Bukara

We arrive around 2 pm and check in to the New Moon hotel. We are right near Lyabi-Hauz, a delightful pool of water surrounded by ancient mulberry trees. We are all kind of hot and groggy, and it's quite hot near 100. A few of us head for lunch and we dine at the cafe that borders the pool of water, happy to be inside with ac, an English speaking waiter, and Coke zero. We eat Langan - Uzbeck spaghetti. Hits the spot. I take off by myself and wander into the Jewish quarter to try and find the synagogue. I find a pair of Australians who deliver me, it is inside a Court yard and would have been easy to walk by. An old man interrupts his Domino's game to escort me inside. I remove my shoes and enter the room size congregation. Although he doesn't speak English, he communicates, using a calculator, that the congregation was once 30-40 thousand but it now in 400-500. There are 3 Torah's that are in a locked case that he pulls the curtain back to show me. He shows me pictures of Hillary and Madeline Albright from their visits. Next I wander back to lyabi-hauz. Even in the heat of the afternoon, it is pleasant in the shade. I sit on a bench and watch, mostly local tourists. There is a statue of a wise fool on a horse that all the locals are taking turns taking pictures with. Some even soothing on the horse which is at least 8 get high. Then I am delighted to watch a wedding couple taking pics and then a group of 10 to 15 older woman, all smiles, having their pics taken. Then they retire to a bench and one of them spontaneously starts chanting. Soon a handful start dancing, I join in for a few rounds. Back to the hotel for a refresh.Read more