We had a nice long weekend in Tashkent due to the International Women’s Day bank holiday. It is a big deal in Eastern Europe due to the legacy of the Soviet’s promotion of women in the workforce. I think it was a good influence in Central Asia. Ocean and I got out on Monday afternoon to enjoy the spring weather for a bike ride along the Ankhor Canal. A little slice of heaven for me, spending time with her doing one of my favorite activities. Of course we had to make a stop at Maison de gout, a store near the canal that sells imported goods. Ocean picked up a bottle of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and some instant Kraft Mac n’ Cheese.
Saturday evening, Nadia and I went out on a “double date” for dinner at one of her favorite restaurants in the city, Syrovanya (Cheese Factory—сыроварня), with Ocean and her boyfriend. We had a delightful dinner and parted ways afterward. They went out with friends while Nadia and I headed home to watch a movie. It was a nice way to spend a Saturday night.
My friend Aaron and I also had our weekly session at the Russian banya in town, The бани (The Baths). At the top of the hour, one of the attendants takes a fan and waves hot air on all of the guys in the sauna. You can see the schedule above the middle; every hour, a different essential oil is put over the wood to help good health. My favorite is mint (мята) in Russian. We made the 14:00 (garlic – чеснок) and 16:00 (пижма – Tansy) which is an invasive weed in Michigan, but is native to Europe and Asia. It has long been used for medicinal purposes. Research shows moving between extreme heat and extream cold is good for the body. As you can see in the photo above to the left, after the sauna, we jumped in the 13C and 18C water pools and tried to stay in for 5 minutes.
It was a great relaxing weekend and much needed recuperation and family time. Really looking forward to a two-week Spring Break!
Bill's Blog 