Colours and Flavours

A dream trip, the two of us, the guide and the driver, almost always historic residences and madrasas to sleep in. Our guide took us to eat in typical little places and private homes; return trip, an internal flight, entrance fees, €3,200 all in! We arrived in Tashkent at night, but even at night we were struck by the enormous roads of this big, very Soviet city! In the morning we visited the mosques and madrasas of the city and then a walk through the colourful market! Intoxicating scents, colours and flavours! In the evening dinner in a little restaurant where, for a birthday party, there are the very distinctive "wedding dancers"! In the morning an internal flight and an hour by car and we are in Khiva.

A stunning walled city, a jewel full of history with an indescribable wood craftsmanship! The madrasa where we stayed is stunning! The crossing of the desert by car is nerve-racking, but when we arrive in Bukhara.......

it was worth it! Here too we stay in the old town in an ancient manor house! And then we go to eat skewers in a beautiful little place with the guide and her boyfriend (we're in his city); an informal stroll for the evening - tomorrow she'll be our guide! Bukhara is very beautiful, the mosques, the mausoleums, the madrasas, the markets, there's also the gold market, outdoors like all the others, and then the famous carpet one! Dinner in a madrasa with a show! An outing from Bukhara, a visit to the summer palace, very beautiful though very Western, and then a visit to a factory of marvellous ceramics! In the evening, eating plov!!! Delicious! Off we go again! We visit a caravanserai, then in Nurata an Islamic sanctuary, we go back into the desert and go to see the petroglyphs, then we arrive at the camp of yurts where we will spend the night.

A camel ride, then dinner and the shepherd poet who entertains us around the fire playing his little two-stringed guitar! The next morning, what a revelation!!! Three kilometres away there's a stunning lake! What a swim, guys! And after that a big tray of fried fish and their very tasty tomatoes! And then on the road again, off to Samarkand. Tamerlane's city has stunning monuments, including the monumental cemetery and the golden mosque, Tamerlane's mausoleum and.......many others, and then gardens and freshly repainted benches, and I sat down on one.......the result, a grey backside!!!!!!! And then colourful markets and traditional little places. We return to Tashkent, another tour, last shopping, spices, and sweets, dried fruit and saffron! Dinner on the top floor with the city at our feet........and then it's over!!!!!