Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Albania, Day Two: Tashkent
We started the day at Bon! A French bakery chain that has delicious food.. Uzbekistan, fortunately, has a strong coffee, culture, and great pastries.
Then we headed to the Chorsu Bazaar, a huge open market under several gigantic mosaic-covered domes. it is one of nine UNESCO World Heritage sites in Tashkent.
Chorsu Bazaar where you can buy mostly anything.
The prices here are very inexpensive. To get anywhere in the city by taxi costs $2-3. a large latte is $1.50.
The vegetables were so pretty and fresh.Naryn, an Uzbek national dish: a pile of spaghetti and horse meat. There were a lot of spice stalls.All of my pictures at the bazaar are of food! Not sure why. This stall selling sugar crystals was interesting.
Later, we took a great free walking tour. Uzbekistan was one of the wealthier Soviet republics because of its cotton production. Under the Soviet regime, however, so much water was diverted to grow cotton that the Aral Sea—once the fourth-largest lake in the world—eventually almost disappeared, leaving behind a vast desert. Imagine a sea 15 times the size of the Great Salt Lake being drained away to irrigate crops!
The tour included a little bread making lesson.They take the dough and stick it to the inside of a big brick oven. It falls off the wall when it is fully cooked. This bread is delicious.The city is full of parks and interesting buildings.UNESCO world Heritage site number two was the Tashkent Metro system. Each station is unique and beautiful. this station was all about space. I’m pictured with the first female astronaut.
We had dinner at Arrows and Sparrows, a restaurant with a view of the lake in Tashkent City Park. The food was delicious, inexpensive, and the water show was fabulous.
This water show is better than the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The fountains were set to dance to traditional Uzbek music. This was taken from our table.
