Hello Micha friends of the worlds! Today I come to fantastic the place called Cape Town in sunny South Africa. Every peoples here love the football and the dancing to music. The South Africa is holding the biggest competition in world of the football. The World Cup! The best footballs players will play for their countries against each other for a whole month. Everywhere on streets I see the people from all over world with football clothes having fun and waving the flags! This is going ot be great adventure.
The weather is nice and not as hot as the Egypt. On beach I meet big group of the football fans having a small party. There are the guys playing drums and blowing the horns. I meet the pretty girl from country Brazil. I ask if maybe she met Tictac the alligators with Jaci tribe in Amazon? She say she maybe know, but not sure. She ask what Micha instruments are. I explain and she tell me to play some the music. Guys playing drums are also saying to play music together. I give out some the instruments when little kid show up with the strange thing. It is kind of box with small metals sticks that make the sound when touched with fingers. His name is Dingane and is very good at playing his little box of sound. And he know Micah melody already! He say it is like song he learn from grandfather. Soon whole beach is playing music and everybody dancing and smiling. Two boys are playing football on beach and hit ball back and forth on head, in time to music! There is the great rhythms everywhere in South Africa. And everywhere the many flags. It is the big party.
Micha very impressed with Dingane and his music box. He play like the piano. I think he become famous and be on stage one day. I want to invite him to Micha village in Uzbekistan to play for Micha family at party there. He say maybe if his mum will let him.
I get the hungry after long day on beach and Dingane say I eat the biltong and mealies. Biltong is the dry meat and mealies is the food of corn. Taste very nice.
In evening at hotel I meet the guy who is Uktam from Uzbekistan! So nice to speak to Uzbek persons after long year doing adventure around world. He is from village not far from Micha village and tell news about the Micha homeplaces. Micha uncle get the new goats. He must be the very happy. Micha uncle always like the goats.
I ask why Uktam is in the South Africa and he say he travel because he want support Uzbek football team in World Cup. He is very the excited and wave Uzbek flag all the time and shout the “go the Uzbekistan!” to everybody walking on street. Woman working on hotel desk shake head and laugh, and when Uktam leave to shout at the more people and wave flag, she explain that Uzbekistan NOT in the World Cup! So Uktam travel long adventure to the South Africa but not check that Uzbekistan in World Cup first?
Micha mum once say that peoples from Uktam village have the brain like donkey. Micha think she is right.
Micha adventure is on again! I left the Jaci tribe and Amazon and now I am in the Egypt with camels and pyramids and the sand. I arrive in the Cairo yesterday and it is such the contrast to Amazon jungle. So many the people everywhere. At airport I get the taxi to take me somewhere interesting. Taxi driver is called Babafemi and he say he will show me many sights. But taxi in Egypt are the crazy! Babafemi drive like the madman in old car and Micha sit with heart in hand and hope for no the accident.
First we go to market called the souk and they sell everything. So many the strange foods and cloths and things and colours, it is wonderful. Babafemi tell me to try the tea and have some Egyptian food called the Kushari which is the rice, lentils, and macaroni. It taste great but the tea is very strong for me.
In souk I trade the Tictac for the hat called fez to wear because it is Egyptian hat. It look funny on Micha but I feel like local now. Before we leave market Babafemi tell me if I ever try the hookah? He say it is traditional Egypt water pipe. Micha not sure if he try because he promise Micha mum to not smoke. Babafemi laugh and say it is OK but he will show me what it is, so we go to the place of hookahs called the maqhah. Many men sit around tables and smoke from the tubes. Babafemi sit down and smoke tobacco called the shisha and blow out many the smoke. He offer to Micha but I say no because I think it smell bad. All men in maqhah cafe laugh and think very funny!
Then we go back in crazy taxi and Babafemi say he show me the pyramids in desert. We drive for long time and he tell me about the Pharaoh and Sphinx and great stories of the big empires of Egypt.
We get to place called the Giza and then I see the big pyramids. Wow! They are the massive! Babafemi say they were built by slaves thousands year ago for the kings of Egypt and are the big graves. He say that some have curse on those go in them. Micha happy to see pyramid from outside!
Near pyramids there are the camels. Babafemi say I try go on one. They look like the big horse but very different. First camel sit on all legs and Micha climb, then camel suddenly get up! It is the much bigger than horse. I get the little big seasick from riding camel but it is fun, and the Tictac boxes make the sound as we ride, so I almost play the music with the camel. Egyptians are looking and making the laugh!
