Hard to believe nobody has ranted about Tashkent yet. So here I go. Been here since March 02, after trauma of living in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2001 (see what I thought of there in the Georgia introduction section). Right now, early August, Tashkent is as hot as an oven, or at least it feels that way at 43c. Tashkent is a safe and secure place for foreigners - this is my assessment after a few months. I have not been harassed or felt threatened by anybody even once. People are friendly and welcoming, if a little shy. Thats the good part. Availability of western food abysmal. Bring food. Quality of restaurants appalling. That's about the only word for it. The term appalling covers the quality of the food, the hygiene and methods of preparation and the feeling you have a few hours after eating it. There are a few places that sometimes have marginally acceptable food, and here I refer to the two expensive so-called 5 star hotels. Tashkent is a physically large city, so getting around is a pain. What do you think??
