Stage 96: From Bukhara to Khiva

Our hosts kindly asked their taxi driver neighbor to take us to the train station at night for a good price. Unfortunately, there was no sleep on the train. It was so stuffy and hot, yet the Uzbeks would protest if you opened a window. We arrived in Khiva after a few hours of travel, feeling very tired. Fortunately, we had a very central accommodation right on the main square in the walled old town. We could watch the hectic preparations while drinking an overpriced coffee. A small banquet was set up, estimated for a few politicians who hardly ate anything. I would have liked to help them! Next to the square is the turquoise Kalta Minor Minaret. The entire historic old town is overflowing with sights in a small space. You can also take a walk on the city wall itself, which reminded both of us of Dubrovnik, but without the totally overpriced fee. The Kuhna Ark Museum and the Friday Mosque are worth mentioning as highlights, but each building has its own charm. However, what really disappointed us were the restaurants. Within the city walls, there are only 3-4, and they all serve tiny portions at overpriced prices, and it wasn't even good. Here, it would have been worth looking a bit further away from the tourist areas like in Samarkand.

The next day, we were able to visit the Nurullaboy Palace. Here, you could easily spend two hours admiring the magnificent chandeliers or beautiful green areas. Otherwise, we took our time, strolled through the romantic old town, and made plans for the last days of our tour. We decided against a tourist day tour with an overnight stay in the desert in what was probably not an authentic tourist yurt camp, and the next day we preferred to take the night train back to Tashkent.