I got up early one morning and decided to explore the maze of alleyways that made up the old Samarkand neighbourhood. Our guesthouse was located just at the fringe of this area and we had very briefly ventured there a few days ago when we had dinner at a house not far away from our B&B.
The alleyways were basked in the early morning sunlight.
The alleyways were dirty and dusty and enclosed on both sides by the walls of houses, only interrupted by the doors or entranceways to into the houses. Had it not been for the early morning pedestrian activity, this walk might have been intimidating and even scary. Occasionally, someone would come out of a house and dispose of dirty water in the drains running down the middle of the alley. This contributed to the musty smell that pervaded the area. The ground was sandy with occasional patches of gravel, and the which ran on both sides were damp and moldy.
Some doors were open, and looking into them revealed each family’s courtyard. Some were derelict and overgrown with vines, while others were very elegantly done up with marble tiles and well maintained gardens. Every other entranceway was also a driveway housing cars of a similar variance; mostly the boxy cars from the Soviet era, but some with new a Mercedes or Lexus.
After a few turns, I realized I was lost. I couldn’t find any of the visual markers I had stored in my memory. Every other doorway looked the same, even those refurbished homes used similar materials which made them look similar. Then I decided to follow the children. That would surely bring me back to the school I had walked past. Sure enough, I emerged at the school compound nestled within this old neighbourhood. Children were walking to school in twos or threes. The boys wore long dress pants and white long sleeved shirts, some wore ties and suits. The girls wore knee length skirts and white blouses. There didn’t appear to be a standard uniform, only the requirement of a white top and black bottoms. I suddenly realized I was drawing a lot of attention from the kids, I guess its not common for a foreigner to be wandering about this area. It was also getting hot and I was getting hungry anyway, so I decided to head back for breakfast.
Old meets new in the alleyway outside our room
The school nested inside the old Samarkand neighbourhood
