So, we are in Bukhara!
Bukhara is like three different cities - the new one, the old one, and the ancient one.
The new city will be less interesting for tourists, who came here for the Eastern exotic.
Modern houses, roads and shops like anywhere else.
That's why I have chosen a hotel in old Bukhara with an authentic courtyard.
This a typical Bukhara-hotel with a typical inner Bukhara-courtyard and with very pleasant owners.
- Why is this Hotel called "Sukhrob Borzu"?
- "Sukhrob" is a husband, "Borzu" is a son.
- How long do you own this hotel?
- 20 years.
- 20 years?!
An important detail.
All the tourists, who come to Uzbekistan, are obliged to register at the local police station.
If you rent room in a hotel - you automatically receive registration and don't have to go anywhere.
But if you stay by your friends or rent an apartment on "Airbnb". Make sure you discuss the registration issue. Otherwise, if you leave the country, you will have some serious problems.
After check-in I asked the owners to find me a guide.
Larisa is a professional guide of the highest rank. She travels with the groups all over the country, but I needed the information only about Bukhara and its surroundings.
It is impossible to visit all the sights in one day, so we agreed on two days - 30 dollars per each. We also rented a taxi for these two days - the total price was $ 18.
Perhaps it might be more convenient for single travellers to rent a bicycle. 1$.
A minute away from the hotel is the heart of old Bukhara - "Lyab-i Hauz".
It is a former market square, an architectural ensemble and a pond.
Many are misled by the word "Hauz", which has nothing to do with English “house”.
"Hauz" does not mean "a building".
It is a Persian word, which means "a pond", a kind of water pool, but not for swimming.
It was used as a storage of drinking water. In hot climate this was the real source of life, around which life was thriving. Nowadays it's nice to sit here by the water in the heat of the day and in the cool of the evening.
Around the pond is located an old Madrasa.
If you're not for the first time in the East you might know, that Madrasa is a religious educational institution. There are quite a lot of them in any Uzbek city.
Your guide for sure will tell some details about them, that cannot be found in Wikipedia.
But I will not focus your attention on this on this.
And this monument appeared recently, local citizens and tourists love taking pictures with it.
Children do it most of all.
This is Hodja Nasreddin with his beloved donkey, a fabulous Bukhar hero - symbol of the city.
As well as the domes. The markets in the East are located within the buildings.
Neither sellers nor buyers want to languish in the sun.
About them we will talk later.
