We left Tashkent on the bullet train, arriving in Samarkand 2½ hours later. The terrain was quite flat, mostly farmland. We saw greenhouses, orchards, vineyards, cows, crops for feeding the animals, and mulberry trees for the silkworms. Uzbekistan is third in the world for silk production.
In a roundabout way, Vokzal (Vauxhall) has come to mean "railway station", due to a misunderstanding when Russian diplomats were visiting London.
School children performing at the madrasa. That little girl could really belt it out.
A photo shoot for a special occasion.
Lunch with our group. The food continues to be fantastic, and lots of variety. There is always delicious fresh bread of various types, usually served in flat round loaves. Then there are salads of beets, cucumber/ tomato, even a delicious bread salad. Sometimes soup - lentil is most common. Spicing is subtle, but delicious. Then when we think we can't eat more, comes the main course - shish kebab, or chicken, or lamb. Sometimes a type of baklava for dessert. To drink, lots of tea, sometimes fresh cherry juice, and last night we had a salted yogurt drink.
Examples of bread at the Samarkand market.
My roommate, Theresa and I lucked out with a pretty fabulous room at our guesthouse.
View from our window. We hear doves in the morning, which have a more beautiful voice than doves at home.
Renamed coffees.
Three women who wanted photos with us. The woman on the left is one of many we've seen with a full set of gold teeth, but she's not showing them in the photo.
Modeling a fabulous embroidered coat.
We visited the Ulugbek Observatory which was built in the 1420s by Mirzo Ulugbek, one of Timurlane's grandsons. He developed a very accurate sextant and astrolab.
Our guide Mirza, is named after this guy, Mirzo Ulugbek who developed the study of astronomy.
This is plov, the national dish. It has many variations, but this one has rice, lamb, veg (the yellow are sliced carrots) and quail eggs.
Visiting an award-winning silk carpet weaving studio - no child labour, very comfortable work conditions, decent pay, and bonuses for exemplary work.
Referring to the paper pattern for the very detailed design.
There are over a thousand knotted silk threads per square centimetre in some of these carpets. Two in our group bought expensive carpets, which are being shipped home. I bought a smaller, simpler wool kilim.
We went to an entertaining (but kind of cheesy) costume and dance performance.
This is Cynthia, our tour organizer, and Mirza, our tour guide.
We went to the village of Kokdala, to a small weaving place of woolen kilims, family run.
Woman weaving with natural colours of wool. She is comfortable straddling the warp, unsupported!
This 11 year old girl goes to school in the morning, and weaves in the afternoon. She said she enjoys weaving.
Grandma is spinning wool on a drop spindle.
The tapestry style looms are made of rebar.
Adobe type buildings, with corrugated metal roofs, held down with rocks (same as in Bhutan)
Woman teasing wool for spinning.
Three of the young weavers.
Tomb of Timurlane:
Outside a shop, this little girl was very serious about her food preparation.
One more day of Samarkand coming up.
Our guide Mirza, is named after this guy, Mirzo Ulugbek who developed the study of astronomy.
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