Day 4 to 6: Bukhara - sandy delightful with a green touch

On September 4th at 2:30 pm, we took the train (No. 56) from Khiva Voksal to Bukhara via Urgench. In the morning, we used the time to shop for souvenirs and take a final stroll through the streets of Khiva. Walking to the train station seemed like a good idea. We started from the West Gate and the surroundings became more elegant and modern as we approached the station. The building was completed just this June. However, not a single roll of toilet paper could be found and the popsicle had expired half a year ago... Did the opening of the station get delayed!? We could still get the paper tickets before the first security check at the counter; we had reserved and paid for our seats online five weeks in advance. We arrived at the station about an hour before departure, and we can recommend this as well as the somewhat tricky online booking. What is not recommended is the departure from Khiva, as the subsequent stop in Urgench lasted 1 1/2 hours... We could have taken a taxi to the Urgench train station instead.

In the train, we were accommodated in a four-person compartment in second class together with two Team DUS friends, while the others enjoyed the first-class luxury. This mainly consisted of two-person compartments and a food delivery service (the served meals and drinks were extra charge). Due to the high temperatures, it is advisable to bring a fan. The toilets, on the other hand, were fully equipped compared to those at the Khiva train station. The samovar found in each wagon did not have a temperature display, so we avoided it. Also, only a few had a cup/mug with them.

We arrived in Bukhara at around 10:30 pm, quite exhausted from the long journey and the rather monotonous desert landscape. Then a horde of taxi drivers was waiting for us... Today, we had the type of taxi driver who had tuned his ghost train with a non-original motor and thought he had to demonstrate this to us at high speed and with loud bass-backed music. Fortunately, at least the seat belt worked on the passenger seat! Once again, we all arrived safely. Hopefully, one day taxi drivers will realize that tourists want a safe ride and are not into macho behavior, and street vendors will realize that they should just let people look in peace to avoid antipathy and make more profit from happy tourists. In the evening, we fell into our soft bed and slept soundly through the night. We stayed at the Sukhrob Barzu Hotel, very close to the central Labi Hovuz Square. An excellent accommodation! The rooms were surrounded by a beautiful courtyard, where breakfast was served in the morning.

Let the photos speak about Bukhara's sights: Samanid Mausoleum near the small amusement park, Kalon Minaret, which was also illuminated at night, Poi-Kalon with a great courtyard and a turquoise, grass-covered dome, Citadel (Ark) with many small interesting museums, Mir-Arab Madrasah, Bolo-Hovuz Mosque, which we were able to see during Friday prayers, and Chor Minor with four turquoise towers. Overall, the city center had more greenery and water to offer than Khiva, it was more spacious, and there were more shops with souvenirs and food products. Slightly outside (near the remains of the old city wall), there was also a market with all sorts of everyday items that could be purchased for a small amount of money. The streets and sidewalks were also in much better condition (at least in the center), and the tourist paths were even more well-maintained. However, the madrasahs and minarets were only partially illuminated in the evening, and the Arabian Nights atmosphere was not as intense as in the small, winding streets of Khiva. On the other hand, the decorations on the old walls of the madrasahs were more diverse than those in Khiva, so a saturation of architectural monotony only occurred towards the end (at least for Jörg). Be careful when parking, as the edges of the sidewalks can crumble if touched by a car tire; and do not pay 70 dollars for an A5-sized painting on tissue paper.

Food & Drink: We visited two restaurants that also offered some vegetarian dishes, the Minzifa and the Ayvan (reservations are a good idea). The Minzifa had delicious dishes for us on the menu, which we enjoyed on the rooftop terrace. The Ayvan, hidden inside a hotel, was even better. Super delicious food, excellent service, very good toilets, and acceptable prices (10 euros per person for about three courses). At Café Wishbone, we also had a delicious coffee and extremely tasty cakes; the menu was in German :)

Money: Late in the afternoon of the last day in Bukhara, we set off for the banking complex outside the city center. Four banks with large buildings should have US dollars in their ATMs, we thought. The way there gave us an impression of the shops where the locals buy their electrical appliances and the freely accessible wiring of the street lamps ;) The first Visa ATM only displayed error messages, the second was out of order, the third also didn't work, only the fourth ATM allowed the withdrawal of SOM. Apparently, US dollars were only available in one hotel ATM in the city center, as assured by Team DUS. The best part was that after many attempts to withdraw money from Jörg's credit card, he received an SMS informing him about the restrictions on his credit card due to security reasons... What a bummer! He then called the credit card company, went through the typical authentication question catalog with the friendly lady on the other end of the line, and after a few minutes, the card was unblocked. When Jörg mentioned that he was in Uzbekistan, the lady replied that it was an emergency and he urgently needed money... Uzbekistan shocked! The mobile phone bill will surely shock Jörg as well, as the call went to Germany... It should be mentioned here that the national ATMs, for which the UZ-Card is required, now also accept Mastercard, at least this logo was displayed on many of these ATMs.