Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Bukhara was another major stop on the Silk Road. Our hotel was on Lyabi-Hauz, a beautiful square built around a central pool. I am sure that it is a great place to hang out on a hot summer night. The hotel itself was gorgeous. The entrance opened onto a typical central Asian style courtyard with the breakfast bar situated on the patio above. The laundry in the fountain below was an interesting touch. The well preserved city centre is a great spot to wander through. We even got to see our first caravanserai (a lodging hotel for camel caravans)!

We didn’t do any shopping (holding off until Istanbul) but it looked pretty good. Lots and lots to choose from. They are very good merchants. Bukhara is a major producer of high quality silk carpets – we went for a lecture from a very animated carpet shop owner who let us know that she was available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week if we wanted to have another look at her wares.

I am quickly becoming aware of the scarcity of internet around here. The internet was actually quite fast when we got to the hotel. The next morning (after they turned it back on) it was not working at all. After resetting the router a few times, the clerk indicated that they had “run out of internet”. I think that they hit their monthly data limit it was shut off. I didn’t have any better luck at the nearby internet café – it worked for a few seconds every couple of minutes. What kind of a vacation is this going to be if I can’t send emails and texts all day long. Doesn’t seem too relaxing to me……….