Tried swimming yesterday but knees didn't allow descending the ladder.
There are steps everywhere and no handrails at all so glad I brought stick which makes me feel old and infirm which others would probably say I am. Someone here told me that if I was Uzbek I would be lying down at home not travelling.
The peeception of Central Asia is probably wrong. While there are of course many agricultural workers living in what look like not much more than shacks they are resourceful and essential to the economy. The towns are well kept and there are millions of trees with new plantings ubiquitiously.
As the country only gained independence in 1991 it has forged ahead after a few years of learning about the new status. The first President was an economist so understood the importance of building on the country's strengths, natural resources, agriculture and most crucially its people. If course with China doing some of the mining the environment has taken a hit aa you can see in the photos.