Silk Road Central Asia Uzbekistan

Remember the wonderful movie “Deja Vu”? There’s an American gangster come to Odessa to kill a dishonest supplier of moonshine. According to legend he was – a professor from the United States, travel to Sumatra in order to catch “butterflies”, and called at Odessa on the grave of my mother. That’s what I felt in Uzbekistan as the professor in Odessa – under the watchful eye of the KGB.
Why Tashkent, and not any other part of Central Asia? It’s simple – Badger was born in Tashkent. We thought my husband and I decided to go. And he dared to let me go! The motivation was simple – well, when I was still in sound mind and memory will travel to Central Asia? I was right – never let …
By the way, in terms of ethnic unrest in Central Asia in 1992 was peaceful. Since that year we have chosen correctly. Uzbeks are afraid that a wave of turmoil in Tajikistan and will be … Guarding the border, they then rigorously. Hold out …

Let’s go in September. Train. At this present Vovk. He, you see, liked to take a train in Moscow in the autumn rain, drink a beer or something stronger, go to bed on the top shelf – and wake up already in Kazakhstan among the men on camels. We drove four people in a coupe – with us was a girl who was traveling to Tashkent to relatives (she was going with us into the wilderness – but relatives were not allowed!). How many were going – remember the hard, the train stopped at every passing by a camel (camels are particularly relevant for the Tashkent – yeah …) By the way – in our Central Asian camels all – dromedaries, ie odnogorbovye beautiful animals.
All right, the animals – later. We arrived in Tashkent. Accommodated in parents Badger. That’s where I first saw, that is – to live when all the rooms on the windows – blinds. When Vova forbade me to go out in shirt and breeches (a T-shirt and skirt, but in everything, he would have me in paranzhu rolled!), In protest to badger reviewed all series “Sherlock Holmes” on video tape. When Vova otozlilsya (a day or 2), went to the Alay market …

I recently returned from Uzbektour in Uzbekistan. At the beginning of the season it was necessary to refresh the knowledge of the country. I will not mention the name of the tour operator, it is well-known companies, as well as history happened quite typical. And it concerns not just Uzbekistan.

The first surprise began in Tashkent. Tour meticulously chosen, as I should have been (for work) otsmotret specific hotels that have worked, but not seen. Test the program by paying the tour, was calmly waiting for tickets. On the eve of departure, in the evening along with tickets courier brought a program of the tour. It was markedly different from the original version. Whole region – Side effect is outside the field of view Uzbek tour, two days of food – half-board, instead of the promised full.

In the office tour operator I was reassured that this program only for the voucher and tour will be held on the original version. Advised to convey the original version of the tourist program from travel guide in Uzbekistan. I did just that.

Tashkent – Sevastopol – Samarkand – Samarkand – Bergama – Selcuk – Cesme – Alaçati – Konya – Antakya – Aleppo – Hama – Krak’de’Shevale – Palmyra – Latatsiya – Antakya – Tashkent – Marmaris – Samarkand – London

Start. The idea to go abroad arose in June, and constantly worries me. Route selection occurred spontaneously. In the Internet found a lot of useful information – information on the route to the Middle East – avp.travel.ru, info on Kazakhstan -  / Kazakhstan / Kazakhstan, info on Uzbekistan www.uzbekistantravelandtours.com As well as guide to countries on Also got a lot of every consultation and advice on the forum / board / board.cgi and legal assistance on the server www.roxanatour.com . No problem a Kazakhstan tourist visa. Collection of things going on within 3 days. First was collected lots of things, then left, only half. As a result, the backpack was: a thin blanket, bought at IKEA (replacing towels, bedding and sometimes even a pillow), a handful of supplies (half of which could safely be left at home), several films, spare T-shirt and shorts and a guide, Uzbekistan “Uzbekistan’s publications on the toilet paper (very realistic) for only 20 rubles., camera Zenit 11, bought from Uncle Vasya on Arbat Street for 500 rubles, and a handful of films to him. Shoes – one pair of sandals on his feet. From the travel documents were only a ticket to the lateral top seat on the train Tashkent-Sevastopol – 600 rubles. Return tickets, I was not, because I do not know where I’ll go back to Tashkent, and when, moreover, to take return tickets from Tashkent is always more expensive than on-site. At the cost I had 685 dollars + card visa Savings Bank, on which lay $ 300

