Sep 6, 2012 - Khudjand - Dushanbe

Sroda, 5 wrzesnia - Khojand, Duszanbe Wstaje wczesnie rano, z dwoch powodow: 1) chce jak najszybciej opuscic wstretny pokoj, 2) chce 'zalapac sie' na zbiorowa taxi do Duszanbe. Juz przed siodma lapie marszutke na dworzec gdzie odjezdzaja taxi do Duszanbe. Jest to dobre 3-4 km na polnoc od centrum miasta. Choc jestem tam wczesnie to i tak w dalszym ciagu troche za pozno bo wiekszosc taxi juz odjechala. No nic musze czekac (okolo 1 godz) az sie moja wypelni (potrzeba 4 osoby aby jechac). Cena tez dosc wysoka - 150 TJ Som ale kierowca nie chce...

Sep 4, 2012 - Osh - Fergana - Kokand - Khujand

Poniedzialek, 3 wrzesnia - Osh, Fergana, Kokand Rano jestem na granicy z Uzbekistanem w Dostyk (6 Som marszrutka z Osh). Przejscie okazuje sie prawdziwym pieklem. Mozna tylko przejsc na piechote i ze strona kirgjska nie ma problemu ale po uzbeckiej okolo 100 albo wiecej ludzi tloczy sie do przejscia gdzie pogranicznicy przepuszczaja dalej tylko po kilka osob co 20-30 minut. Chaos niesamowity, krzyki, przepychania i placz dzieci. Caly tlum stoi w pelnym sloncu. Mnie ratuje ze mam parasol ale i tak mam watpliowosci aby zawrocic i 'dac sobie...

Oct 19, 2008 - Samarkand & Penjikant, Tajikistan

October 19, Sunday – Samarkand (group to Penjikant, Tajikastan.) The group was headed for a short drive across the border for a daytrip into Pendzhikent, Tajikastan. For a variety of reasons I decided to stay in Samarkand and a skip a repeat of this daytrip that I did three years ago. However, I’ll post in my comments from the 2005 visit below before describing my day in Pendzhikent. We drove east out of Samarkand to the Uzbek/Tajikistan border, where, as always is the case, the Uzbeks go out of their way to make their side of the...

Aug 29, 2008 - Penjikent via Ayny

Pic To#3775-87 IN: #3789-3812 We leave at 7:30 - whole car 120 sum each, small vehicle. We climb out of the valley from Istaravshan, past a huge mud brick mfg 'yard'...piles & piles of mud bricks. Up top we see valley 360 degrees, haze all around, mtns some directions not even visible. Blue sky, smooth new asphalt 2+lane wide road. When we left Hotel Chashnobar the owner wished us well & safe journey, he seemed quite sincere. Found out last nite he is our age - born Oct 1944! Back down into valley we drive along past many apple orchards,...

Aug 27, 2008 - Istaravshan

Pic #3774 Got up early(6:30) due to the heat...and the bazaar is right outside the window. My back was killing me, but since guys slept in one dorm & gals in another I did not do my exercises until Bon invited me into their room - other gals had left - and I could use the floor. Feeling much better we headed out to see the town, not much for tourists...a big bazaar, lots of people. We headed to the citadel from where Alexander the Great purportedly reached his most eastern domain in 4th century BC. It once had 7 gates and 6 km of fortified...

Aug 24, 2008 - Dushanbe

Pic #3725 The police officer came & woke us at 5:15! We were ready by 7, altho the girl didn't understand Bon's explanation re: vegie so she brought sausage for 2 and egg for one...unfortunately, she brought the eggs first and thinking that more was coming I ate them! Thus when only two plates of sausage came there was nothing for B & M...being short on time according the the officer we left w/ only I having a bfast! Turns out, he thought we wouldn't wait for a 4th passenger. We finally got it across that we would NOT pay for a 4th and...

Aug 23, 2008 - Kalaikhum

Pic #3717-3723 Day began early - 6 am - up we had gone to bus sta the day before and they had indicated we should be there about 7 to get transport towards Dushanbe. The homestay was less than desireable for $15 US, the meals were not what we'd come to expect and we had to remind them of our early departure. Carrying our bags down steep steps to the road was a bit much but we did make it and bus sta in good order. At first we got 'help' from the fellow who had the home stay(he came w/ us to bus sta for some reason, perhaps because our...

Aug 22, 2008 - Khorugh

Pic #3670-3715 Up at 6:45, lv at 8 am...great hot shower/bath, first in 4 days altho the hot springs yesterday did a fine job on the bod as well. Just out of town we pass the bridge to Afghan where they have a Sat market on the bridge, we miss it by a day...on down the road, now paved and a bit wider, the river valley widens considerable and we see much more agric on Afghan side across the valley, especially on the alluvial fans formed by rivers coming out of the Hindu Kush. The wide valley also makes for incr agric on the Tajik side, even...

Aug 21, 2008 - Ishkashim

Pic #3630-3664 Our accomodation was very nice -even arriving late Abrahim was able to negotiate the owner down from $15 to $10 US which is normal price, esp w/ little dinner. The place is a museum house, beautiful...reminded me of Chinese Tibet house inside. All wood carved, open room w/ carved beams, paintings. We hiked a little way towards petroglyphs before setting out on the road...the kid 'guides' were not really helpful mostly pointing out lots of graffiti along the way, ha! The town w/ wonderful tree-lined streets is in a most...

Aug 20, 2008 - Langar

Our homestay was OK - very skimpy tea & old bread(naan) breakfast. Our driver was very helpful getting us to registration but there the woman wanted copies of passports AND copies of Tajik visa & permit. It took us considerable time locating a working copier, we also needed $15 US plus 26 someni(Tajik $$) to cover registration charges. Since we had no Tajik $$ it ended up $23 US total and they also needed a photo...basically, it entailed making another 'visa' which they give you as a small document showing you registered - A MUST NOT LOSE...

Aug 19, 2008 - Murgab, Tajikistan

Visit Kryss'Photos of Tajikistan Yesterday in the afternoon we were able to contact Dania, the owner of Osh Guesthouse where we stayed, and he was able to put together a vehicle & driver to get us to Murgab. Sharshem, the driver, was very good...he had w/ him his niece, Fatima, who rode w/ us...she was a very good passenger and bravely fought off motion/altitude sickness as long as she could. A good trooper, always smiling, never complained once. Leaving Osh the picture in my mind is a group of 4-5 Tajik standing by the roadside facing...

Aug 19, 2008 - Pamir Hwy...

Leave today...will not be able to access internet for at least 7 days From a travel article dated April 21-28, 2011 in The Georgia Straight by Margo MacTaggart: They bicycled across Central Asia in 2009...check out their blog and more info. Complete Travel by Bicycle by This Couple and their blog: Visit Their Central Asia Blog Helpful Hints For Women Travelling (But Good Advice For Anyone)