I enjoyed a morning rafting with Uzbekistan Rafting Company. They have an 8-kilometer route on the Ugam River that starts just outside the village of Humson and winds through the village of Beshtut before the Ugam runs into the Chirchiq River. They also rent stand-up paddle boards at their lower site and that would also be a good day out. This is the best time to go because of the spring snowmelt. The rapids were probably Class 2 or Class 3 but I am not an expert. The water was flowing quite fast and there were some good dips and twists but nothing crazy. It is suitable for families and people who can swim. The only danger I noticed was in parts of the river, there were metal and cement debris from old construction projects on the river. I imagine during the summer the river would be quite low.
Along the ride, we noticed many dachas (country homes) and there also looked to be some good hiking areas further up the valley and near the Kazak border. I will definitely come back and explore the area more. The trip is only about 50 minutes long so combining it with another activity is ideal.
We also had a nice Mother’s Day and took Nadia out to Winesday, a new cafe/wine shop in the Shevchenko Street area of restaurants and cafes. Oliver and Nadia are shown above taking a selfie.
I am amazed at how fast the city is developing. Earlier this week on a morning bicycle ride, I took this photo showing 7 new tall buildings under construction. The tallest building is Nest One, which will be the highest building in Central Asia. A Turkish construction company is building it and I think the other buildings are being completed by Chinese companies. This is in the Tashkent City zone of downtown.
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