Crafts of Khiva

After a 10 hour sleep and a nice breakfast we were all set for our guided city walking tour, provided by Delia, at 8.30. Everything is very compact. Delia rook us to loads of places, plus Silk carpet and wood workshops, pictured above - the silks are natural dyes to the carpets. The wood carving was intricate - the chap is showing book stands.

We saw a little boy being led by two large bear characters to be blessed before circumcision. Poor little chap looked nervous - Delia said people all give money presents to him, so he'll get a bike after it. I'm not sure how long it will take before he will be in a fit state to ride it.

We had a group ticket to get into various mosques and museums. The tiles were all amazing. We heard so much about the history of various buildings but I'm going to have to revisit that in the guide book, as after 4.5 hours I couldn't concentrate. Delia too thinks Soviet times better for the same reason as Olga - free health care, education, no unemployment, no homelessness and a greater sense of community. Her English was so fluent and rapid - learned at school in Soviet times.

After the tour a few of us went off to a roof top cafe for a snack and a beer. It was cloudy and chilly.

Supper was organised at a family house. 4 salads - beetroot and apple, cole slaw, rolls of aubergine stuffed with soft cheese, spiced cauliflower pieces, bread, pumpkin soup, green noodles and cheese and a sweet cheese pastry. It was the best food we'd had I think, certainly for me. We had to endure Awful music first - women dancers, men on wailing instruments, and a man and two boys idoing weird movements and wearing local shepherd hats which looked like Brian May's big hair.