Dear Reader (2024-02-19),
My last post (Five Stans 12) said we would now be bound for Tajikistan. That is true, but the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan was closed in September of 2023 as the two countries were fighting over water and land.
At this point you may want to have a look at a region of the Stans where the borders of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are as convoluted as Pennsylvania gerrymandered voting district boundaries. My explanation for the former is a combination of history, geography, tribal heritage, and some idiotic disconnected Caucasian men playing games.
Given that we can’t get to Tajikistan directly we have to go through Uzbekistan, where we spend a night in Khujand before driving on to Tajikistan. This is the first of our three visits to Uzbekistan. In this first short visit, we stop at multiple places, including a memorable visit to a bank where one customer leaves with bricks of money in a large plastic bag. At the time the exchange rate was approximately $1 CDN to about 9,000 Uzbeki Soms. We change a small amount of $ US (currency of travel was Euros and $US), and are all briefly millionaires.
Notes on Photos
All portraits in today’s post were taken with permission.
~ 01 – 02 – Near the bank. They had their photos taken we had our photos taken.
~ 03 – 05 – At a kebab house. Families and women eat on the second floor. The men eat on the first floor.
~ 06 – 08 – A weaving and dying workshop, and portrait of an apprentice.
~ 09 – 10 – A ceramics workshop where a master practices his craft.
~ 11 – 16 – A temple and museum.
~ 17 – 24 – Kokand, Uzbekistan
~ 17 – 18 – An old Russian bank that was still being used as such where we were allowed entry.
~ 19 – 21 – A palace that was closed to us.
~ 22 – The man who cooked our lunch. Lunch was similar to an empanada and cooked in something like a tandoor. I found a lot of the meat in the Stans was too fatty for my taste.
~ 23 -24 – Street scenes.
You are welcome to share a link to this page with others.
As always, all comments are welcome and sought.
Cheers, Sean
My note on privacy can be found under the “About” menu item, and if you would like to subscribe to this blog please enter your email.
.
All rights for all material on any media reserved – © Sean P Drysdale 2020-2024
I did look at that border. An exclave! Even with the satellite topography overlay it doesn’t make a lot of sense.
Love the photos of the people. Such photos are a bit of a struggle for me. I’ll see a nice moment, but if I ask, it’s gone. Even if they say yes, it’s not the same.
A lot of people put a lot of work into the intricate decorations!