Tashkent was levelled my an earthquake in 1966, and so the city has none of the great beauty of Samarkand or Bukhara. Instead it has a multitude of examples of Soviet architecture. I'm presently staying in a block of flats in the city centre. I spent all day yesterday outside the Kyrgyzstan embassy and I was told to come back Monday. Its probably the greatest example of professional incompetence I've come across in Central Asia. And they used to have a great reputation for a quick friendly service. There's nothing of interest (for me) in Tashkent. I just want to get my visa and get out of this high rise block full of screaming children and return to the cooler mountains. At least the food is okay and at 6 euro for bed, breakfast and dinner, the budget is remaining stable. The weekend was spent repairing things. At this stage almost everything is on the repair list. And Tashkents' markets are full of life at the weekend so its enjoyable to wander around aimlessly with the camera in hand. The photos above are from the spice market, cheese market, vegetable and rice market. And so hopefully tomorrow I get my Kyrgyzstan visa and we will make tracks further east.
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