Shahrisabz

Arriving at Shahrisabz, we need to find a place to leave our bags since we plan on leaving in the late afternoon. We walk into the first hotel we see and are greeted by the nicest receptionist who lets us leave our bags with her free of charge.

Second order of business is exchanging currency. The first person we ask happens to be a little bit dim-witted. He starts taking money out of the trunk of his car and counting it outside a cafe, five metres from where a policeman is sitting.

I tell him we should go for a walk and we make some distance before continuing to count. Realising he hasn’t taken enough money out of the car, he leaves us with all the money and walks back to the car to get more. We contemplate running, but decide that this fool probably has kids and a wife to feed.

First order of sightseeing is Aq-Saray Palace, Amir Timur’s most grandiose palace, a mere ruin compared to the magnificence of its hey-day. The highlight of the palace was the roof top swimming pool, filled without pumps using a clever plumbing system that brought water from the nearby mountains.

On the roof of the palace with Georgie, Alice (center) and myself.

While walking through the nearby bazaar, some random guy just stops to take my photo, something I remember best from rural Vietnam.

Well sir, two can play that game.

The next place we walk into, a fat old woman starts chasing after us shouting Mister Mister, ticket. We ignore her by ducking into one of the temples currently under restoration.

We start chatting with the crew doing the work and they point out some of the original work left and where they’re doing restoration. The mausoleum in question undergoes restorative work every two-ten years.

Somehow, I manage to sneak my way onto the roof again.