Bukhara Province

Pleasant hotel and for once we are not overlooking the car park or something similar! See attached video. Pleasant breakfast then embarked on the 4-hour walking tour, cut short by Ted having to return to the hotel with stomach pains…. I continued to the embroidery workshop then went back to the hotel to check on Ted’s status. Suffice it to say we have both taken Imodium this morning! Tried to rejoin the group but couldn’t find them so currently stuck in hotel room with Ted….. 😕

Two hours later …. Georgina the GRJ guide came back for me. I had missed the musicians’ workshop, carpet workshop (thank goodness!) and the coffee break but rejoined the group to go to Fortress Ark which, before the Red Army arrived in the early 1920s, had been the residence of Bukhara’s rulers. It turns out several people have gippy tummies and, for moral support, I accompanied a group member to the Ark’s toilets (photo enclosed for your edification!). Again, 2 stern ladies were sitting in a hut receiving payment for use of the facilities, such as they were. They were most aggrieved that I wasn’t partaking (and therefore not paying!) There was a small sink with tap trickling water outside their hut and they were only giving one squirt of liquid soap for my new acquaintance’s use. There was much muttering and sour looks when two squirts were asked for!
Back down to the square and our trusty bus drivers had turned up to transport us to a pleasant sort of open-air park for a quick spot of lunch. The visit to the puppet workshop turned out to be a non-starter as the puppet master had gone to a funeral so it was on to a gallery where we had a little talk and viewed the paintings. During the week 10-14 year old deaf and dumb children attend to learn painting there.
Very hot day today. On return to the hotel Ted was found to be better but not A1. We are therefore wimping out of the evening activity i.e. cooking demo and meal in family house but c’est la vie! Video of musician courtesy of another group member.Les mer