I arrived by train in Tashkent, then took a shared taxi through the Western Tien-Shan mountains into the Fergana valley.

It was great fun to see displays of traditional silk production, including dying and hand-loom weaving. In reality of course, most of the factory's production is mechanized.

The Kumtepa bazaar is vast, sprawling, bustling and vibrant. There is a lot of silk, but also lots of synthetics and lots of other godos. It was great fun to wander through.