Tashkent

Little time to say much about my first trip to Uzbekistan. But I will tell you what I saw. Chorsu Bazaar. Mutual curiosity as locals viewed a stranger and he watched them back. Warm fresh bread, spices, lemons, pomegranates and a great many policemen. One dragged a frightened young boy away. Tension as a crowd gathered, and voices were raised, market women flapping about like flustered crows powerless to stop the abduction. "It's illegal for children to work in the market," one onlooker said. That's one way to deal with the problem.

Activity monitored. It's the same at Khast Imom, the state-sanctioned religious centre. At the base of a magnificent minaret a police hut. But Tashkent is a pleasant city, wide streets and calm. A little subdued perhaps. And while it's my temptation to write about the negatives, I did meet good people, creative people. Those who are determined to make a difference.