Tashkent

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Arrived safely into the Tashkent airport to be greeted by the messiest passport control of my life. It beats the choas in Hurgarda by a million fold. Basically everyone thinks if they push and stand as close to the glass panel as possible they will be able to get their stamp sooner and get out of the crush of humans. The problem with this is that everyone is pushed togther as in a scrum. Everything eneded up pretty wild right up the front with a few Uzbeks and Russians and Ukrainians getting into a bit of 'heated discussion'. Eventually got through with no dramas, found a taxi driver, changed some dollars with him and got into town.

The guide book mentions that Hotel Hadra is a the darkest hole in central asia. I picked it because it means that everywhere else I stay will be better and indeed by the bathroom standard I don't think this should be too difficult. Its safe enough and reasonably central and its cheap so it will do fine. The weirdest part was that after registration the madam's daughter really did ask me if I wanted a massage. Ah;... no thanks.

Walked around to Chorsu market, changed some money and now have 3inches of Uzbek cash in my day-bag. It does seem to disappear reasonably quickly but think I should have enough for the next 10 or so days. The highlight was seeing the Utham Koran in Khast Imon complex. Its a 7thC buckskin tomb which was owned by Utham the third Calipth. He was murdered while reading resulting in blood stains still visible. This event was a major catalyst to the First Fitnah of the Ummah (muslims) and therefore very important in the Sunni Shia division that still today is a major force of local and indeed global politics. I've just visited the museum with a brillant introduction to Uzbek history going all the way back to the 10th century. I'm off now to visit Timir Amur museum and heading off to Urgench on an early flight tomorrow.

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Met some French guys that have been on the road for 6 months and have a 6months to drive home to France. We went out to dinner together before returning to the hotel and off the bed ready for the early flight.

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Photos

Khast Imon
Nearby is the Uthman Koran