Note from Paul Salopek:
After helping me wrangle cargo horses and donkeys across a thousand miles of Uzbekistan, walking partner Tanatar “Tolik” Bekniyazov, 27, has become a friend. Bekniyazov, a melon seller, is from the Karakalpakstan Autonomous Region, one of the poorest corners of Uzbekistan. Like thousands of young men in that area, Bekniyazov usually travels out of necessity, not choice. He has toiled more than 20 times, illegally for a pittance, on construction sites in neighboring Kazakhstan. And he carries the scars to prove his suffering at the hands of the Kazakh police. A man of few but well chosen words, Bekniyazov has been a steadying life force on the traverse of Uzbekistan. I will miss seeing his long-boned frame striding reassuringly ahead, always without complaint, east toward sunrise. I asked him recently to offer some thoughts about our shared travels.
* * *
My journey started in Kyrkyz village. I was replacing my father. Early in the morning my father introduced me to Paul and Aziz. Then we traveled a lot.
I realized I had never seen such beautiful places before.
On the Ustyurt Plateau I saw sunrises and sunsets. When you see such beauty, you sleep well at night. We also met so many different people, bad and good. I understand now that the good people are in the majority.
The most difficult part my travels was in the Kyzyl Kum Desert, when Paul spoke loudly to me. The water we cached there was for the animals and humans, but I gave too much to the donkeys. So there was not much water left. Then I apologized, and everything was alright.
During this trip the biggest thing I missed was my wife. This journey will always remain unforgettable through the rest of my life.
Stamps of desperation: Entry and exit permits pock the passport of Bekniyazov, one of millions of struggling Uzbeks who work in the oil-stoked economy of neighboring Kazakhstan.
Paul Salopek
