Ilham did not drink but Akram had already raised his glass when Rano, cheeks reddened and makeup become inaccurate concentrated to give his toast. It was at least the 10th glass of vodka that I swallow bottoms up. Indeed my promise of Samarkand had not taken more than two days. Ilham had shared the same taxi that I Boukara in Samarkand. I called him the day after I arrived in Tashkent to see the city accompanied by an Uzbek. He and his cousin Akram So I was out two consecutive nights in the bustling restaurants of the city. I could never leave a penny or buy a round as I could not refuse one. The Uzbek
love feast in all restaurants we visited, guests began to dance, women waving buttocks and breasts like oriental dances, imitating the English Sevillian with their hands and swinging his head like the Chinese.
The old and young wiggle on the runway, then returned to their table wearing a new toast to their friendship forever. Being the only foreigner, I got to wear toast with half of the table in honor of the French-Uzbek friendship or in honor of my new friends. My promise of Samarkand was not really tenable.
So muddy that I visited Tashkent, the largest city in Central Asia with its broad avenues Stalinist very few built, large spaces with their neoclassical monuments, its bars HLM, and its beautiful Metro parks. Uzbeks like the Iranian and Turkmen are definitely tree planters and garden-makers.
There is no real downtown, the only place is really lively around the place of Tamerlane, or stands a huge statue of him on horseback.
The middle classes get richer Uzbek seems there fast enough but the most popular seem to suffer from high unemployment, strike spaces are full. The poorest regret the time of Soviet and full employment and zero inflation. Their living condition has worsened since he seems to independence. The corruption of government employees and police it more difficult to maintain in small businesses that people try to climb.
is accompanied by Christopher and Maylis, cute couple traveling on the Silk Road, I climbed into the car towards Doueroya Fergana city which gives its name to one of the most fertile valleys Agricultural Central Asia in the Soviet years dedicated to the intensive cultivation of cotton.
is in the rain at 120 km / h on a road full of potholes, the notebook in his left hand, my camera in the right, insulting Uzbek drivers who do not store on the side, not forgetting to give them a nice sign of the hand for 4 hours D. told us about his life as the second wife of a rich man who was already in his fourth wife. Its benefits do not allow him to live properly, it was trading for any kind between Tashkent and Fergana, fattened the police and the path leading his trade with an iron fist. Holy woman!
I took the road the next morning to Osh, bus and taxi, then bus again. Once more I was told to beware Kirgiz ... The border crossing went smoothly and peacefully. Kyrgyzstan arrived, I was really getting deeper feeling more in Asia.
PS: We'll have to wait to see me dancing with the beautiful Uzbekistan. My pictures of celebration have been erased by mistake ... 
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