A Traveling Zoo In Uzbekistan

Sometimes the zoo comes to you. If you live in a small town in Central Asia, there probably isn't any sort of zoo and you never get to see live, exotic animals. Until the zoo rolls into town.

Bright colors in a drab landscape. The traveling zoo hits Zarafshon, Uzbekistan.

The setup is nothing more than a series of trailers, cages with a side that opens up. Lonely lion.

The trailers are arranged wagon train style, in a U shape, creating a sort of inner courtyard, some privacy to the attraction. You gotta buy a ticket to see the animals.

It's a sad spectacle. An old-school, small cage existence for the animals, causing a bear to pace and a lion to zone out.

Put those animals anywhere. Maybe you see an ostrich, camel, llama, a goat.

Housing Construction In Zarafshon

Zarafshon, Uzbekistan, supports the nearby mining industry and that sector is booming. More mining means more people and they need to rest their tired bodies somewhere. Zarafshon is busy building apartments.

The future is now, out torwad the horizon.

The playground is in. Local (not so) portable toilet at a construction site.

Minimart, waiting for the surrounding, new metropolis.

It's always sunny in Zarafshon. Too sunny, finished apartments with residents adapting to the searing sun.

Endless building for maximum growth.

Apartment Living In Zarafshon

Zarafshon, Uzbekistan is an isolated town in a mining area. Imagine a Soviet city popping up overnight to support all that rock removal. Block after block of iconic, brutalist style apartment housing.

Typical row of apartment buildings.

Signs of little lives, a tiny kiosk and a small garden.

A block showing its age. And satellite dishes and air conditioners.

Details. A graphic look, ode to László Moholy-Nagy. More air conditioners, new and old, at a market.

Colorful concrete zoo, a break from apartment block monotony.

Desolate Zarafshon

The Uzbek town of Zarafshon is way out there. Take a right out of Navoi and keep going through desert by a few hours. No traffic lights!

At least the city knows how to announce itself after an empty, monotonous drive. Big!

Woman walking. The traveling zoo is in town.

Not much to see on the drive. Windmills and walls.

Bus stop with disappeared benches. It's tough out there. Maybe the nearby camels have a taste for wood.

Construction and auto repair, plenty of room for all activities.

Sights And Signs In Navoi

The Navoi city area has a handful of nice statues, murals and signs to see. Take a look.

A big welcome from a billboard outside the Navoi airport. Planes! Trains! Statues! Development!

Going with some literary classics for city statues. Behold Fahad, romantic hero of a poem by Uzbek favorite writer, Alisher Navoi. How about a jug of water? See the Three Sisters, named for the Russian Chekov story.

Mysterious eye in the sky.

From the past, more future signs. Rockets! Dams! Mining! Development! Death from the past, iconic Weeping Mother statue at the war memorial.

Petroglyph guide. Handy sign at Sarmishay Park.

Wandering The Navoi Central Market

Time to shop Navoi. The big, main market in town is classic Uzbek. It's a sprawling complex of stalls, shops, carts, food, dry goods, cheap hardware. Big box retail before the chains.

Grand entrance.

See the laughing woman at stall 238 for good non bread. Then, go grab some traditional carrot salad by the cupful.

The center of the covered complex. Lonely cart.

Onions are in. All of them. "Psst. We give them piles of these things and only get scratch back. Strike!"

Portrait of a butcher with an axe. Pose however you wish.

Islamic Sites In Navoi, Uzbekistan

Navoi is a city in central Uzbekistan, a sort of gateway to the Kyzylkum desert. The town is a bit of an outpost. There are a couple of small attractions worth a visit, classic Islamic "M"s, a mausoleum and a mosque.

Here's the small, kind of adorable Mir-Said Bakhrom Mausoleum. Bakhrom was a scholar, cleric, all around Muslim bigwig way back in the 11th century. The mausoleum is the smallest one in Uzbekistan.

Simple, understated grave. Bonus room, a mosque.

Moving on to the 16th century, there's a classic mosque, named for the revered teacher, Qosim Sheikh Jameh. Traditional architecture using tan brick, blue tile,  a central dome.

Lovely restored blue and white interior. Be sure to check the clocks for the next prayer time.

Quiet day, one worshipper.

Fun At The Flower Festival In Namangan

Spring arrives in March in Namangan and the town celebrates with a giant flower festival. Blooms cover the main park and tons of people attend to celebrate the arrival of warm weather.

Boom, explosive color greets your arrival at the airport. Impressive.

Sometimes the flowers need a little artificial assistance. Piano "topiary," more like astro-turf covering. A not so wet, not so wild stream running through the festival.

The flowers are fun, the families gathering, dancing in traditional clothes is more fun.

Bambi enjoys the blooms. Western style corporate sponsorship has crept into the festival. Oil and nature, a perfect union.

Back to tradition, a camel and yurt sighting, looking a little like a set for a Central Asian Wizard of Oz.