I am loving this “old” place. I only wish it was cooler as I am not a fan of hot weather. However, I will not be deterred in exploring what this area has to offer. Luckily I remembered to bring my cooling neck scarf and it has helped keep me cool. Several of our travelers are early risers and go for a walk around 5:30AM and tell us it is amazing to see the cities at that time of the day. I decided to do that this morning here in Bukhara and by 6 AM I left the hotel to walk a bit through the old town. It was very pleasant experience and I am glad I did it. Here are some pictures I took on my short early morning walk.
No people, no cars at 5:57 AM
Alleyway to our hotel.
Yesterday there were many carpets on display.
Abdurakhmoni Alam madrasah, built in 1809.
A lone person on his way to work or simply a bike ride.
Nodir Devonbegi Khanaka was built in 1620 and served as a residence for Sufi Muslims.
Sunrise in Bukhara.
Ladies obviously on their way to work.
A sleepy cat with a scary looking face.
We were told these are mynah birds, common in this area.
Even the swans were not up and about yet.
Their version of Sancho Panza?
Out for a early morning stroll.
Nadir Devanbegi madrasah built in 1622-23.
Pictured are the mythical “ huma” bird, associated with good fortune, kingship and spiritual enlightenment.
We are leaving Bukhara this morning and headed to another ancient city- Khiva. It will be a long day of riding on the bus but with the brutal temperatures of the last two days it will be a welcome change of pace. Much of the trip will be traveling through the Kyzylkum (Red Sand) desert, the 15th largest desert in the world, which covers 115,000 square miles.
Bukhara to Khiva- through the “Red Desert”
Our delightful hostess in the breakfast room.
A fairly common scene. No helmets!
Always see lot of (mostly) women with these rudimentary brooms cleaning the streets.
Surprisingly I have not seen many of these “old” technology modes of transportation here.
Workers in the fields early in the day before the heat arrives.
The only camels I have seen so far!
You can shop even at a roadside bathroom stop.
Need an early morning “pick me up”? It was available at the rest stop.
These were on a snack shelf next to candy bars. I cannot imagine how they taste.
There were thousands of these grasshoppers walking on the road around us.
Would hate to have to buy new tires for this truck. There are 38!
The Kyzylkum or red sand desert through which we were traveling.
Furkat passing out some sweet halva snacks.
Our first rain. It was short!
After the short rain the desert did turn somewhat “red”.
There were no good restaurants on the road to Khiva so we had to eat our lunches at a rest stop.
Our prepackaged lunch box. Probably the worst lunch of the trip but there were no complaints given the quality of other meals we have had so far.
My impulse buy during a happy stop!
We arrived in Khiva around 3:30 PM and after checking into our hotel Furkat suggested that he lead us on a short tour of the walled city before dinner.
Walkways at our hotel which consisted of several different buildings.
They had a decent sized pool.
Hotel bar, but I doubt it was used.
Our hotel was across the road from the walled city of ancient Khiva.
The small structures on the city walls are actually graves of people who wanted to be buried near their city.
The ATA Darwaza gate, one of the four remaining gates to the city.
The walled city of old Khiva.
Wood carver at work.
Should I buy one? Not cold enough in Seattle.
A guy photo-op!
Alternative colors
Camel hair socks. Supposedly they are quite warm!
A madrasah and carpet store.
These “bearded” statues are popular here.
There were shops and booths everywhere.
Now that is a door!
Dinner was a buffet at the hotel and Furkat announced he would be leading a dawn tour of the city for those interested in going with him. I think everyone said they would be there.
Steps for the day: 14,057! Wow, that was a bit of a surprise to me.
