Tel Aviv to Tashkent ( Uzbekistan)

This is one of those days where we have a long journey. Up at 6 am to get to the airport 3 hours early as security can take a long time, or so we thought. Security and passport control were fast, even speedy, but Uzbekistan 🇺🇿 airways check-in is chaotic due to people skipping the queue and the queue repeatedly stopping whilst passengers went off to pay for excess baggage. So we play the silly games too and get checked in. Small panic as the Americans in front of us are refused because they don't have a visa. We don't have one either, but luckily, our assessment thar we don't need one was correct. We board and leave on time.

Long flight of 5 hours, my attempts to sleep, regularly interrupted by bump from a long queue of fat toilet goers pushing past.

On arrival, we follow the instructions of the hotel
"Getting from the airport instruction:

1) There is a crowd of hungry taxi drivers pulling out your hands and legs ))) Waiting for you outside the airport building, so that’s the finest hour to show your best poker face. With the poker face, you should cross the parking and get to the road. There you can lift a hand and one of the passing cars will stop. You can also go with the taxi drivers staying at the parking, but they charge more (3$-10$)

2) The normal price to get to the hotel is 25 000 – 30 000 soum (2.5$-3$). If you managed to get lower price, congratulations, you bargain better than us )) If you don’t have uzbek soum or small dollar bills to pay the taxi, you can always ask the reception to pay and you can refund later.

3) ATTENTION! Do not change money with taxi drivers. You will be able to change money later, and we will give you some tips and instructions ;-)

4) Most taxi drivers in Uzbekistan are not competent enough to know the names of the streets and hotels. So you should tell the names of places near to the hotel: Mirabad district, Ivleeva street, opposite of hotel "7 DAYS".

5) If you were not lucky to have a taxi driver who would take you to the right place, you can ask him to call to the hotel +99895 193 39 93, +99897 4040429 and we will give him directions.

6)ATTENTION ! In our hotel is not allowed with pets.

7) Congratulations, you are here ))"

 It is all quite easy, but nice of the hotel to set expectations and give typical prices.

1st thing we do is explore the art & architecture of the metro.

Afterwards, we went for typical Uzbech dinner, which was loads of different meats, sausages, and local bread. Served with alcohol free Mojito.. . 5 litres thereof 😉.

Children to bed, Flo and I enjoy one beer, then off to bed too.Read more