Samarcanda

 After a short walk I arrived at my hostel.  Again we use hostel in a very loose term.  They had building work going on so it wasn't too peaceful.  The 'dorm' I was given was basically a triple with a shared bathroom up in the restaurant.  To be honest not a great first impression.  Obvs better than the last !! 

I was given some refreshing watermelon and told if I wasn't happy I could change hostels.  I couldn't be bothered they assured me the building noise would stop by 18h and wouldn't begin before 0900 so..done.

I sorted out my stuff had a little look at the map and wandered back to registan square.  I walked around the back ... impressive from any angle.  The colors, the architecture and the did I mention the colours and the overall grandeur was just mind blowing.  

I walked back and sat for a while but my stomach was rumbling so with three recommendations of vegetarian restaurants in hand I set off...No 1...nope, No 2 nope ..fingers crossed for No 3.  No 3 on the plus side was next to the biggest mosque I have ever seen.  By now thats quite a few.  The outside wall was as tall and wide as a block of flats.  It was impossible to get this into one foto.  It was massive!! Could be seen from all over the city.

Again my tummy was rumbling so headed for the restaurant...not many options so salad and chips it was... Super hungry but bit enough to eat a horse (yet)( horse meat is available so I've heard!!)

When I was eating had a message from Pol/Paul saying he had met the male itchy boots and they were on the viewing platform for registan square.  

Basically I was introduced to a series called itchy boots, it's about a girl and her motorbike riding through amazing places in the world.  I'd met the male equivalent.  He is on an amazing trip.  First met him for the football in Khiva along with Pol/Paul .. just happen to be doing the same route.

Every night at 21h there is an amazing light show on the buildings...well the setting amazing the lights not so much .  So we headed off to find some food, well beer for me and food for them.

We chose a local restaurant away from the crowds had good potential and great cheap beer off the tap!!! First tap poured pint and for the grand price of 1€ más o menos!  The food on the hand wasnt so successful.. itchy boots male version is also a veggie and after talking to the waiter who had great English they settled on a soup 'that we can just not put the meat into' and some bbqed potatos and tomatoes.  At this point I was super happy for my salad and chips !! 

The super arrived with odd things floating in it that unfortunately we're not vegetables, as confirmed by Pol/Paul they were indeed tasty bits of beef!!! At least the beer was good!!

We made a plan for the following day to meet at the Ulubek Observatory.  Pol/Paul by yandex, itchy boots by his bike as he would continue on to the Border of Tajikistan.

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