Today we will go see the old town of Tashkent. Once again we have a bit of a slow morning, getting up just before 9 AM to have breakfast. Once breakfast is over, we head off to catch the metro. We take a different route and today, Monday, the metro is quite busy and does not look so deserted. We have to share the platform and car with many more people - they all seem interested in what we are doing in the metro.
We take the train a number of stops north and get off just before the last stop. We find our way out (there always seem to be dozens of ways out of these stations) and emerge on the edge of the Chorsu Bazaar. We head off to inspect the bazaar, which is selling a wide range of goods for the locals. We also need a toilet, so we are directed to one down in the bowels of the market place and we pretty much regret going there. It must have been one of the worst toilets that we have been to on our travels.
Then back up into the sun light and fresh air to head on. We find our way through to the other side of the market and look for the way to the old town. We head down the main street that we believe will take us there. After about 10 minutes we head into the small winding lanes that snake through the old town. We are immediately discovered by a group of kids that will escort us all the way through the town. It is a pretty basic place - dusty lanes with open sewers, the occasional stream and water pump. But whenever we can get a glimpse through the front gates of a home, there seem to be wonderful gardens and well kept homes hidden behind the drab, dusty walls.
We (or rather the children escorting us) make a quite a commotion as we pass through, and gates open a crack and people peek out as we pass. Some older people also come and say hello and everyone is quite welcoming and friendly. We spend about an hour making our way through the town, trying to keep our bearings with the position of the sun and occasional queries about where the metro is, and despite the many dead ends and corners are able to find our way out without getting lost.
It is lunch time and we find a cafe on the side of the street where we decide to take our meal. It is filled with locals, which we take for a good sign. We have a very filling meal for a very satisfying price. Then it is back to the metro through the market. Lars decides to pick up a box of laundry detergent that he has been eyeing for a while - it is called "Barf" - no joke. Made in Iran.
We also pick up a kilo of dried apricots (for a bit more than a dollar) and half a kilo of nuts (for a bit less than 2 dollars).
The metro takes us back to our part of town, where we stop off in the internet cafe to catch up on our emails and to tell everyone that all is OK and that we are having a great time. Finally, we return to the hotel at 3 PM and spend the rest of the afternoon and evening working on our journals. We take a short break for a light dinner at one of the small stalls that line the streets.