In reply to JdotP:
my experience across both countries was that tajikistan, being sort of a crossing between persians and russians, had a better attitude and supply of food than kyrgyz areas away from the larger towns. the climate too maybe had better things growing (stone fruits, berries etc).
murghab i recall (a decade ago) being a transport and agricultural oasis of sorts, that tho having a kyrgyz population was more cosmopolitan than your average kyrgyz town in the middle of nowhere. the presence of russians and a major AKF and trade outpost meant the bazaar was reasonably well stocked.
marginal towns in kyrgyzstan tho often seemed to have a shipping container fashioned into a store that sold vodka, cigarettes and candy and little else, the kyrgyz seemingly content with stringy meat and heavy bread. increased chinese influence may be changing this tho.
culturally theres a significant shift when you know what to look for. the kyrgyz are quite different wherever you find them (including in china) and adapt their values. the tajiks, having a much more defined and stable culture to begin with hold stronger to it.
interestingly, in tajikistan, the kyrgyz and tajiks co habit mostly peacefully (tho very stratified), whereas in kyrgyzstan co-habitation with others isnt so happy.
a good example you may have seen already is sary tash. a significant cultural and transport hub on the roads between china, tajikistan and SW kyrgyzstan (and all that leads to) and its mud and shipping containers. it makes murghab look like new york.
