This was very tiring and bone shaking. We were off road for four hours yesterday, arrived at the Aral Sea just as the sun was setting and opted to paddle. Extremely muddy.
The Aral Sea and foreshore. Camped in a very windy place on very hard ground and so slept very little. Next day, we drove 3 hours off road to a place which used to be a fishing town. The Aral Sea has shrunk to a fraction of its former self leaving a collection of fishing boats to rot.
Fishing boats rotting in the desert.
Then another five hours on roads but bad roads back to Nukus where we changed to a bus and were driven another 2.5 hours to Khiva. Altogether too much driving and several people are feeling very unwell and tomorrow we have another long journey to Bokhara.
I have had too much of all this and intend to get up early and walk round the city walls. We are promised a tip to the local market if we are ready at 8am.
The sheep here are black and white, severally and together - like Jacobs. The flocks are large, at least 100, and usually with at least one shepherd and one boy looking after them. Flocks of camels grazing and south of Nukus small flocks of black and white goats.
On the textile front, the hotel is decorated with embroidered cloths which are very colourful. There were two or three ikats, even vulgarer than normal. I do not see me buying one of these, even as a present.
Postscript next morning. I got up early and walked round for an hour. Khiva is very beautiful. More photos will posted tonight. Now we are off to the fruit and veg market.
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