This study is unusual, not on the show, but some current thinking on the emerging role of the history of silk Sarawak. I read sarankan. Here is the place:

The critical intellectual weakness of this exhibition is that in Baghdad, apparently Jalur Sutra come to premature celebrations ended. Why does not address the development of Arab media in the last voyage, had not talk, look at one of the city, passing through Baghdad and the port in Venice? By extending the history of some other century, we’ll see how Sutera cause fertilization Western thought, not only with the discoveries of scientists of Islam, but also various philosophical and religious perspectives, which showed the impact of centuries. We know how strongly influenced by the Marco Polo Silk Road in the 13 century: is the enthusiasm that in the past.

This exhibition will contribute to the understanding of Western culture itself conclusive. This also helps explain why, after the delivery and release at the end of a European survey Renaisans, Silk Road land route more and more isolated business, which led to centuries of backwardness and political culture, the impact is still felt.

After my first travel through the Silk Road in 2003, I began to swallow, grosir, scholarship when I could. And one thing became clear very early that the official story of Silk Road is no closer to reality. Unfortunately it was very slow. (Now I have an extensive library – at least two hundred books and many scientific articles on the topic. And growing.) Most of the good scholarship of at least one hundred years old, or in Russian, German and French – that I could speak only one. (Scholarships, Russia also suffered from Marxist dialectics.) However, I found much truth old proverb, ‘old books to read and learn something new. “Even before I read the book I thought Beckwith has changed radically against him. His book is much more beneficial to confirm my own.
However, Christopher Beck with book, which I considered just a few weeks ago, so far as the pulls. Penyerbukan between East and West far more than we think. Count only the ideas and innovations, ranging from east to west to provide a sufficient range: paper, from China via the divine right of kings of Persia, the Islamic sacred architecture motifs in Sarawak, including religious iconography circle of light, paper money, STAP – which is just a big impact in Europe. Long list. But the deepest ideas that emerged from the coastal countries of West Asia contact with large rural areas, the millennium-old dialogue between the ‘other’ countries, and sustainable. And then their problems are the problems that vex Indo-Europeans who emigrated from Pontus Steppe sometime around 3000 BC and brought with him a comprehensive cultural helpful literally change the world: repression horses, bicycles and cars. And spread the language form the basis of the existing languages of the Indian sub-continent, to Iran to Western Europe. And dead languages voice can be heard even in the lowlands Tarim.

Although I do not have much truck with the ‘world system’ theory only evidence for the idea that Sarawak can not be displayed without penyerbukan from the East is unavoidable. But the story is very complicated and sad that the flash is not talking. Too much energy spent on the study of Central Asia now focus only on the last one hundred years or more. This is only necessary to go far, far more time than that. It is also of interest, without end. For me, opening up Central Asia to Russia is much more interesting role that trade between China and adventurer steppe for hundreds of years before Christ. The Chinese, who take a lot of complex culture Indo-European horses need. What does it do? Gently examine adventurer Steppe country to feed itself its war machine. (One of the Chinese emperor for almost everything, surrounded by a crowd of winter riding in the middle of China, as he was. Incidentally, the word train in our neighborhood called China’s Ordos Loop. Google it.) If it is decided to fight perantau trade. Chinese traded silk and perantau horses. Start a revolution. (And no, I do not menyepelekan.) World parents, but slightly related, forever linked to this. Silk is emerging in many markets in the West – and much more.

Kejeniusan of history textbooks Beckwith reinterpretasi as in Central Asia, but only exercise. Genius is in the issues raised. One question raised is: how is it possible that between the seventh and eighth century AD, the country of the world experience violence at the time grosir and religious revolution? As for the lack of a better turnover, in the wind? Large and new> meta-questions like these pepper the book.

Traveling in Silk Road