Where the heck is Karakalpakstan, you ask? We had the same question. It’s a theoretically autonomous region of Uzbekistan. As usual, the history of the region is kind of complicated. (Come to think of it, most history everywhere is kind of complicated.)
We hire a car and driver to take us from Khiva to Nukus, a distance of about 270 KMs. We make four stops to visit some archaeological sites.
Our first stop, by special request is the Koi Krylgan Kala.
From the first time we see it in Uzbek tourist material, we wanted to visit. Mainly because of the dramatic aerial views taken when the foundations were first exposed.
It sort of resembles the Millenium Falcon.
It’s also featured on the 20,000 sum banknote.
It no longer looks like this. It appears to have been filled in again. Or the locals have pilfered the material to be re-used in modern buildings.
That’s OK. It leaves a lot of scope for the imagination, as Anne of Green Gables would say.
There are many fortresses in this region, known as Elliq Kala, meaning ‘fifty forts’. We also visit Jampik Kala.
Our driver – with a white Chevrolet, of course – takes us down some barely-there desert tracks to get to these places.
Next is Gyaur Kala
‘Tell me what you’ve seen, in faraway forgotten lands, where empires have turned back to sand.’ – The Moody Blues, Lovely To See You
Last place is Chilpik Kala, which is in fact an old ‘tower of silence‘, that is, a place where Zoroastrians would expose their dead so that the bodies could be picked clean by vultures.
The bones would then be placed in ossuaries. Zoroastrians were at one time dominant in this part of the world over two thousand years ago. Difficult to imagine, considering the overwhelming presence of Islam since that time.
The forts are the ‘ancient’. Now for the ‘modern’. We arrive in Nukus. The chief attraction for us here is the Savitsky Museum.
The story of Igor Savitsky and his efforts to preserve endangered art from the Soviet times is fascinating and inspiring. It’s been made into a documentary, ‘The Desert of Forbidden Art‘, available on several platforms, including Dailymotion.
This is my personal favourite. I like that neither the canvas nor the frame are square.
Many paintings showcase local industries, past and present.
Besides being a collector and archivist, Savitsky himself was an accomplished painter.
Nukus has a reputation as being a dull town in the middle of nowhere, but we have a good time here.
While strolling the streets, we come across some ladies whipping up a batch of sumalak, an activity with a lot of folklore attached. Maria is invited to stir the pot while making a wish. As is tradition.
People dress well here. And are well groomed. Everybody seems to have someplace to go, as opposed to the sidewalk-dwelling inertia of many places elsewhere in the world.
There’s a lively market.
(Incidentally, our hotel has a film crew in temporary residence. They’re filming a segment of The Amazing Race here. We speak with a hopeful Dutch participant.)
You can find just about anything here. Except sunscreen.
Many people do their regular shopping in markets like this. There aren’t many supermarkets around.
A pair of local girls want to have their photo taken with Maria. This happens regularly.
One activity that we do NOT pursue: usually if visitors come this far, they book a multiday expedition across the desert to view the last sad remnants of the Aral Sea. Yeah, no – we’re not interested in an expensive and uncomfortable excursion simply to witness the brutal fallout of yet another man-made catastrophe.
Speaking of man-made catastrophes…
Sight or Insight of the Day
One good thing about traveling where we are: we hear very little news about Donald Trump’s continuing lurch into global Dystopia. As Trump and his minions drag the rest of the world down into a swirling vortex of imbecility, people here are simply going about their lives. So are we.
Sometimes I almost – operative word being ‘almost‘ – feel sorry for the president’s inner circle. I imagine being cooped up in the Oval Office with Donald Trump must feel like being locked in an enclosed space with an agitated chimp wielding a fully-loaded assault rifle.
I’m not the first to think of this analogy. I remember hearing it on a late-night comedy show. (Probably Stephen Colbert.)
As we’ve said in previous entries – May God have mercy on our souls.