The first experience we all had was of the crazy airport in Tashkent. If you’ve never landed in Uzbekistan before, be prepared to sprint for the immigration queue as soon as you step off the airport bus. It took us over two hours to clear passport control, pick up Visas and clear customs. It was a relief to be out of the airport.
Our first official day of the tour had the riders arriving thoughout the day at Hotel Uzbekistan. The imposing 17 storey hotel was amongst various soviet style buildings in Tashkent with many impressive buildings from that era. Even the subway awed- there were stations decorated with chandeliers and ornate artwork on the walls.
Those of us who arrived earlier in the day went out to check out the city, including its many markets, bazaar, museums. We quickly assembled our Unis and went for a ride through town, drawing curious onlookers with many locals asking to see us ride as we walked through the markets.
After exploring the city, we met up for group dinner and briefing. Jason our guide from Grasshopper Adventures explained the route to us, and it promised to be rough, dry and tough. We weren’t out of the city yet and we already felt the effects of the dusty dry environment.
The last of our group arrived and we received our T-shirts and Jerseys for the tour.
