Tuesday, 22 September 2026

 

 

The next morning, I felt much worse than the evening before. I couldn't face one more grimy breakfast room, I couldn't face one more dusty town, and I certainly couldn't face one more border. Tomorrow, we had planned to cross into Tajikistan. "I want to be home", I whined, "I want to recover in a cool and peaceful place, then beam back here and soldier on." "Well, you can't do that", Sonia explained exasperatedly, "we're 10,000 kilometers from home and won't get anywhere unless we drive there ourselves."

 

I spent the day in our beautiful room, showering, drinking tiny sips, eating even tinier bites, desperately trying to get better. Sonia booked the room for two more nights. The hotel staff was concerned and offered to call a doctor. No need, Sonia assured them, I just needed a day off. Yet another one.

 

 

Unfortunately, today was the hottest day of the week. The AC was uncomfortably cold. The room on the long run stuffy. In the evening, I felt better. Sonia ordered chicken broth for me and a pasta for herself on the room. "Could you bring both dishes together, please? And warm?" "Warm?" the waiter asked, surprised. "Yes, could you please make sure that both dishes arrive warm?" Sonia asked, slightly embarrassed. The waiter was shocked that such a thing even needed to be said. "Of course! I respect my work too much to have it any other way." One week in Kyrgyzstan had made us so nervous about food. Not once where the dishes had not arrived either cold, different as ordered or not at all.

 

But the Silk Road Kokand Hotel delivered in every way. The broth was heavenly. I ate it slowly, and felt much better afterward. Good enough, in fact, to take a walk downstairs into the hotel's night garden. A haven of peace and greenery, individual gazebos to have a drink or a bite to eat, or to simply sit and enjoy the evening air. The light breeze was refreshing, the night air invigorating. "I should have come down earlier", I said. "Better late than never." Tomorrow was my birthday. I was determined to be good enough by then to visit Kokand.