More Silk Road memories

At the hotel in Bukhara (Uzbekistan), there was a little art gallery.  This man - Vafo Barno Narziy - had done all sorts of paintings and portraits of the local area and people he'd met.  We saw this picture and immediately loved it.

The boy negotiated a price with the man, then we had to figure it out how to get it a) safely through the rest of Uzbekistan and Russia, and b) home in one piece. We decided the best thing to do would be to have it unframed, and we'd get it framed again when we got home.

So that is what we did and that is what it looks like now.

Silk Road Day 22: Bukhara

After a surprisingly good night's sleep on the usual hard beds, and a dodgy breakfast in the hotel, we set off for our sightseeing. We visited the Ark (where the Emirs used to live) and the bug pit where they used to throw prisoners.

We then had to take an emergency taxi ride back to the hotel because something I ate a breakfast did not agree with me. Thankfully we made it back in time and all was okay eventually.

I decided not to risk venturing out in the afternoon so we stayed in the hotel and read, and I caught up on some emails. Thankfully we were back on the train for dinner, another delicious Russian meal. I don't know how they make such great food in such a tiny space!

Silk Road Day 21: Samarkand - Bukhara

We left Samarkand at 10am and travelled to Bukhara on the train - a pleasant and easy trip which included a delicious lunch. From there it all went downhill. Our local guide - Raisa - talked at us in a relentless monotone for the whole afternoon, failing to draw breath even for a second. Kendall and I refused to take headsets on the visit to another bloody mosque, we were so sick of the sound of her voice.

We then checked into our hotel - built in 1961 under Soviet power, no doubt* - and it is truly dreadful. Our room is tiny and smells as though it hasn't been opened since 1961. Our double bed is two single beds pushed together. Which would be okay, but they are different heights.

Tonight we had dinner at a Persian restaurant inside a Maddressah. The floor show went on for an hour before we were allowed to eat. To me, the music was noise but some enjoyed it, I guess. When can we get back on the train?

* It seemed our guide had some obsession with the fact that Uzbekistan used to be part of the Soviet Union. Every single building and every event seemed to be built in 1961, or happened in 1961, under the time of Soviet Power. She said it so much we started to laugh about it.