We resume our peeling of the multiple layers and hidden jewels
of Khiva, but also find the time to wander through the open air market and do
some ‘suzane’ (Uzbek embroidered table cloths, bed covers and other home
apparel) shopping.
The highlight of the day is our unintentional crashing of a
‘Sunnat Toi’ (an Uzbek circumcision celebration). We wander into this very
lively tea house and before we realise what’s going on we have already become
the guests of honour at the party and are being offered food and vodka. Sejal
is then dragged onto the dance floor as the guests are curious to see her
‘hindustani’ moves. Everybody is very welcoming and friendly and we end up
spending a good hour enjoying a typical Khivan Uzbek ‘toi’. Even the little boy
who is being celebrated manages the odd smile, in spite of what he has gone through…
It’s time to leave Khiva and head back to Tashkent on a very
delayed flight that makes a detour to Samarkand to pick up a motley crew of
Americans, a mixture of security and embassy analyst types...
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