On this day we needed to get some money because we had run out. We found out where there was a bank and we could get hold of some US Dollars using credit cards and travellers cheques. We set out in the bright sunny morning on foot from our hotel, past the big statue of Timur and across the square. Samarkand is quite a pleasant city with tree-lined avenues everywhere. We hadn't gone far up the street when it turned into a festival of bread.
Ruth and Hannah walking past some displays of wheat.
...and dancers.
They were very good.
These dancers were really amazing to see!
Look at the size of his horn!
We found the bank and got hold of some dollars. The exchange rate in the banks is really bad so we didn't get Uzbek Sum we got US Dollars and still had to find somewhere to change them for a decent rate. We had to trek all the way accross to the other side of the city. We had run out of money completely and couldn't even get any lunch.
We went to the market to find someone who would help us change money. This is just a small part of the market. Eventually we got it sorted and went to find some lunch.
We found a cafe that was pretty good, although the food was the usual traditional fayre for this part of the world which we were beginning to get sick of. This is manty. Mutton and onions in a boiled dumpling.
After lunch we visited the Bibi Khanym Mosque. Ruth was so fed up with blue mosaic covered old buildings she didn't even go in this one. It was a very tall one though!
Inside the Iwan. It made an incredible echo if you clapped your hands or stamped your feet in the middle of it. A beautiful dubby rhythmic delay effect. These buildings have great visual and acoustic geometric designs.
One of the cars belonging to some people doing the Mongol Rally. We still kept bumping into Mongol Rally participants.
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