Silk Road Trekking Dispatch
July 29, 2009 – Captivating Bukhara: Part I
The wake-up calls in our hotel were set for 4:15am this morning. At 4:45 am we had a buffet breakfast with fresh baked bread from a local bakery and peanut butter that had come from Canada which was the featured breakfast treats. Vera enjoyed the Canadian maple syrup in her coffee!
Quiet, seeped in history and legend, the streets of
Bukhara captivated us today.
Tashkent’s airport is only a 15 minute drive from the hotel. We departed our hotel early in the morning and the streets were empty throughout the city. Our flight was on time and by 8:30am we were standing in Bukhara, a different world. Rustam, our cultural escort guide throughout the Uzbek portion of this trip, flew with us from Tashkent. Alex, “Captain” of the large bus that will transport us through the expanses in this area of Central Asia in the coming days, was smiling by his vessel when we stepped off the tarmac.
Our time in Bukhara will be brief, but rich in experiences. Our charming little guest house is right in the middle of the old part of town. The photos that follow will give you a feel for some of what we saw and felt today.
Left: We are not surrounded by tourists. We walked virtually alone through the ancient sites.
Right: The beauty of Bukhara is always stunning.
After our early morning flight from Tashkent ,Mike and Katy enjoy the courtyard of our hotel.
Our cultural resource and escort for our Uzbek journey, Rustam, flew from Tashkent with us.
Our walking tour this morning began at this 9th century mausoleum.
We found Uzbek people to be friendly and engaging.
We are used to being tourists who ask for photos; here people ask to take our photo, proud that we are visiting their country.
Linda, Nancy Lee and Kathy enter one of the three ancient trading Domes we visited today.