{"id":34396,"date":"2023-06-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/?p=34396&preview=true&preview_id=34396"},"modified":"2025-03-17T21:14:54","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T10:14:54","slug":"lola-akinmade-akerstrom-in-uzbekistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/lola-akinmade-akerstrom-in-uzbekistan\/","title":{"rendered":"The people you meet: the art of connecting with strangers in Uzbekistan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of our most memorable travel encounters happen when we take a deep breath and walk up to that perfect stranger.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d 85-year old Hushbek asks me in Uzbek, using our Intrepid leader Zafar as an impromptu translator. We are hiking around the foothills of the Nuratau Mountains in the tiny border village of Hayat in Uzbekistan<\/a>. He is casually standing in his yard, soaking up the last rays of sunshine before the sun begins to set, and I wave at him from a distance in greeting. The photographer in me wants to capture his regal purple attire against the fiery red colours of autumn. So, I approach him.<\/p>\n

\"Local

85-year old Hushbek outside his home.<\/p><\/div>\n

When he asks for my name, I tell him the shortened version I\u2019ve been using since birth \u2013 Lola.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you African?\u201d he continues. I respond that yes, I am in fact Nigerian.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen tell me your real name. Because I know it has a meaning. African names always have deep meanings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Besides being visibly blown away by his statement, that simple interaction with Hushbek – a stranger – not only touched me deeply, but also continues to frame the way I interact with and acknowledge strangers.<\/p>\n

SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY FOR YOURSELF ON OUR 9-DAY UZBEKISTAN ADVENTURE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

For me, the most interesting part of my travels are the people I meet along the way. People who graciously open themselves, their cultures, and their lifestyles up to me so I can continually broaden my horizons and knowledge about this fascinating world we share.<\/p>\n