Babafemi take me back to Cairo and still no the accident in taxi. Egypt is the great place for adventure. In evening I look at stars and think of Jaci family and maybe they are looking at same stars? Someone in hotel tell me that one theories of pyramid is that they are built by aliens from space. Are they looking down at me now?
I sleep very well in night because I have so many new experiences from land of Pharaoh.
Hello again the readers. Micha still in jungle. This place so big and with so many the things to experience. I learned how to use the blowpipes for the hunting but my aim so so the bad that I don’t hit anything yet. I make good friends now with pet alligator and feed him the food everyday. He is not so scary anymore, but Jaci say alligator tooth is very sharp so Micha always be careful. Maybe I get the alligators for the pets home in Uzbekistan? Jaci tribe give alligators new name, too. Tictac! I try to teach Tictac the tricks, like sit and the fetch, but I am not sure it is the working very well. No matter what I say the Tictac alligators just try to bite, and look the angry. It is OK, it is still my friend. It is liking when I touch it on the head and sing Uzbek songs I learn from Micha mum. Then it don’t try to do the bite and sometimes fall asleep. Did you know that the alligators make the snoring sound when sleep? Amazon river is amazing, it is big and flowing all the time. Jaci tell me that river change everyday and it is the difficult to make the maps, because one time Amazon is here and next time Amazon is there. In afternoon we go swimming in river and float down through jungle. It is fantastic but a bit the scary because I hear stories of the evil fish called the piraña that eat big animals in water very quick and have the pointed teeth. I also see the big snake swimming in the water, and everyone quickly go on the land because it is the dangerous snake. I think all the big snake are dangerous.. Maybe Tictac the alligators come swim with me, then the piraña and the snake not try to attack Micha? Jaci thinks this is bad idea! Life in jungle is so great, everything green and the time is slow. And at night I see the many many stars everywhere, more stars than in Uzbek village. I wish I could take the picture and show family at homes. Maybe one day Micha go on adventure in the space with Tictac the alligators? But I miss hearing voice of Micha mum and Micha brother and sister, and I have run out of the Tictac. Maybe soon it is the time for moving to the other places?
Yes dear the readers! Yesterday Micha finally get to the country Brazil and it is everything Wayne said and more. The bus drop me off in big place called the Rio de Janeiro which is on coast of the Brazil. The weather is very hot and there is people everywhere. Everybody speak the language Portuguese here, and not the Spanish. Micha like the language, it sound like singing. Maybe I learn some words to say to nice people? I ask many people to find where is the place to have the fun, and they all tell to me to go to the beach for the party. One friendly Brazilian girl say she will show me if I give her the TicTac. Her name is Ulara and she live in the Rio de Janeiro all her life. On way to beach we go by many the food places and she ask if I want to try the nice Brazil food? Micha hungry after long journey, so we sit down at street restaurant. Ulara order food and tell me it is called the feijoada. She say it is the stew made with the meat and the beans and cooking for long time. It taste great and remind me bit of Uzbek stew, but with different meat than the lambs. I eat everything and Ulara laugh and say she never see anyone eat that much so fast. After food is gone, we go down to beach. It is very beautiful, like something from the advertising, with glittering oceans and pretty people in swimming clothes. I go in water with Ulara and it is very fun. She is funny and pretty and I think that maybe I am in love with her. When we sit and dry on beach after the going swimming, I tell her that I play the music TicTac and maybe she knows if I can play the music on beach? She get very excited and say that in the Brazil everybody love the playing music and especially the playing samba. I aks what the samba is and she explain it is the music with rhythm and drums and very fun. Sounds like Micha playing the TicTac! So I get out the boxes TicTac and try to get people on beach to play. It is amazing! Everybody in the Brazil loves the music, it is true! Quickly many the people are coming to Micha asking to play with me. I show them some Micha songs and they show me some the samba songs and we TicTac samba. One guy even come and make the music like drums with his mouth called the beatboxing! Micha never see that before. And all the girls on beach dance very nice. So I keep playing the music to watch the girls doing the dance and soon it seem whole beach is having party. When evening come Micha tired from all the playing the music and Ulara say he can stay with her and Ulara family. Ulara mum is the very nice lady and make Micha food. After I eat the great Brazil food, I try to tell Ulara family about Uzbekistan and great travel adventure and the Bigfoot and treasures in mountain and the sea monster but I don’t speak the portuguese so I have to show with drawing and making acting. Ulara mum laugh so much she fall of chair! Luckily she is not hurt. Ulara younger brother Zico say maybe he will show me the football match when big game is on and say it is the best footballs team in world! I go to sleep very tired after long long day and dream of girls on beach doing the dancing. Brazil is Micha country!
