hour journey, but an uneventful one.

I was picked up at the airport and taken to my hotel: the Bonjour Guesthouse, a cozy little place with a wonderful garden, onto which my room looks out. I am very happy here.

I was (and am) completely exhausted, but i spent the afternoon wandering around the city in an attempt to get my bearings. The hotel is right in the middle of everything.

So far, i LOVE it here. Is exactly what i had pictured: a skyline jagged with minarets, winding streets filled with erratic drivers, people selling bread, produce and nuts from wooden carts, carpet shops and hustlers at ever corner trying to lure you in to see their wares. On the side walks sit men playing backgammon and drinking mint tea. Cats scurry about, gathering scraps of food and sleeping on piles of Turkish carpets.

It is true that i do get hassled at every step. Every want to talk and ask me where i am from. Everyone is very nice, but many are trying to sell you their goods or their time.

I did not go into any mosques today, but i walked around them and heard the call to prayer. The buildings are truly magnificent from the outside – Tomorrow i shall explore their interiors.

I hate to say it, but Betty Lou, you would be in heaven here. It feels terribly exotic, but it is very tourist friendly and i have already seen about a hundred things that you would want to buy.
Oh, it is very hot here, but slightly less humid than Miami at this time of year.Forgive me for this being a bit rushed, but i am borrowing someone’s computer and i don’t want to be rude.

| will write more tomorrow when i find an internet cafe and have adventures to report.
I am deliriously happy and tired and so i shall retire to bed.
d

Wandering North

Tag: Mosque

Uzbekistan: The Final Day

Yurt Sweet Yurt

Playboy mansion, Uzbek style

Assalomu Alaykum from Bukhara

Registan

Tashkent: day 2

Pigeons to Peacocks

The Blue Mosque, Tom Jones, & The Kaiser

Istanbul