All my weeks, years, days, and months of excitement were going to come to an end as I could finally board my flight today to Uzbekistan. After so many problems trying to get the visa I doubted if this was even going to happen.

My flight was 5pm from Seoul Incheon airport which gave me plenty of time to make my way from Daegu. I did my online check in the previous night but in all the excitement didnt think to do it earlier in the day when I was still at school and had a printer for the boarding passes

I'd already bought my bus ticket online for the 10.20 bus which is four hours from Daegu to Incheon. When I boarded the bus this was the second time that I asked for the corner window seat but the seating numbers were different on the bus.

I sat in the seat I chose online hoping someone with the same ticket wouldnt arrive. As the bus filled a lady with a child took the seat next to me. However, the grandmother had to sit a few rows up.

They asked I could switch which I was thinking of offering anyway. So I ended up with an aisle seat and had to look at the clock the entire way which made each minute so painfully slow.

The Asiana website had said there was a special counter for those that had done the online check in and had their boarding passes. I went even though I didnt have the print out and got my boarding card with no problems.

I'm always worried about hand luggage weight. My bag alone weighs 3kg because of the pull out handle and wheels. My book is 2.5kg and each of my hood tops was 1kg. I took all these items out and the bag was almost 7kgs. Asiana allows 10kgs but I was worried about the domestic flight where it would be the normal 7kgs.

I tried asking in the currency exchange places if they had Uzbek Som which I didnt expect them to and they didnt. After checking emails in the internet lounge I headed to the departure gate.

To my surprise the 5pm departure had been delayed to 6pm. I'd waited so many years another hour wasnt going to kill me. The departure gate was full of Uzbeks and like my trip to the Philippines it seemed as though I would be the only foreigner on this flight.

We were supposed to have a 5.30 boarding time for the now 6pm flight. As people started gathering they changed the time again to 5.50 for a 6.30 departure. There was some connection problem and the flight hadnt arrived yet from its current origin.

It was somewhat amusing that after years of waiting for this trip I'm now being delayed by the minute. As the minutes crept by eventually the plane finally arrived at the departure gate.

Then one of the ladies tried to take my bag and said they would put it with checked luggage and I could get it at Tashkent. I told her it was hand luggage and I wanted to keep it with me.

After a group of flight attendants boarded they then started passenger boarding. Again we had to wait as they first boarded business class and passengers with children. I think they were just boarding anyone who was in the business line as they seemed like local Uzbeks dressed like peasants and not business class passengers.

With yet another delay I was finally allowed to board onto the plane. I had booked the last row so made my way to the back of the plane. To my surprise there was already somebody laid out and asleep with an eyepatch across the two seats.

They seemed like a group of female athletes in track uniforms, hood tops, and sleeping eye patches. I told them my seat number and they told their friend to get up. Later I realized these were not athletes but off duty stewardesses dead hauling back for their next flight. I tried to take a picture and even though I didnt a lady started making me delete pics of the check in counter which was a public area.

I hadnt wanted a night take off but with all the delays the sun had now set so there wasnt much to see after takeoff. Fortunately the seat beside me was empty so I could relax for the 7 hour flight and try to get some rest but there were no air vents for circulation.

The inflight entertainment choices weren't too great. They had four bollywood movies so I left one playing just so I could hear the songs although I wasnt watching and dont recall anything of the story.

They passed out landing cards which were in Russian so I asked for an english one. They wanted us to declare all money of all currencies being brought into the country. My agent had asked me to pay $750 in cash so I was bringing $1000 USD.

I didnt feel comfortable declaring all this on my form. I recall my Russian friend telling how he has to argue at Moscow airport when officials ask him for money. I did not want officials knowing I had all this money and trying to take some in bribes. My guide book even mentions police officers in the Tashkent metro trying to take money or I was worried that they could refuse to stamp me if I dont pay them something.

This left a dampener on my enthusiasm for the rest of the flight as I didnt know what to put down. When I started reading the inflight menus on arrival info it said the same thing.

All money being brought into and out of the country must be declared on two declaration forms. Upon departure they will compare amounts being taken out. If you are taking out more then you declared when you entered it can be seized as undeclared assets.

What if someone withdraws more money from a bank when they are in the country? You also have to declare all means of communication, medicines, printed matter, and data storing devices. Does this mean my Korean cellphone, guide book, headache and stomach tablets, and all memory cards on my cameras??

Since I would be taking less than the $1000 USD out of the country I decided to just put down the full amount, leave the other comments blank, and hope the for the best upon arrival.