Stage 100: From Kokand to Ferghana

Today's ride took me to the namesake of the Ferghana Valley. As the valley is relatively densely populated for Central Asian standards, there wasn't much spectacular to see during the ride. Even the young city itself didn't really impress me. It is the provincial capital, but there wasn't much to see and the city felt deserted. This may also be because I was there at the end of Ramadan, and the three days of celebration that follow are used for family gatherings or short trips. As a result, many shops and restaurants were closed. However, my host Ibrahim was very welcoming and even brought me some food from his family gathering later on. On the first day, there was also a nice family from Tashkent staying at the hostel, who used the holidays to take a trip to the Ferghana Valley. The next day, I had breakfast with them, but after that, I was alone in the hostel and even got the keys. I actually wanted to leave when suddenly two funny Polish girls, Karolina and Ewelina, showed up. Since Ibrahim wasn't there, I hosted them and showed them their room. Shortly after, I decided to stay one more night because it was nice to have funny people around who spoke fluent English. Together, we wanted to explore the city, but we didn't get far and ended up having a beer just 20 meters from the hostel. Then we went to a big park where we actually came across other people. So that's where they were all hiding! There was also a palace in the park, which is now used for various performances. And once we found out that a ride on the little electric train only costs 5000 Som (40 cents), we had to do it! Later, Ibrahim came to the hostel with beer and some snacks, and the four of us had a fun evening. Even though the city itself didn't have much to offer, I laughed a lot and will remember the time there fondly!