HTMW Recaps: October 2019
I normally add a quote to the beginning of each post that sums up or enhances my writing. However, I’m going to use my monthly recaps as an opportunity to sum up the month – be it the mood, the weather, my feelings… Anything really. October 2019 was the month I finally visited Uzbekistan, my 30th country and the last new country I’ll be visiting for a little while. We didn’t make it to Samarkand in October, as our trip spanned into November, but the adventures we had in Tashkent, Khiva, Bukhara and in the desert were leading us on that golden road to Samarkand…
‘For lust of knowing what should not be known, we take the Golden Road to Samarkand.’ – James Elroy Flecker.
In January 2017, I announced I was going to start monthly recaps on my blog. If you missed last month’s recap, you can find it here.
Before we flew to Uzbekistan, October was a bit… meh, really. When I look back at the month in the Notes app on my phone, I can’t see that I had too much going on. I was largely getting on after Granddad’s death and preparing for our trip to Uzbekistan which followed shortly afterwards. It wasn’t a bad month, it wasn’t an incredible month… It literally was just slightly forgettable for the most part.
The Highlights
Visiting Chorsu Bazaar in Tashkent.
We emerged triumphant having just navigated Tashkent’s subway system and blinked in the afternoon sunshine. In an instant, it was easy to tell that we were now in a very different part of the city to the one we’d left behind. Four stops back, we’d left quiet, sweeping boulevards and tree lined avenues of a more Soviet feel Tashkent. Here, we were bombarded by noise, colour and sounds. Chorsu Bazaar had our attention immediately.
Unsure of the best way to go, we wandered deep into the market. Stalls crowded in on all sides. People were selling everything under the sun – clothes, shoes, bread, meat, toys, sacks of flour, nuts, seeds. Tat. Essentials. It was all there, and then some.
For the entire three hours we were there, we did not see a single other tourist. For almost the first time in my life, I was in the minority. The Uzbek people we encountered were friendly and welcoming. Some stared, most just ignored us. We were dropped into a world of delicious smells. There was a cacophony of sound and every type of food we could imagine. It was an experience for all the senses and we soaked up the atmosphere happily for as long as we could.
Exploring the ancient city of Khiva.
Khiva is like visiting a large, outdoor museum. It was the first ancient city we visited in Uzbekistan and it certainly delivered. The city is full of fabulous architecture and small enough to cover on foot in a couple of days. It was the perfect starting point for our Central Asian adventure. Indeed, it turned out to be Mum’s favourite destination of the trip.
We certainly managed to tick off everything on the to-do list in Khiva. We walked the walls, saw the sunset from the top of the walls and went into pretty much every madrassa. I climbed the Islam Khodja Minaret for views across the city and we soaked up the ancient city’s atmosphere.
We left Khiva on a high, excited for the next stop of our trip – Bukhara.
The most wonderful architecture in Bukhara.
Bukhara was my favourite destination in Uzbekistan. I preferred the fact that it was a working city and not a giant open air museum. Additionally, I thought that a lot of the architecture was grander and even more incredible than Khiva.
I loved Kalyan Mosque. It was beautifully atmospheric and peaceful, with hardly any tourists about. Indeed, the whole of Bukhara was deliciously devoid of tourists. We found that we had a lot of the sights to ourselves for the most part. I also loved Chor Minor. As luck would have it, our guesthouse was situated close by so I visited a couple of times.
The madrassas and mosques were covered in blue tile frescoes. The devil truly was in the detail. I made sure to capture as many photos as possible that show the beautifully detailed tiles that made up the facades. The amount of care and love put into building these monuments to education and religion is quite astounding. I found myself marvelling time and again at everything I saw.
A camel ride in the Kyzylkum Desert.
A short twenty minute jaunt through the desert, but one of my favourite memories from Uzbekistan. This is largely because I managed to persuade Mum to ride a camel too! She had mentioned it months before and said she’d like to do it, but had also been a little nervous about it. I was thrilled when she actually mounted the camel, laughing and squealing a little as it stood up and we could set off for our short ride around the yurt camp.
Both of us were giggling helplessly and the videos I have will forever remind me of this special memory we made together. Something lovely to look back on in future years with a smile and a laugh!
The Lowlights
Accidentally booking the cheapest train tickets in Uzbekistan!
When buying the tickets, I forgot the train class system that operates in many countries like Uzbekistan. When the woman behind the glass asked if I wanted the cheaper ticket, I nodded and paid without a second thought. It was only when we boarded the train between Khiva and Bukhara that I realised my mistake. Not only had I booked us bunks in Platskart (3rd class), but I’d also managed to get us two top bunks! Not a situation I’d really wanted to subject Mum to!
However, we both ended up dealing okay with the situation and it wasn’t such a bad trip. Mum even made it up in the top bunk with a lot more grace than I managed in my efforts!
Aside from Uzbekistan, October was a bit of a ‘bleargh’ month.
This isn’t a terrible thing, but I like to try to do at least one or two things of note while in London each month and October just didn’t deliver. It will melt away as an unremarkable, largely uneventful month in London that can fade into the annuls of history for the most part.
