Saddled up 6

'Xiva is the open-air museum where you can flirt endlessly with every monument.
When evening comes and the moon illuminates the peaks of the minarets, the domes of the mosques, and the portals of the madrasas, it seems as if you are in an enchanting city from the tale 'One Thousand and One Nights'.
Quote from the travel guide.

We are in this fairy-tale city for a few days.

Today, June 19th, started with a long and good breakfast. After washing our laundry, we set off to get a two-day ticket. Actually, a matter of at most five minutes, but it took an hour here. We couldn't pay with the card, they wouldn't accept my disabled ID. But with a good English-speaking lady, it worked out, and we were allowed to immerse ourselves in the fairy-tale city.
Xiva is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The old town mainly consists of numerous mosques, madrasas (Quranic schools), and mausoleums. All of this surrounded by a mighty wall, the Kunya-Ark fortress, on which we did not take a walk because it was simply too hot. We visited the individual palaces, workshops, museums, and went up the minarets of Islam Hodja and Kalta Minor.

The old town exudes a special atmosphere. Because among the architectural monuments are the houses of the locals, and a completely normal everyday life takes place, even if the many souvenir shops cannot be overlooked.
It is summer and terribly hot, many of the residents have their beds outside and sleep in the open air.

At noon, Xiva appears deserted, only melancholy like we were out and about at that time. But we have learned and have been going out late in the afternoon since then.

It is funny that many thick fur hats are offered, even at 40 degrees, but in winter it gets bitterly cold here, then you need them.

Yesterday evening there was an open-air concert with classical music in front of the west gate. The great symphony orchestra of Uzbekistan under the direction of a Russian conductor-clown played many pieces we knew. The atmosphere with the old city wall in the background was simply wonderful. But after just over half an hour, we had to leave because the system was so distorted that many people slowly left the place. On this evening, we treated ourselves to a good meal in the restaurant and were able to enjoy the concert at a normal volume.

Friday evening, our last one in Xiva, we climbed the Islam Hodja minaret, the highest in Central Asia at 70 m. Sweating, we arrived at the top and had a magnificent view of Xiva.

Tomorrow morning, very early, we will continue on our bikes. 35 km from here to Urgench, where we will board the train in the evening to wake up in Samarkand in the morning, and the report will continue.

We are still doing well, I miss cycling and camping. Both are hardly possible because on the previous routes, I often reach my limits.

But happy to be able to experience this, have a glass of wine or beer on us and don't forget us.
Greetings from the cyclists

Corrina & Stephan