"A soviet-styled capital hiding some true... " a Tashkent Travel Page by carolerica

I have been in Uzbekistan for a little over a month, and spent most of my time in Tashkent.
Tashkent is a huge soviet-styled city... No wonders when one knows that the 1966 earthquake has demolished the entire town, keeping just a tiny little section of the old town intact.
Tashkent is a very pleasant city, with huge avenues hidding a maze of tiny streets, huge fountains, parks everywhere, big buildings of the soviet time, or more modern ones all in mirors. The city is very "green" in the summer, nicely tended lawns on the street sides, flowers blooming at the street-crosses...
Easy to get around, thanks to taxis (officials and non-officials), bus, trams, trolleys, metro...
There are lots of places to discover, some very interesting museums that are worth going to, high quality theaters... and of course wonderful restaurants.
Every kind of sport is offered in or around Tashkent, from skying, jet-skying, golfing, to horse riding and paint-balling...

Uzbekistan is mostly known for its mythical oasis spead along the silk road.
From Tashkent it is possible to escape during week-ends to visit Khiva (see my travel page under Khiwa), Bukhara and Samarkand (as well as to the nearby mountains of Tcharvak). Either by plane, train, bus or cars can those cities be reached.
The three magical cities on the Silk Road are a MUST SEE in a life-time. I have rarely been speechless in front of a monument, but the beauty of those three cities are incredible, especially if you're an admirer of islamic art of the Middle-Ages. The mosaics are breathtaking, the "grandeur" of the Medersa are undeniable.
My personal favorite? The inner city of Khiva and the citadelles of the desert.