Visiting Uzbekistan for a second time was a huge privilege and one I did not take for granted. It was such a brilliant opportunity to go back and visit my friends, whom I had missed dearly over the past year, so seeing and embracing them again was so surreal and amazing.
This trip is memorable in its own special ways. Starting from the 14-hour layover in Istanbul with 8 of my fellow DEN members, where we visited Sultan Ahmed/Blue Mosque, ate traditional Turkish food, took the tram across the city, walked along the water, met the famous corn man of Turkey (and screamed my head off in surprise and shock for the next 10 minutes with Laiyba), had cold baklava in Karaköy Güllüoğlu, walked up to Galata Tower and bought souvenirs, sang and danced in the empty streets of Istanbul, relaxed and chatted in a restaurant and played mafia leading up to our connecting flight from Istanbul to Tashkent. The layover was the most incredible experience and one of the best decisions I’ve made, and it wouldn’t have happened without my brother Salman’s persistent persuasion, so thank you. Those 14 hours will forever be etched in my brain and it’s a time I won’t forget.
Stepping foot in Uzbekistan a second time felt different. It was as if I had never left. The familiar faces of my friends and the atmosphere made me feel comforted and at peace again. Revisiting the famous tourist spots with the rest of the team constantly brought back memories of the previous year, when I had first seen and experienced the landmarks alongside 6 of my friends from DEN. It was as if I was stepping back in time yet there were new people to meet and sights to see.
Visiting the Japanese Garden was such a fun outing. From the pedal boat ride, where everyone raced each other, to seeing peacocks and other exotic animals, the garden was full of adventure and wonder. The late-night drives with our designated driver, Saidamir, and the excited passengers including Laiyba, Maryam, Nurbek, Afra and Salman, quickly became one of my favourite parts of the trip. The day trip to Samarkand was the most insightful and striking visit and one with so many memories made. From having the Samarkand plov for lunch at a local restaurant to visiting religious sites like the Imam Bukhari Mausoleum, the Shah-i-Zinda necropolis and the iconic Registan Square, Samarkand was truly a breath of fresh air and a city I’ll definitely return to next year thanks to Nurbek and Shoxruxxon’s guidance.
Horse riding in Tashkent was such an emotional experience since it had been something I had wanted to do for a really long time. My favourite animal my whole life has been horses, so having the chance to bond with them and go horse riding was a huge dream come true. Although it took a while to get used to riding a horse and to feel comfortable riding it without guidance, it was still an experience I look back on fondly and look forward to next time.
Dinners were always accompanied by fruitful conversations about each other’s personal histories, a phone call where Meyirbek was very excited to meet my mum, teaching each other basic words in Farsi/Uzbek/Russian and comparing our languages in general. A game of charades made the dinner after horse riding even more thrilling and competitive, as we tried to describe items and places in a limited time, with a handful of us acting or shouting out words to the person guessing. Attending the ‘International Jazz Festival Uzbekistan – 2026’ after a Turkish dinner was also sensational and full of riveting rhythm.
TIMUN 2026 was completely different from what I expected. I started off day 1 with an all-nighter from the previous night due to preparations for the conference. My opening speech in my committee was interrupted by technical issues with the microphone which I did not see coming, but alas, not everything goes perfectly ever. The whole of the first day was spent hearing all the delegates in the General Assembly’s opening speeches and stances on the topic at hand, with the gossip box session at the end which had many singing, dancing and random requests for the chairs and other delegates. Overall, it was an interesting experience representing Argentina in the General Assembly.
Photobooth pictures and bowling are the perfect way to wrap up the trip here. Even though I faced many challenges leading up to and during the trip, I still had an amazing time and wouldn’t change a thing. It was a very eventful week in Tashkent and one for the books. Thank you to everyone who made this trip unforgettable in all its glorious ways and I can’t wait for more adventures next time. Until next year, my beloved Uzbekistan.
Negena Mahmoud