After a day of driving through the mountains I’ve made it to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. I haven’t had time to look around yet and today will be spent searching out a Kyrgyz visa (so I can get back to China), possibly registering with my embassy for my mom’s sake and picking up my GBAO permit to travel around the Pamirs. I can’t believe I’m actually in Tajikistan!
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2 responses to “Dushanbe”
Megan,
Are you planning on cutting back through Kyrgyzstan just to get to China, then? If you’re getting the GBAO permit to go to the Pamirs anyway, why not try to cross directly into China? I haven’t taken this route (Qolma Pass) myself, though a friend here in Urumqi said they knew of two French travellers who came that way last year.
So–theoretically–the road should be open to foreign traffic.
I asked a student from Tajikistan about that crossing just last month–she said she thought that the pass closes sometime in October. Depending on your timeline, it may or not be possible to cross. Still, it would save you the cost of a Kyrgyz visa and would allow you to additionally visit Tashkorgan. I’ve heard that they’re presently shooting a movie version of “The Kite Runner” down there and need extras, so it might be an interesting time to poke around an interesting place.
Let me know about your plans for Tibet as well. I just hosted a couple guys who are now in Kashgar, about to attempt the road to Tibet–by bicycle. They can probably give you more current information than I could on whether that route is presently feasible.
Hopefully we can rendezvous somewhere in Xinjiang.
–David
David,
I would LOVE to go that way but I don’t think it’s possible. I’ve heard of someone doing it but of many more people being turned away. Even people who had written permission from the Dushanbe KGB were turned away at the border because the Chiense weren’t allowing it. I’ll ask again once I get to Murgab but I went ahead and got a 5 day transit visa from the Kyrgyz embassy here. He did it while I was sitting there.
I am definately going to Tibet. I don’t think Ali will be possible as it gets later in to the year but we’ll see. I’ll probably go toKashgar, a few towns around there then maybe take the Talakamn desert road back to Urumqi and catch a train to Dunhuang and then a bus to Golmud. I can’t wait for a chicken sandwich at KFC in Urumqi. I have to exit Kyrgyzstan by October 6th, but I think I will be in Kashgar around the 3-5 or something. Let me know about your plans. And if you’re not coming down I can at least see you in Urumqi. You can show me where the real massage place is and I wouldn’t mind stocking up on some DVDs.