Posts This Month
I posted nothing new in October. My urge to write has been lacking for quite some time and I was also busy preparing for Uzbekistan and dealing with Granddad’s death.
What I Read This Month – October 2019
This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay.
An important book that I think everyone should read. A disillusioned and heartbreaking look into the NHS, interspersed with lots of humour. Kay was a junior doctor and worked in medicine between 2004 – 2010. He left medicine when a terrible event caused him to rethink his career and move into the world of TV writing instead.
I gasped, laughed, cried, smiled and shook my head as I read this book. The stress, strains and insurmountable pressure put on our NHS staff is captured perfectly in Kay’s writing. He writes candidly about how tough life is. Through his diary entries, we can surmise that even his relationship breaks down due to the time and energy he puts into medicine. He, and many others like him, sacrifice everything for other people’s health and the NHS, for little reward.
This is an eye opening glimpse into what life is like for many people working for the NHS. Kay tells his tales with humour that is just the right side of the line and the book kept me hooked right to the very end.
The Prison Doctor by Amanda Brown.
Following swiftly after This Is Going To Hurt came The Prison Doctor. I found that I wanted a further insight into medicine and being a doctor. This book definitely provided that and more!
Brown still works as a prison doctor. During her career has spent time in some of Britain’s most notorious prisons, including Wormwood Scrubs. She tackles everything from distributing medication to dealing with attempted suicides and attacks on prisoners. While the medicine side is quite interesting, it is very much a portrayal of the prison system as well and how it operates in the UK. I found it a fascinating insight into a world I’ve never really encountered before.
The final quarter or so of the book are most interesting – when Brown goes to work at a women’s prison. Here, she encounters sad tales of abuse, drug misuse, homelessness and mental health illness. Some of the stories she tells from the women are heart breaking. Many tales of domestic abuse. One horrifying story of one woman who was subjected to three days of rape and torture.
At times, the writing is a little amateurish, but I forgave Brown this since the stories she is sharing are important. It is interesting to learn about the medical world within the British prison system.
Instagram Pictures of the Month – October 2019
My photos this month are from London, Jordan, Kent and various locations around Uzbekistan.
I choose these three images based on which got the most likes on Instagram and then tell the story behind the picture. Disclaimer: They are not necessarily my favourite photos!
An Introduction to Uzbekistan – Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The sky turned peachy as the sun began to sink lower. We knew we had about forty minutes left to finish exploring the bazaar and then take the subway back to our hotel. A pungent smell hit our nostrils as we continued strolling between the stalls. Onions. Hundreds, no, thousands of them! Huge netted bags of them. And behind them, this view. The turquoise domes, the pink sky, the blue muddle of stalls. Our first taste of all the delights Uzbekistan would be bringing, summed up in an image. I leaned over a bag of onions and snapped the photo quickly. Then, as the stench from the onions threatened to overwhelm, we moved on.
Looking Up at the Minaret – Khiva, Uzbekistan.
175 steps to the viewing platform. The view from the top of the minaret had been of Khiva spread out below like a toy city. The horizon had been obscured by dust and the buildings were largely sand coloured, with turquoise and blue domes and roofs interjecting occasionally. The viewing platform had been roughly the size of a large dinner table and about ten of us had squeezed up there at one point, taking photos. I didn’t stay long, descending soon after my arrival. The steep steps required concentration and when I reached the bottom, my legs were wobbly. We slipped into the shady madrassa at the base of the minaret directly afterwards and I got this shot.
The Walls That Protect The City – Khiva, Uzbekistan.
We arrived early for sunset, spending nearly an hour on the viewing deck. It gave me ample opportunity to get many photos of the crenelated walls, turning beautiful ochre and gold colours in the late afternoon light. This was my favourite image of the lot, largely due to the gorgeous rich colours and the pink, hazy sky in the background. The sunset itself was rather unremarkable and we descended shortly afterwards, hungry and chilly, ready for dinner.
My Favourite Image: October 2019.
This is my favourite image from our whole time in Uzbekistan and I’m so thrilled I managed to get it! It largely came about by pure chance. I had paused at the foot of the steps leading out of the Kalyan Mosque to gaze up at the beautiful fresco on the madrassa opposite and these two walked past. I whipped up my phone just as they ascended the steps and managed to get this image of them silhouetted against the gorgeous colours and patterns of the Po-i-Kalyan Madrassa. It was a happy opportunity born out of good timing, quick action and beautiful colours, for which I am very grateful!
Coming Up in November 2019
We leave Uzbekistan on 5th November – just in time for Bonfire Night. I’ll be heading to Primrose Hill with E and P for the fireworks. Then, I intend on heading straight to a pub for a catch up and some drinks!
I’m taking my annual trip to see the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum with Z this month. I’ll also meet fellow travellers at a meet-up organised by a blogger I follow. Finally, I will end the month prepping for the first of many Christmas dinners. No doubt I’ll visit Borough Market to get some delicious produce and enjoy a mulled wine or two as the festive season kicks in!
Keep your eyes open and be sure to follow my Instagram feed and stories to see what I get up to!
