Hello everyone!
Last week I had the privilege of spending a few days with our beloved Camila Coelho in São Paulo during Fashion Week (SPFW). Amazing shows, a source of inspiration for looks of upcoming trips.
And speaking of trips, today we go to the other side of the world, to a destination still not known that much but absolutely charming. The city of Khiva in Uzbekistan, a legendary place which was part of the Silk Route, in Central Asia.
Khiva is full of legends. One of the most interesting to hear is on the name of the city. They say that the prophet Noah, the one of the ark of Noah, was the one who named it. Upon arriving in dry and warm lands, he decided to help people get water. When he found a well with fresh water, he said “Khei-va” saying “how delicious”. And it was then given the name. Isn’t it an interesting legend? They say that this pit was where today is the Fortress Kunya-Ark, one of many to visit.
The old town center is all fenced, small and has a magnetising astral. You know the kind of places where you don’t want to leave? Well Khiva is like that! The light of the place is magical, the entire city in monochrome tones of ocher with only blue accents in the madrassas, Mausoleums and Mosques. In the background, only the desert as a frame.
To stay in a place I suggest the Orient Star Khiva Hotel that occupies the premises of an old madrassa school of Islam. There are no super comfortable hotels in the city. They all have 3 star standards or less. However, this one is worth it for the location and out of the ordinary experience.
Visiting Khiva is like going back in time. From the photos you can kind of tell how amazing it is, right?!
To get to Khiva, I flew from Istanbul to Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and from there to Urghent, with Uzbekistan Airways. From there you must take a taxi or car service already programd waiting for you and in 30 minutes you can reach the precious Urgench, in the middle of the desert. It is far, but worth the trip, especially if combined with other destinations nearby such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
This is a trip for people who like to get out the routine and to venture into other cultures. I hope that you have traveled through the photos.
Next week I will talk about Cuba. If you want to follow my journeys through Instagram @blogviajarpelomundo and get a chance to win a prize from Panama and another from Cuba, simply follow and check out the rules.
XoXo and see you next week.
Claudia Liechavicius
