Bukhara

Bukhara, one of my favorite cities so far. This city, although known for being a Uzbekistani city, has so many other cultures. I would say less than 40% of the city is actually Uzbek. There are many Tajiks here along with Jews comprising at least 5% of the population, Greeks, Italians, and just about every European ethnic group. It is filled with almost a hundred mosques and temples to meet its large populations of different religions. I almost don't want to leave... We of course must in order to get home though. We sell most of our wine here for a large profit because of its use in religion and normal consumption. We also sell all of our ginger and remaining paper. While the city is a huge producer of cotton as well, we choose not to purchase any more trade goods. We do this so we can travel faster. The only things purchase in the city are more supplies like food and water. We also rest in the city for a few days. We mingle with the locals and learn that the city is currently under occupation by the Mongols which is surprisingly beneficial to the city. The strength of the Mongols allows trade along the Silk Roads to happen relatively peacefully with few bandits or marauding troops. We soon set off after our rest so we can reach Merv and the Persian Empire before Summer. We do not wish to be stuck in the already hot areas of Persia and Central Asia long especially during the hottest time of the year.