Assalom Navro'z! - the rest of the story about my Spring Break Adventure

Last week, after the trip to the Aral Sea I headed east back to Tashkent via Samarkand. But before leaving Nukus I visited the famous Savitsky Art Museum (6000 soum, $5.00). This place houses art that was hidden out here in the desert, far from Moscow, during the Stalin era as it didn't conform to the decrees of the time. It is a huge collection, some of which I liked and quite a bit that I didn't (but then again I know next to nothing about art so perhaps I am just an ignoramus). I did very much enjoy the folk art and jewellery that has been amassed. I hired a guide for 1 1/2 hours (3000 soum, $2.50) who shared with me information about the symbolism of the form and who wore what. There was a even a traditional wedding dress, hundreds of years old, man from denim. They have a yurt set up inside and he also explained its different features. It was great to learn about the history and function of these different pieces as, especially in Bukhara, I've seen these for sale and often wondered about their origins.

NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT THE MUSEUM: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE7DF1331F937A35752C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

After this flying visit to the museum, I walked the 1.5 km to the main bazaar and asked a few people for a taxi to Urgench (yeah right. I don't speak Uzbeki so just said, "Urgench?") and was pointed in the right direction. I was the last person to squeeze into a shared taxi that was leaving immediately (10,000 soum, $8). It was a 2 1/2 hour drive past barren fields flooded with water that someone told me was an attempt to desalinate the soil before planting began. Very strange to see these paddy fields since it is a desert region. I was dropped off at the vokzal (yes I learned a Russian world - train station) a little early and waited in the shade as the temperatures were in the high 20's. It was great to sit still and watch the world go by as people poured out of the arriving trains, laden down with boxes and bags of all descriptions. Actually it is humorous to see where the famous 'Aygen' bag turns up. This a ubiquitous blue plastic shopping bag, printed with some Italian label, that is carried by everyone here in Uzbekistan. They must be made here at some factory but it is weird because every shopkeeper uses them; hence everyone carries one.

About 20 minutes before the 3pm scheduled departure time I headed on board the train to claim my bunk bed, only to find the cubicle crowded by a family of 6. I waved my ticket and pointed at the bed number posted by the father's head. He politely shepherded his clan off the seat so that could stuff my backpack underneath, out site of the wandering eyes of hawkers that constantly roam the train selling their paraphernalia; bread, old chocolate bars, somsa, vodka and cigarettes. I sat on my bed, content to finally be still. The temperatures began to soar into the 30's (there is a built in thermometer in my alarm clock. I know it's geeky but I like it!) as the cabin became increasingly crowded as people without tickets were welcomed aboard by cabin attendants more than happy to accept a little cash as a bribe. Final count was 11 people in a cabin made for 6! The 'visitors' stayed all night, sitting upright on the beds, sharing with each other the ring tones on their mobile phones and staring at the crazy foreigner (that's me!) while I tried to sleep amongst the chaos. The train finally arrived at Samarkand at 4am. I phoned my work assistant who gave instructions to a taxi driver on how to get to her parent's house. It seemed the weirdest thing that the driver kept offering me candy, and remembering some warning that my Mum had told me way back when I was like 7 about accepting candy from strangers, I kept saying no (neit... see I know another word in Russian). He was strangely insistent that I accept one. Anyway, I finally arrived safe and sound at my destination and was offered a very comfy bed, in which I slumbered until almost midday.

In Uzbekistan, Navro'z was celebrated on 21st March. This is the first day of spring and family traditions and community events are quite elaborate. I actually didn't know anything about it until a few months before when my former host mother, Kathy (way back in 1994 I was a Rotary Exchange Student to the USA), who is currently working in Lankaran, Azerbaijan mentioned it. I asked the locals at work about it but no one could really tell me much. My assistant is of Armenian heritage so her family doesn't follow many of the Uzbek traditions and most of the other staff at work are of Russian descent.

(You can check out Kathy's blog at the following link. She has a great description of the different aspects of Navro'z where she lives http://www.kt-azerbaijan.blogspot.com/ )

Samarkand, the second largest city in Uzbekistan, is the location of the Registan. We headed here at about 11am and the place was swarming with a jubilant crowd. I had hoped to get there in time to see the dancing but we were a little lazy and had slept late. There were lots of displays by school groups and tables filled with food. I had sampled some rather interesting concoction earlier in the day that was apparently a combination of mutton, beef and wheat which had been boiled for 36 hours. It looked pretty bad but tasted delicious.

Photos from the events at the Registan: