My route across Uzbekistan over the last week (Nukus-Khiva-Bukhara-Samarkand-Tashkent) is basically opposite of the "typical" tourist route, so I have been able to ask some folks I have met what the highlights of Tashkent are. This allowed me to plan my fours hours fairly well.
Besides Tashkent's metro stations, which I will feature in a separate blog post, consensus amongst tourists I met was that the Chorsu Bazaar is a Tashkent "must." To be honest, having gone to many bazaars, I was a bit skeptical that Chorsu could be that good--but actually it was! The bazaar spreads out far beyond the central dome, but you can see how impressive the dome is in some photos below.
Outdoors, under a variety of roofs and tarps, there were eggs, spices, lots of fresh produce, including garlic, dill, and others that smelled amazing.
I was able to walk through a lovely park on the way from the department store back to the metro. There are a variety of stores and stalls on the periphery of the park. I enjoyed an ice cream cone and then a coffee as I meandered.
Inside, there are meat (including horse meat) and dairy products, dried fruit, pickles, and so on.
Outdoors, under a variety of roofs and tarps, there were eggs, spices, lots of fresh produce, including garlic, dill, and others that smelled amazing.
I actually got lost trying to get back to the metro station, but this allowed me to find the plants and flowers section!
Oh, and also the very fresh chicken! Note in the box in the bottom right there are colourful chicks!
I bought some lunch and train snacks at the bazaar, but also found the heat (37 C today) was getting to me, so that led me to another tourist-recommended spot, the Hotel Uzbekistan. What a gem!
A real holdover from Soviet days, the Hotel Uzbekistan is in my opinion absolutely worth a visit, although I did not see it featured much when I browsed the internet and guidebooks. On the top floor there is a bar with a nice barman, and he served me a beer and I was able to relax and enjoy the view. Plus, it is nicely air-conditioned.
With my beer finished and having cooled down somewhat, it was time to head to my next destination. The Central Department Store is somewhat close to the Hotel Uzbekistan, but given the heat I opted to use Yandex and cab the few blocks. I did not find anything to buy in the department store, but it was an interesting place!
I was able to walk through a lovely park on the way from the department store back to the metro. There are a variety of stores and stalls on the periphery of the park. I enjoyed an ice cream cone and then a coffee as I meandered.
These stalls are full of used books!
Finally it was time to get back so I caught the metro and returned to the train station to board my train to Almaty, Kazakhstan.
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