Global Wanderer

26/6/2022 – 29/6/2022

To get from Samarkand to Bukhara, I had decided to forgo the comfort of the Afrosiyob train in favour of the Soviet-built Sharq train, both so I could leave Samarkand later, and so that I could experience some historical Soviet engineering. I left the guesthouse at around 11:00am, and caught a Yandex to Samarkand station, where I was treated to the usual round of ticket stamping, passport checking, and bag scanning. I finally figured out that the train was leaving from platform 3, and so I made my way over just in time to see the train arrive. The Sharq trains really do have a Soviet feel about them, from the coat of arms displayed on the exterior of the carriages, to the beige coloured walls in common areas. Unfortunately, this one did not come equipped with functioning air-conditioning. With the temperature hovering around the low 40ºs, this wasn’t all that comfortable! Finally, the train began ambling away from the station, beginning its journey to Bukhara.

About an hour into the journey, however, we came to a grinding halt. After waiting for around 10 minutes, an Afrosiyob train shot past us, and I assumed that we were waiting for the track to clear, giving the Afrosiyob priority. However, that was not the case, as eventually through some broken Russian and Uzbek, I learned that the train had broken down. The locals on the train headed for the doors, and stood leaning out, hoping to get a reprieve from the stuffy heat inside, whilst the train conductor came down the aisles offering everyone bottles of water. At this point, I realised that my phone had shut down due to overheating, and the thermometer at the front of the carriage was reading 49º! Several bottles of water and 2.5 hours later, the train’s engine switched on again, and we began moving, albeit slowly, down the line, and we finally reached Bukhara at around 5:30pm.

As my phone was still unwilling to turn on, I was forced to negotiate with the pushy taxi drivers outside of Bukhara station (which is located quite a distance from the old town). After initially giving me the absurd price of 100,000 som ($12), I finally gave up haggling when we agreed on a still-inflated 25,000 som ($3.10). 20 minutes later, I was in the heart of Bukhara’s old town, and found my accommodation for the next 3 nights, the Kavsar Hotel. The man who ran the accommodation looked like he was in his late 20s/early 30s, and was intending to go to Lyon in France to study the following year. This was a bonus for me, as it meant I could finally relax my brain and talk to him in French. I left my bags in my room, and decided to visit Chor Minor, a gatehouse with 4 minarets located in a laneway not far from my accommodation.

I was lucky enough to see a stork and its nest on top of one of the minarets at Chor Minor! Apparently, they were once incredibly common, but as water sources in Bukhara dried up in the mid-to-late 20th century, the birds disappeared too. I then wandered towards the Poi Kalyan ensemble, the site of the Kalyan Minaret, hoping to see it lit up as the sun went down. The site itself was abuzz with people, as a traditional orchestra played music in the square, and a troupe of dancers made their way from the madrassah to the front of the minaret. It was all very fascinating to watch! I finally drew my eyes away, and walked back to the accommodation for some much needed rest.

The next morning, I was treated to a large breakfast, consisting of fruit, somsa, eggs, sausage, cheese, salad, and honey cake. Along with me eating breakfast were two Dutch travellers, who had just come from the Pamir Highway in southern Tajikistan, and were planning on staying in Uzbekistan for a while. The couple were guidebook authors, the first of a few that I would meet in Uzbekistan, and they gave me some helpful advice for any future trip I might make to Tajikistan!

I then walked to the northwest, through the Lyabi-Hauz square, to the Ulugbek and Abdulaziz madrassahs. An old lady with gold teeth showed me around the complex, talking at me in animated Uzbek, of which I could understand a little, which made me feel like I had made some progress! Once I had finished exploring the madrassahs, I stopped off at a small silk store set into one of the old trading domes that are dotted around Bukhara. Here, I bought a few nice souvenirs for people at home, including a beautiful blue silk scarf, and a traditional Uzbek hat. Not sure what to do next, I decided to head back towards the Poi-Kalyan complex. Along the street that leads there are a number of small souvenir shops, selling traditional clothing and artwork. I stopped in front of one for a moment to look at a fur hat, when the girl of about 18 who worked inside asked me if I spoke English. I told her that yes, I was Australian, and definitely spoke English. She told me her name was Sabrina, and asked if she could tag along for a bit so that she could practice her English with me, as she was about to start her tourism degree, and needed the exposure. I happily agreed, glad to have some temporary company after being on my own for nearly three weeks. Whilst we walked past the Ark of Bukhara, the Samanids Mausoleum, and the Bolo-Hauz mosque, Sabrina asked me every question under the sun about Australia, religion, culture, food, and whether I had ever been to America. After walking through the Kolkhoz Bazaar and acquiring some fresh watermelon juice, we headed back towards Poi Kalyan. Hoping to escape the heat, I left Sabrina at her shop with a promise to meet her again later, and walked back to the Ark of Bukhara to explore the interior of the infamous Zindon Prison.

Once I had left the prison museum, I met Sabrina again for Part 2 of our impromptu English lesson, this time to collect her 5 year old sister from school. The 20 minute walk took us through some of the suburban areas of the newer part of Bukhara, which is very Soviet in design, including large concrete buildings, and wide, tree-lined boulevards. Sabrina’s sister was very excited to meet me, and whilst it was certainly a challenge to understand a 5 year old speaking Tajik, I realised that she was calling me a ‘funny white ghost’! I left Sabrina and her sister at the top of their street, then walked back west to explore in greater detail the wooden pillars of the Bolo-Hauz mosque, before heading back to my accommodation.

That evening, once the sun had set and the heat had begun to dissipate, I headed out to the lively Lyabi-Hauz square to find some food. The square, which surrounds a pond, and is bordered by a few madrassahs, was heaving with locals when I arrived. There was live music being played, and a dance troupe along with them. I spent about an hour eating shashlik and listening to the music to end my day.

Given that my last full day in Bukhara was going to be a scorcher (high 40ºs!), I decided that following breakfast, I would do some washing and repacking from the air-conditioned comfort of my room. This plan, however, was foiled within 30 minutes, as we were treated to a widespread power outage. I decided that instead, I would wander around the backstreets of Bukhara’s old town, and try to find a cool mosque courtyard or something similar. Again walking west past Lyabi-Hauz, I came across a small canal, which I followed until it ended at an almost-empty pond next to a madrassah. There was some shade under the trees nearby, so I took refuge from the heat for 20 minutes whilst I reapplied sunscreen (an absolute necessity in summer here).

Once I was finished covering myself in sunscreen, I continued on through the streets, finding odd monuments, cemeteries, and mosques along the way, all sandwiched between sandstone houses. The contrast between the yellow sand colour of the buildings, and the blue domes that topped the mosques throughout the town, was incredibly beautiful and picturesque.

I finally decided to head back to the accommodation to see if the power had returned. I was in luck, and was able to rest in the air-conditioned for a few hours, having used up all of my energy getting through the heat of the day. During this time, I made sure that I was all packed and ready for my drive to Khiva the following morning (and that I had full water bottles!). Once the sun had set, I headed over to Lyabi-Hauz, where I was meeting Sabrina and her sisters. We headed through the laneways to the Kalyan Minaret, which had been beautifully lit up against the night sky. I then made sure that everyone had ice-cream (definitely a necessity when it is still 40º at 10:00pm!), before I said goodbye and headed back to my accommodation. This experience was certainly one of my favourites throughout my journey around Uzbekistan!