Uzbekistan October 2012

Uzbekistan is one of two double-landlocked countries in the world

Around the 14th century, the land occupied a critical place on the Silk Road. Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva were world famous for trade.

Although today the Aral Sea is disappearing due to the insatiable thirst of cotton.

Khiva today has an old town that may not look much different from 500 years ago.

Minarets dominate the skyline

While hundreds of columns dominate the interiors of long ago built mosques

The men are not naturally friendly

Although the women can be welcoming

…and the children playful.

Nan bread baked in tandoor ovens was invented here, and later brought to India

We ate a lot of bread…

…and fresh fruits and vegetables…

…sold by enterprising women.

Farewell Khiva, as we drive through the Qyzyl Kum (Red Sand) Desert along the Amu Darya (Oxus) River bordering Turkmenistan to…

Bukhara!

WHERE ANCIENT MADRASSA

Where ancient madrassa…

Featuring mythical birds, men in the moon and pigs…

…and amazing design work…

…stand next to Jewish temples hundreds of years old once supporting thousands of families.

Small houses lead to…

…perfectly symmetrical mausoleums…

…and picture perfect mosques.

Market sellers love to give us a taste of everything…

…and we attract everyone’s attention.

…especially when it is time to eat.

We ate a bit ourselves, and chose our food from the thoughtfully designed menus

Timurlane, conqueror of most of Asia and responsible for 17 million deaths in the 14th century is now being rehabilitated into a folk hero. In his birthplace his statue replaced Lenin’s, and now stands guard next to wedding parties and ferris wheels.

A local market provides a stop along the road to…

Samarkand

…whose beauty cannot be captured in a photo…

…but lunch can…

and

…along with the faces of children.

Beautiful vistas are everywhere.

The Synagogue is difficult to find…

…but the beauty of the country stays forever.

The End