Hello everybody and hello the 2010! On first day of the January everybody taking it very easy in the Mexico. Wayne family all a bit quiet. Wayne say is because they are tired from playing the competition tequila. But after lunch we all go to beautiful beach and Micha swim in sea for first time in the 2010. Wayne family nice peoples and we stay for few days and look at country and do more swimming. Wayne then tell me he want to stay with family for some times, maybe a month! I understand, because Micha like being with family too. But, Micha adventure must continue! Wayne suggest that maybe Micha go to South America? He say that in Brazil people love the music and play the songs on streets every day so I can make new friendly friends there. I don’t have no money for going all the way but I am lucky on adventures so it will work out. After week I pack bags and decide to go on new journey. I say goodbyes to Wayne family (after getting recipe for the great spicy foods) and ask the Wayne to drive me to bus station. On way in car Wayne give me small pouch and say not to open until he go away. Micha very curious and almost take the sneak look in pouch but Wayne insist I must wait. At bus station Wayne say goodbye and wish Micha the good luck with adventure and say he miss me already. Wayne good friend, I wil miss him too. He drive off and I look for bus to South America. I find ticket for bus to Guatemala and go find place to eat when waiting for bus. In café I open pouch and find many the dollars and small note. In note it say that Wayne give me the money because I help him find the treasure! I count money and it is very much! Now Micha can go all the way to the Brazil! I travel through many the countries in Central and the South America for many days on bus and using the airplane and sometimes getting the lifts with friendly people on way. South America is the biiiig country and very pretty, with smiling people and the nice girls everywhere. I learn a bit of the Spanish too, because not everybody is speaking the English, and nobody is speaking the Uzbek. I go to Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, then fly to Colombia and do the hitchhike to the Venezuela with the amazing beaches. The nature is so beautiful everywhere in the South America, it sometime look like the paradise. And place is full of old temples and the stuff from old cultures in jungles. It remind me of the Indiana Jones! Money from Wayne is the great help, and I stay in the hotel and eat the good food in restaurants and make the telephone ring to family Micha. It is nice to speak to Micha mum again – I miss sound of voice. She say everyone in the Uzbekistan are well and whole village read my the postcards from great adventure. All the pretty girls in village ask about Micha and Micha mum say I am the famous now! I must buy them all the presents when I get home. Tomorrow I am on bus to the Brazil so I am practising playing the music on the boxes TicTac so I can make some music friends when I get there. I wish I could stay in South America forever!
After we wake up after big Texas party, Wayne is saying he is hurting in the legs and in his back from all the riding of the wild bulls. I am hurting in the legs too, from dancing too much!
We eat big big breakfast and then we get in car and start to drive to the Mexico. Wayne say he has cousin in Mexico we can celebrate the new year evening with. It is still very hot and I fall asleep in car for many hours. When wake up, we are in the Mexico already! I like the Mexico because there is so many the different colours everywhere and so much music. Wayne say he thinks the music it is called the Mariachi, and is special for the Mexico. We stop at small shop so Wayne can buy the map to find the place of his cousin and I walk around and look at things. Outside shop there is the guy who wears a very big hat and colourful cape, but I think he is the sleeping. He has very bad breath! When Wayne comes back, he explain that the very big hat is called the sombrero, and the cape is not cape but clothing called poncho. So many new words! Wayne also say that sleeping man has the bad breath because he is the drunk, maybe from drinking too much the tequila. I feel sorry for man sitting in sun with the bad breath so I wake him up and give him some TicTac. I think he likes. He take one the TicTac then shake the box like Micha and make rhythm so I take out flute I make of the boxes TicTac and play him little tune. He smile and shake box in time, then fall asleep again. Wayne say we have to drive more to get to cousin so we have to leave. As we go to car I can hear sleeping man snoring very loud, but I don’t think his breath smell the bad anymore. We drive for many the hours and I think the Mexico is beautiful country. In evening we get to the ranch of Wayne’s cousin, but no one is home. We sit in shade in front of house and eat some food and wait. 11 o’clock in evening Wayne cousin return with her husband and kids and they are all very very happy to see Wayne! The children of Wayne cousin have bag full of fireworks and candy and by midnight we celebrate the New Years evening with loud bangs and many strange but delicious snacks! Micha like the food Mexican because it is little bit spicy! I ask for the recipes and Wayne cousin say she will write down for me so I can make the food Mexican in Uzbekistan for family when I get home. After fireworks and food, Wayne and cousin and cousin husband start drinking the tequila in some strange competition eating the lime and salt and they are all shouting and having fun. I think of family back in homeplace, and I miss Micha mum a little bit, and brother and sister. I not sure of the difference of time, so maybe Micha family getting ready for the celebrating the new years in village? After while Wayne and cousin and cousin husband stop playing the competition tequila and get ready to go to bed. I am not sure who won and ask Wayne but he laugh and say that they all won. That sounds like good competition! I fall asleep thinking of what new adventure I will have in 2010. Happy the new year world from the Micha!
