Samarqand just sounds like a dream, a Sheharazade tale of a city, a mythical place, and somewhere I have wanted to see for over 20 years. There have been people living here for well over two & a half millennia and there is much still as yet un-discovered but what is known is truly the stuff of travel legends and the Arabian nights of Ali Babba. Soaring towers, exquisite tile work, arches within arches, blue domes patterned with symbols and letters lifting all eyes to Allah, and interiors that take your breath away. And all this in a big, noisy, chaotic, traffic-filled modern city with great wealth and great poverty woven through it’s structures. Everything is spread out but it is all accessible and, of course, as a non-national, your contribution to the coffers is significant in local Som, if not in dollars. I have been here for three days and, except for the inevitable morning delay due to my persistent ‘upset tummy’, I have had great pleasure in seeing the fabulous building in all kinds of weather: windy, sunny, wet, foggy, freezing, cloudy, nighttime and evening. And on every occasion there have been ‘merengue-clad’ brides being photographed from various angles with often more than one bridal couple vying for the same vantage point. And given the temperatture has not been above 10’C and frequently below 0’C, they are a very hardy lot. Also brides don’t smile. I am not sure why but it has been suggested to me by a fellow traveller that it could be due to the serious change in her circumstances – both physically and literally leaving her father’s house to become the newest member of her husbands family, with whom she will live and care for from that day on. Serious indeed. Enough! There are ancient (restored) buildings sprinkled all around Samarqand and I did not get to see nearly enough. But I loved every minute of it and if I live long enough, I would love to come back and see more!