Khiva

We arrived in Khiva in a white Chevrolet, notable only because there is no other vehicle type in Uzbekistan. Literally no other brands or colours are available here. You can buy a white Chevy hatchback or sedan, and that is considered a good range of options.

Dan was still recovering from the end of his illness when we arrived, but Khiva turned out to be maybe the ideal place to recoup: it's tiny, and the main activity is just wandering around the 1km square area of the ancient city. It is possible to stay inside the city walls and some locals do live here, but mostly the buildings are given over to small museums, artisan workshops, and cafés. The streets are lined with stalls selling traditional goods, mostly gorgeous textiles. The turquoise-tiled domes and minarets rise over the flat roof mud buildings and no structures inside or outside the ancient city are permitted to exceed four floors—the minaret’s majesty is respected and preserved in what is sometimes called a 'living museum '.

What does a ‘living museum’ entail? Khiva’s ancient city has been preserved to such a degree that it is both beautiful and sterile. There is no spark to the city, it is a film set—literally. On our last day, Chelsea accidentally wandered from the bazaar straight onto the set of ‘Aladdin’, and made pals with some soldiers, locals from Khiva making cash as extras. Captain Farhar, the Uzbek policeman who jumped in as photographer, was deeply amused that she shares a name with a football club. On learning that she is South African, he also commented generously, ‘Your English is very good.’

While Dan was still bedbound, Chelsea walked down every street and alleyway of the ancient town. Much time was spent admiring the 20m thick walls and thrilling that people were actually entombed inside it, the cemeteries functioning as additional ballast. Dan is also patiently teaching Chelsea the principles of chess, which is very popular in Uzbekistan. Her woeful performance provided entertainment for passing tour groups outside our favourite café. We say ‘favourite’, but this was just the least grim in a very poor field... food options remain severely limited, and service is sullen at best. We eat a lot of tepid soup and dry bread, but have nevertheless both succumbed to bouts of ‘traveller’s diarrhoea’.

If you have to be ill in Central Asia, we highly recommend Uzbekistan for it 👍Baca lagi