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The whistling man of Registan.
This entry was posted in Asia, Central Asia, Uzbekistan and tagged Architecture, Art, Asia, Bibi Khanum, Central Asia, Control, Freeloaders, Islam, Madrassah, Millyi Gvardiya, People watching, Police, Registan, Registon, Religion, Samarkand, Samarqand, Selfies, Shir Dor, Tamerlane, Tillya Kari, Timur, Tourism, Ulug Beg, Uzbekistan. Bookmark the permalink.
wonderfully written, such attention to the details you observed , and bringing them to life. The policemen, fly paper, the methane air, the brown envelope and your interactions because you decide, like Kapuncinski knew, that the best travel writing happens when you walk with the people. Thanks!
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Thanks a lot Loons! This comment, and the Kapucinski comparison, made my day. Thanks a lot for reading.
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Google “danish once upon time west”and hit the link to the Danish National Symphony on youtube. You’ll love it.
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Loved it! But the whistle with an ocarina? Come on Danish Symphony Orchestra!
Check out the Maestro (bit of talking at the beginning, from 1:20 or thereabouts): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5VtS8KBDN8
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Very good work by the master! The Danish Symphony did several of Morricone’s music. I’ve watched them all.
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I loved how some of the players are donning Stetsons!
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You hit it right on; I’m a fan of Morricone’s music and had no clue who the whistler was. Interesting leap to your whistler in Registan – I figured he’d end up with a Fistful of Dollars.
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Good good, more fans of the Maestro! We could invent a secret handshake and establish some sort of Freemasonry. Something like the Secret Society for the Appreciation of Italian Western Music, what do you think?
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I was giggling through this whole piece. As alert as meerkats? And that hat. How does it stay on his head when he spins around so fast? Love all the little details in this. Really brings the scene to life. Great work, Fabrizio
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Hey Julie! We were indeed on tiptoe, waving little babushkas away and refusing request for selfies whilst The Drama unfolded. In all honesty we discussed the hat issue ad nauseam, and the best we could figure is that it’s locked in place like hats on a Lego action figure. Which means that the cops’ head must have one clicky-thingy on top, much like Lego figures I suppose. We didn’t see one without his hat, so we couldn’t test the theory. Somebody else will have to!
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Haha! I always admire you determination and focus on the particular. And this magnificent structure truly seems a must-see.
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Samarkand indeed is a must see! But also Bukhara… well, Uzbekistan is.
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I couldn’t imagine where we were going with Samarkand, Morricone, and the Whistler, but the denouement was masterful! I’m off to your home country in just a few hours …
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See, that’s what I say to my colleagues, it’s all going to make some sense in the end! Enjoy Italy! Whereabouts are you going?
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The “big” spots mainly – Rome, a bit of Tuscany, and Florence. This trip is different from my usual rambles; I am shepherding my parents to the iconic sights as one of their last trips abroad. Wish me luck! 🙂
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Great, have fun and don’t trust the cab drivers! Any question let me know. If you can fit in a bit of Val d’Orcia in Tuscany, do it. Bear in mind some bits of the Autostrade have speed cameras/average speed cameras. Enjoy!
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Am I dreaming this or the woman in the bus, with an orang scarf had her teeth entirely plated gold???
Wide-eyed emoticon.
(Buon finale di settimana)
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Hi there Brian!
I’m really sorry about the delay in coming back to you, WordPress decided yours was a spam comment and only by chance I read it! Anyway, no you’re not dreaming: she had a golden smile! I think dental work over there in Uzbekistan is still very blingy, and dentist go for the gold as soon as they have a chance.
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It may be cultural too. Some people here have their teeth adorned in a similar way. Ciao
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I’m quite eager to visit Uzbekistan and plan on it as soon as I have sufficient frequent flyer points to cover the flight. I’ve read that cops try to shake tourists down for bribes—did you have that experience or is that an urban legend?
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Go to Uzbekistan, and spend as many days as possible in Bukhara if you can. I wrote about it at length here, check it out if you feel like it; it’s a marvellous place.
As for the cops, I personally wasn’t asked anything by them, but in Tajikistan and in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, they tried the good old “Problem with your passport” scam. I’d read an advice on Caravanistan: have a photocopy, or a printout of your Embassy’s contacts, in English or Russian that’d be great, and then tell them “[your country] posoltsvo”, like “Angliski posoltsvo” and mimick a phone call. Do not give them your phone number or passport; play dumb, smile a lot, say “As salaam alaikum” and then just walk away, smiling. The cops will think you’re too stupid to be worth the hassle and will leave you there. Works!
Driving is another matter, though.
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