Hello again. Micha spent Christmas in train! After driving for long time, Wayne and me take the break and eat some food in the diner. I never eat burgers so big before, with many onions. Lucky I still have the TicTacs left to make mouth taste nice again. When we finish eating food, we look for car, but it is gone! After searching for while, and old woman tell us that he see someone drive away in truck while we were in diner. Someone steal truck! First Wayne is angry and kick sign by road, but then the calm down and remember that he has many old coins in bag. He say he will buy new truck in Texas. Next to road is the train-tracks and as we try to think of what to doing next, a very very long the goods train comes by very very slowly. Wayne picks up our bags and starts running towards the train, yelling at me to follow. We run next to train until wagon comes by with open doors and we jump in. Inside train is dry and warm and we sit there watch the snow and country go by. Wayne explain that many people travel this way in the America. He say he needs to sleep a bit and folds out his sleeping bag. I write some letters to family Micha and look of map of the America. Texas is far away from Montana and maybe it will take long time to get there in slow train, but we have the food and water so it great adventure!
On the Christmas evening we sing American and Uzbek songs and I give Wayne the TicTac box as present. He give me some the old coins. Then we play the poker and Wayne much better than Micha, so we don’t play about who is doing the washing up..
Few days later the train stops at small station, and we sneak off. We find map and see that we are in the Kansas, which is closer to Texas and also place of the cowboys. We hitchhike into town called Hays, where we find motel and get clean. After that Wayne go looking for place to sell the coins and I look for post-box to mail letters for family. When Wayne comes back, he has big smile on face and say he made many many money selling coins. He also say he buy new car, so same evening we are driving for the Texas again. Wayne drive all night and in morning we are close the Oklahoma. Everywhere is fields with many the cows everywhere. Wayne explain to me that in Texas there are many cows too, and the people who ride on wild bulls and horses in the arena, called the Rodeo. It sound fun but also dangerous. Now I can’t wait to go Texas. Maybe Wayne will ride bull?
Hello everybodies! Micha here again. I have been travelling with the very beautiful girls to go to Montana in the America. But Canada is very big so it take long times. Last night we stop at bar in place called the Calgary, Alberta. Apparently place is famous for being the Olympic Games of Winter in the 1988. One of girls I travel with, Cherise, tell me many things about it, and I especially like story of Eddie ‘the Eagle’ Edwards who do the ski jumps. Great name! But he didn’t win, so maybe he not fly like the eagle then?
Before we go in bar, girls tell me it is special bar where women come in for free. I say but Micha is not a woman and they laugh and say they will help me get in for free. So they give me a wig and I borrow a dress to make look like I am not man. All the girls think very funny but Micha not sure. I think this better be very nice bar.
At the door the guardian does not notice that Micha is the boy and we all go in for free. It works!
The music in bar is very loud and fun, so we all dance and are happy, but suddenly wig fall off Micha’s head! Oh no! Before I can put wig back on the head, guardian comes and holds me in grip by arm and all music stop in bar. It very embarrassing and I don’t know what to be doing. Guardian wants to throw me out of bar and pull me towards the doors. I look around and hoping to find Cherise because I don’t want to be leaving girls and bar. How to get to Montana then?
But Cherise find me and try to talk to guardian. When she explain I am boy from Uzbekistan who play the TicTac guardian let go and smile. He say he seen me on the youtube and like very much my sound. Before I know it I am on stage, still in the dress, playing music on TicTac boxes for whole bar. And everybody join and have fun! When finish playing many the girls come up to Micha and ask for the autograph and to take the pictures and give the hugs.
When we leave bar very late in evening, Micha very tired but also very happy from all the kisses he get from girls all night. Maybe next time there is the Olympic Games in the Calgary I go in sport too. I could be Micha ‘the Albatross’ Albacow and maybe fly better than the Eagle did? And also then I can play more music with nice peoples of Calgary. Today I sleep for long time in car after very great night with the party. Micha rest!
