Old and New

Rest Day in Bukhara
September 4th
0km

Paul, the historian, left us this morning as planned. He is doing some more traveling to research his book's new addition. He will definitely be missed, not only for his interesting stories about the silk road, but also for the role he played as an intermediary between the tour staff and the riders. Everyone benefited from his drink runs in desert camps, and I certainly appreciated his help when I was sick. He gave me a copy of his book for my birthday, which I am enjoying. If you're interested in traveling along the silk road, then check it out: “The Silk Roads: A Route & Planning Guide” by Paul Wilson.

The old city in Bukhara is a fascinating world heritage site. I spent the morning wandering through narrow streets and marveling at huge Mosques, Madrassahs and Minarets. It felt slightly touristy, but I suppose that any city would after the isolation of desert camps. (I wonder what I'll think of Niagara Falls when I return.)

Spent the afternoon updating my blog from an internet cafe. Uzbekistan appears to have more internet availability than Turkmenistan (it would be hard to have less) but I was only able to find dial-up, which made for a long and frustrating afternoon. Rest days go by too quickly!

Here are some of the great buildings of Bukhara: