margilan is a small but old town in the fergana valley. the main thing to see there (other than a few mosques and the bazaar) is the yodgorlik silk factory. i toured the factory this morning, watching women sort silk cocoons, boil them to separate the silk strands, twist them into thread, dye the threads, and weave them together into scarves, dresses, bolts of cloth, etc. it was a fitting ending to my silk road tour. ever the labor lawyer, i asked my guide how old the youngest worker was, what their hours were like and how much they made. either he was well-coached or it is not a bad place to work, at least with an uzbek cost of living.
only a few days left in this country. tomorrow, i fly back to tashkent and i will be there until my ride home on monday morning.
