Osh

11 july 2012

I arrived in Osh last night after getting a fantastic lift with a driver and two other passengers all the way from Bishkek to Osh in 11.5 hours.

The driver drove really carefully, we stopped for very short breaks and we played wonderful Kyrgyic music as we drove past the sunflower fields and melon areas of the south of the country. Osh has a great feel about it. I love the bustling bazaar, the central town outdoor restaurants and the melting pot of ethnicities: Tajik, Uzbek and Kyrgyic people live side by side here. There has been recent problems and tensions between the Uzbek and Kyrgyic people but it appears that these are beginning to be resolved and peaceful relationships are developing in the areas where there was most unrest.

Today I will be heading for Sary Tash in order to go over the border tomorrow to Tajikistan