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.