Our road started at Dushanbe and we wanted to get to Ishkashim at the entrance of the Wakhan Corridor, which is partly in Tadjik and Afghani hands, but one part of it is in the 20th century, while the other is in the middle ages if it wasn’t for the presence of automatic weapons.
The country is a strange mix of Pamir and Soviet culture – Russian is the main common language.
After Qal’ai Khumb, the Pamir Highway follows the river Panj which marks the border with Afghanistan. As you drive on the Tajik side, you can see the donkey traffic from another age on the Afghani side. But although the Afghani side is very close, it is totally unreachable since the river Panj is such a formidable barrier.
Gold is beautiful in Tadjikistan – literally. Having all teeth covered in gold is considered beautiful, particularly for women. That and having no gap between the eyebrows.
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