As you might expect from geography dominated by the desert, dust is an issue – making this afternoon’s visit to a local bath-house so compelling. The faded interior of the entrance includes an ornate, stoop-or-you’ll-hit-your-head double door that leads to dark labyrinth of steamy caverns each with a different level of heat. The changing room is a time warp of objects including a old soviet radio, and a conversation with a soon-to-have-graduated dentist leads to the challenges of working with gold teeth.

Is it worth heading for a Bukhara massage? Certainly if you enjoy a bit of rough handling, and want to try the local specialty. “You’ll be strong tonight” the masseur says, referring to the liberal and vigorous application of freshly crushed ginger to the nether regions, his confidence either comes from personal experience or more likely the confidence that he’ll never see this customer again and doesn’t need to worry about a money back guarantee.

Mentally try to figure out when time zones next align with the loved one.