BUKHARA

WE STARTED THE TOUR EARLY - NO IDEA WHY. WE ARE THE ONLY TWO TOURISTS AT THE INN,IN THE CITY FOR THAT MATTER. WHY THE HURRY ..

WE DEPARTED BUKHARA CENTER, A PIED, RIGHT AT THE STATUE OF NASTRATIN HOGEA, THE TURKISH FOLK HERO OF OUR ROMANIAN TALES. A BRONZE MAN IN HALAT AND PAPUCI SITTING ON A LITTLE DONKEY -THE ASIAN DON QUIXOTTE AS THR GUIDE LIKES TO CALL HIM, HE IS IN SHOCK THAT I KNOW HIM AS WELL - WHAT, YOU READ ABOUT HIM IN THE UNITED STATES ??

IT HAS TURNED COLD , VERY COLD. MY FINGERS ARE FROZEN ON THE CAMERA AND I BUY AN ASTRAHAN HAT FOR 20 DOLLARS, LIKE I BUY A CHINESE UNBRELLA IN NEW YORK UNDER THE RAIN. THERE ARE ABOUT 900 MONUMENTS IN BUKHARA, WE SAW ABOUT 10 TODAY, THE ONES UNDER UNESCO PROTECTION. I AM UNABLE TO LIST THEM BY NAMES - THEY HAVE ALL MELTED INTO MY CONSCIOUS WHEN I ORDERED A VOTKA FOR LUNCH - ME AND A HAPPY GROUP OF WEALTHY GYPSY WOMEN NEXT TO ME.THE GUIDE WANTED TO CHALLENGE US - DO YOU KNOW THIER NATINALITY , HE ASKED WITH A TEASE. LITTLE DID HE KNOW. ALL UZBEKI GIPSIES SPEAK TAJIK AND ARE AS UNPOPULAR HERE AS OURS IN ROMANIA OR EVERYWHERE ELSE.

AMY BOUGHT THE BAZAAR - CARPETS, SILK SPREADS, HATS, KNIVES - CHRISTMAS IS COMING YOU KNOW. I KNOW. ALA WOULD HAVE GONE CRAZY IN THAT CARPET WORKSHOP.

FOR LUNCH WE BROKE BREAD TOGETHER, FRESH BAKED NAN , A SASHLIK CHIFTEA WITH ONIONS AND GREEN TEA. IT REMINDED ME OF OUR MUSCELUL, THE PUB AROUND THE CORNER FROM US IN STRADA SPATARULUI. AND NOW I AM SO VERY FAR AWAY - IN BUKHARA.

THE HISTORY MUSEUM SHOWED A NAIVE BUT ACCURATE ROUTE FOR ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S CAMPAIGN FROM PELLA INTO THE WORLD, FIRST SOUTH INTO EGYPT AND THEN EAST ,FURTHER EAST, TILL SAMARKAND WHERE HE MARRIED THE CHIEF'S DAUGHTER ROXANA. HIS ARMY REACHED THE INDIAN BORFER AND NEVER RETURNED TO MACEDONIA. WHAT AN AMAZING COMANDER HE WAS. NEVER SICK, ALWAYS ON THE MOVE. HIS TUTORS WERE TEACHING THE HOSTAGES GREEK, INCLUDING THE WIFE OF THE PERSIAN KING. SPREADING HELLENISM - AS THEY SAY.

I AM SCHEDULED TO GO TO KHIVA IN TWO DAYS BUT I WONDER. IT IS TOO COLD TO THINK. AND KHIVA IS EVEN COLDER, AND THEN BOSTON IS NO SAN MARTIN EITHER...THE OLDER I GET THE MORE SUN I NEED.

ALEXANDRA NEEDS A LITTLE PRAYER . SO I WILL SEND HER MY BEST THOUGHTS FROM BUKHARA. FOR HER , AND HER SON.
CU MULT DRAG

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