In stark contrast to the smooth and pleasant experience of applying for Tajikistan Visa, my visit to the Uzbekistan Consular office in London was extremely distasteful and unpleasant. The woman at the visa window was exceptionally rude. Having put up with her demeaning attitude for 45 mins I decided to leave without submitting my application with the intent of writing to the Uzbekistan Ambassador to UK about my ordeal in the hope that it will redress the obnoxious and disparaging attitude of the staff.

So as soon as I got back from the embassy, I Googled the name of the ambassador. And surely he came up on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. So I wrote to him on all three forums. And Yes, I activated my Twitter account for the sole purpose of getting in touch with the Uzbekistan Ambassador. Let’s see if I ever get a response back (!?) I have been thinking of “investing” (sounds grand but it really is just putting a few hard earned pound sterlings into a worth while Tech stock for rainy days) in LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter for sometime but was never really convinced they offered good long term prospects. Whichever forum if any (and ever!) I get the response to my message/email/tweet from the ambassador would be the stock i’ll go long on..savvy stock picking strategy eh !?

However I’m determined not to let this experience ruin my plan for visiting Uzbekistan. One of the places I noted down while reading The Travels of Ibn Battutah was Uzbekistan and I had put the following excerpt next to my notes entry

‘The melons of Khawarizm have no equal in any country of the world, East or West, except it may be the melons of Bukhara, and next to that the melons of Isfahan. Their rind is green, and the flesh is red, of extreme sweetness and firm texture..’

Would hate to miss out on these delicious melons, so the alternative plan is to apply for Uzbek visa at one of their consulates along the way insha’Allah..