Did Uzbekistan know something when it decided to draw its national boundaries after the Soviet Union dissolved? Some Uzbek with amazing foresight must have thought, “Why don’t we take all the nice tourist attractions, and all the other states… whatevs.” Because Khiva was awesome. And Bukhara is probably more awesome. Unlike Khiva, Bukhara is alive. There are people in it doing things to keep themselves alive. The old city, where tourists are, is also teeming with actual residences, where actual people live. It’s a nice change from the ghost town feel of Khiva.

For the record, Bukhara’s history dates back to the 6th century BC. This is an OLD place. It has old and wonderful things. Our hotel is located right in a public square that surrounds a pool. Bukhara is an oasis in the desert (hence its Silk Road importance) and watering holes became important gathering places.

Like this madrassa

Notice the random car parked alongside that madrassa above. The madrassa is just part of the landscape. People walk around it and drive alongside it. It’s like an Applebee’s on the corner of 16th St. or something.

And this madrassa

Our favorite piece of Bukhara thus far is a square that is flanked by a large madrassa on one side, a mosque on the other, and is pinpointed by a minaret in the middle. The minaret has fourteen different rings of designs around its circumference, all of which are different from each other. You can sort of see what I’m talking about int he picture below. Cindy’s camera has a wider view and actually captures the entire minaret, but I’m too lazy to transfer her photos.

Minaret in front of mosque

Unlit Cindy inside mosque

Inside of mosque, looking towards madrassa

Lit Cindy inside mosque

We capped off our sightseeing by visiting Bukhara’s Ark. It’s a fortress/palace where Khans and Emirs lived and defended Bukhara from ruffians. For reasons unknown to me, I didn’t take any pictures. But worry not, I took pictures in the following days and will post them shortly.

Lunch was kebabs at an outdoor place in the same square where our hotel is located. In Khiva, Cindy and I speculated about the absence of meat at the restaurants where we ate. It was always expensive and, when ordered, came in very small portions. Maybe it was an indication of the conditions of the area, we thought. Whatever it was, it’s different in Bukhara. Kebabs (or shashlik) are plentiful and quite large. For example, our meal.

The afternoon was dedicated to buying a gift for my sister in law, who is keeping us alive by administering our businesses from her home in Washington. A carpet seemed appropriate. Unlike China, I can’t just ditch Cindy, smoke a cigarette, and expect better deals. Heck, she looks more local than I do, but neither of us sound local. We have to haggle in English, which means going to a tourist store.

Cindy hates haggling. I’ve grown to rather enjoy it. Instead of viewing it as an inconvenience, I simply regard it as a cultural experience. It’s like riding a roller coaster. The ride is the fun, not the destination. My rules for haggling in a foreign country are:

1. I never need what I’m looking at–“No I don’t need a carpet, but maybe I will get one if it’s appropriate”
2. I always have other options–“There is another carpet store near my hotel, I think I will go look there”
3. Someone else was cheaper–“Why is yours so expensive? The store over there sold the same carpet for less”
4. Criticize the merchandise–“This carpet sucks, it shouldn’t cost so much”
5. If uninformed about the merchandise, make up a criticism they can’t question–“But my sister in law has a young child and a big dog, this carpet is not durable enough”
6. And my favorite, claim it’s made in China–“I am Chinese. My hometown makes a lot of [whatever it is they’re selling]. My father owns a factory that makes these. I think you bought these from China and are selling it back at higher prices”

And of course, their responses:

1. You don’t even know that you need this–“In the winter the ground is cold, you need to walk on a carpet”
2. Those other options are not available–“That shop is closed, the owner is on vacation”
3. Someone else is selling used/second hand goods–“Oh that shop, they just buy from us and sell the carpets after they use them”
4. Claim the finest craftsmanship–“Sir, this carpet has 440 knots per square inch. It is silk fibers on a silk base. It takes five months to make one. I know because my female relatives made it”
5. Negate all criticism–“Sir, my son is the wildest little boy in Uzbekistan. He runs all over our carpets and there is never a problem”

An hour later, we left with a carpet. I’m sure I still got ripped off, but at least we ended up closer to my starting price than his. We shook hands, exchanged wares, and parted ways. No hard feelings, just fun.