Amulet Hotel Bukhara

... because over the years it got covered up and buried by sand and dirt. So when Genghis Kahn came through with his rampaging Mongol hordes, they totally missed this little jewel. Back then, the decorations were solely done by using bricks in artful ways. Gulia pointed out the round decorations that look exactly like a loaf of the round bread that we buy.<br><br> Next we are visiting the mosque of Bolo-Hauz ...

... older ladies just laughed and dumped more food on our plates. Meanwhile, Michael had been beckoned to the other end of the table and was being more or less doused with vodka. As it turned out, it was the birthday party for an Aunt, and we had unwittingly crashed it. We danced and drank the night away, using sign language and smiling a lot. The family invited us back to their home, but Lynne's husband was back at the hotel, feeling under the weather, so we had ...

... secular Muslims". The cities are nonetheless gearing up for a celebration &#8211; not related to Ramadan, but rather to Independence Day. Everywhere, women are sweeping the streets, flowers and park greens are being watered, litter is being collected and windows are being polished, and the Uzbek colours &#8211; blue, white and green &#8211; are being draped from streetlights, balconies and bridges. You certainly get the feeling that something exciting is about to occur.<br ...

... bowls so we could sip tea Central Asia style once we returned from travels &#8211; one way to savor some of our many tea drinking memories in Central Asia!<br><br>The day was turning to dusk and a golden glow fell over the city. We arrived the Mir-m-Arab Medressa at the perfect time for photos. Opposite the medressa the Kalon Mosque was gleaming against the cloudless blue sky &#8211; the only blemish was a fingernail crescent of the moon that matched those placed on the doomed roofs ...

... and surrounding Medressas. Structurally impressive, but not breathtaking. The real draw is the intensely detailed blue mosaics that cover whole facades. Its very different. Its also nice to see a town with a consistency to it's architecture. It makes the whole even more impressive. Almost any patch of shade is taken up by merchants selling instruments, ceramics ...

... br> <br><br>The usual walking tour took us to more Tombs, including Turkei Jandi, interestingly almost knitted in brick, with over 50 patterns involved in one building. This is the place to get your prayers answered as long as you are prepared to part with 500 som or 50 c. <br> <br><br>Then past open timber mosques (once used by the Khan for worship) without domes, oh well at least it&#8217;s different, then into the main town ...

... and wonderfully located. However, it was almost as if these hotels had been built to order but with a slight oversight &#8211; there was absolutely no service and nothing worked. Flooding bathrooms and a complete lack of amenities (no water, no glasses if we did have water, no electric jugs, laundry facilities and so on) became pretty tiresome. In general there were no clocks and the only wake up call we got was one that we didn&#8217;t request. <br><br>On the positive side however ...

... s friends, a motor mechanic and his extended family. These people were poor but amazingly friendly and generous. Their house was a simple concrete block with a drain carrying effluent through the back of a small dark yard. Despite their obvious poverty they insisted on us taking some freshly baked bread and there was great hilarity when they asked for their photos to be taken. It was a wonderful experience for us to be treated as guests by people who had so little ...

... that wonder skin serum from Boots before I came out. Last night's meal was included - no restaurants in the middle of nowhere so just as well - and on the table they provided between every 4 people a bottle of vodka, a carafe of wine that tasted more like port and water. We couldn't finish all the vodka - several of us were under the weather so we took them at the end of the night and put them in the truck's fridge. Couldn't do that with the wine so we drank that. The loos ...

... in the old city, right inside the main wall. We have organised to have a communal $5 meal in the hotel later, so get a shower and out to look at the town in the cool of the evening The town is stunning with beautifully restored mosques and medrassas, and a massive truncated minaret, fully tiled. Take sunset photos from our roof, and then down for dinner. Tables are set up outside ...