Just imagine!

Just Imagine: you’ve been traveling with a caravan for weeks now through the seemingly endless desert. You are exhausted, the heat is beating down on you, the water in the sheep bladders is getting low and what is left has lost its freshness. You long for a bath and a restful sleep in a comfortable bed.
The camels, horses and donkeys are feeling the heat as well, not to mention your slaves, who are not used to those harsh desert conditions. You will need to feed them up nicely once arrived in Khiva. In the condition they are in at the moment you will not achieve a decent price for them on the slave market.
As you trott along, you suddenly see some city walls arise out of the sand. Not another Fata Morgana! Those things have been stirring up everyone’s hope for the last few days, just to leave you without promise once they disappear into nothingness.
But no! As you get closer the sturdy walls manifest themselves, rising out of the sand of the surrounding area as you approach it, the anticipation driving you on! You are about to arrive in Khiva!
And what a city this is! Mosques, Madrasas, the most unusual of Minarets, particularly the fat, turquoise tiled Kalta Minor minaret! And glory of all for the tired travellers, the caravanserais where you can rest for a few days, and rub your hands in anticipation of the riches you will pocket for your strong Russian slaves.Read more