Micha very excited! This morning we arrive in harbour called Cap-Chat in big area called the Quebec in Canada. Finally in the Canada after long sailing. Micha happy to be back on the land. It take two hours before I stop moving around like I am on the seas. I walk around with Kjartan to find the telephone box to make call to the cousin of Kjartan. Everybody here speak language I never hear and I ask Kjartan, is it the Canadian? He say in Quebec almost everybody speak the French, but rest of Canada most peoples speak the English. For little while I think maybe Kjartan trick me and sail to France and not Canada! In Uzbekistan we speak many the languages, so maybe Canada and Uzbekistan not so different place?
Kjartan cousin pick us up in big truck and we drive to his house out in country. His name is Jean-Luc and he is friendly and speaking a little English.
When we get to house Jean-Luc say we go catch the big elk in forest, for the dinner. I am very hungry after eating only strange food from the tins on boat, and I am not sure how we catch this elk to eat. Perhaps we need a net? Is the elk like the kraken? Then Kjartan and Micha surely get very scared again!
Jean-Luc take out guns and say we go hunting. I never go hunting before, so I pack boxes of the Tictac and a warm sweaters. We walk around in big Canadian forest for many hours then suddenly Jean-Luc say we all be quiet because he has seen the elk. He tell us to spread out and wait. I go and hide behind a big rock and try to hold my breath to be not making a sound. After a few minutes I see two the big animals walk towards me. It must be the elk! But Jean-Luc has said to be quiet and I don’t want to get shot so I am very still. The elks come all the way up to me and stands there looking at Micha with big eyes. I think maybe they want a Tictac to eat so to make friends with the elk. I put out hand with some Tictacs and elk picks up with big slobbering tongue. It seem to like the Tictac so I give them more and we hang out for the little while. Then out of corner of eyes I see Jean-Luc who is waving hand to say move away! He is pointing gun straight at me and elks! But elks see him too and run really fast into woods before he can shoot. I think maybe Jean-Luc get angry (and he is with the gun!) but he just laugh and say it is OK, there is the other food in house.
We start to walk home and it is nice because I am very cold, but near to Jean-Luc house we see a bear. It look angry and mean and come straight for Micha with mouth open. Everyone shouting and scared! The bear is stretching the arms to try and catch me but I duck and it miss. I turn around to the escape when I drop the boxes Tictac on forest ground from pockets. They make the big rattling noise like when I play drums with boxes and the bear stop and look confusing and then go away with tail between the legs! I am still a bit scared and Kjartan look like he been crying again!
Jean-Luc pick up the boxes Tictac and say maybe he bring one with him next time he go hunting to stop the bear. He ask which flavour is best for stopping bear. I say I think maybe the cherry taste because the box is red and my uncle Sherzodbek looking a bit like bear and scared of colour red.
After we eat the dinner with Jean-Luc and his family he bring out accordion and ask me to show him how I play the music with the boxes Tictac. I only know one Canadian music that is the Avril Lavigne but Jean-Luc say he don’t know how to play it. I ask him if maybe we go visit Avril Lavigne and she teach him the music but he say that is difficult. Hmm maybe I will meet her some other day. Micha like Avril Lavigne.
Tonight I fall asleep easy, because it is tired going for the hunting and being chased by the bear. Tomorrow Kjartan go home to Norway but Jean-Luc say I can stay for some days to explore the Canada.
I am in Sweden now, which is far from Uzbekistan. All the peoples are beautiful and happy, but I don’t understand their words! I’m guessing nobody speak Uzbek here.
I get hungry and go to “gatukök” to buy foods. I order nukhot shurva but they don’t making it. I thought everybodies like pea soup of Uzbekistan? But I get the balls made of meat with mashing potato. Very nice but I’ve never eaten jam with meat before!
I meet friendly policeman who say I should go to park for the celebrating Midsommer. I like park. Many blonde girls with white flowers in hair and white dress lying on grass. Everything white! For celebrating Midsommer, the Sweden people make tree covered in leaf and dance around holding hands. They sing strange song about frogs and jump around funny and say kouackackack kouackackack! I think song was funny and ask what it was about. They say it is about frogs not having ear or tail. Very strange. But we have great time and dance and sing. Fun. You can see all nice girls here
I like the Sweden. The girls are so beautiful and have the nice smile. But they don’t have the hat with the horns like the vikings. Maybe it is no more in fashions here?