August 2012.
So the side detour continues, as I attempt to reach the hindukush, the land of the Afghans.
I booked this flight with a gamble, I had no idea if a VISA would be granted on arrival, but I took a chance and things worked out for the better.
I then realized how truly blessed I was to be here, I was back in the former USSR! And not only that, but the furthest outpost of what Ronald Reagan coined, THE EVIL EMPIRE. I have visited all the European states of the former USSR, but I lacked the Caucasus states and that of central Asia, so this was in some ways a blessing in disguise, not only that but the irony of entering Afghanistan the same way the Russians did in 1979 made this all the more meaningful.
I met a fine gentlemen from Australia, Mr. Craig Beers. He was kind enough to let me split his apartment for the weekend in Dushanbe while I sought out ways to cross the Afghan border. It also happened to be his birthday, and this being a former Russian outpost, well let's just say there was plenty of vodka and good Russian beer to go around. I found that products I bought in Belarus and Ukraine were widely available in Tajikistan, kinda random, but it makes sense, including sparkling water, a rare commodity on the sub-continent and in China.
Regardless, Tajikistan proved to be a short, but fascinating little detour on the trip. Craig got his permits for the east of the country, I sought out as much info as I could about the border, which had closed all but one post due to drug smuggling problems and fighting between the Russian army and the Afghan insurgents/smugglers. I then realized that with the Russians struggling on the border, very few cars were willing to pay the Russians a big enough bribe to risk my security, so I had to seek out a flight to Kabul.
The man who booked my flight with Kam airways, a Pashtun Afghan turned out to be a blessed man, he took us all over Dushanbe, out for dinner, to his couple businesses and introduced us to all his friends. It was a treat and a great way to finish up in Tajikistan, which I shall surely again visit to see their incredible Pamir mountains on another trip.
I realized the extent to which a culture can be modified, and how the USSR, although it prided itself on "cultural tolerance" simply just russified everyone within its borders, and the Russians still control the security of Tajik borders, 20 years since the collapse of the USSR. The people are Tajiks, cousins of persians left after centuries of conquest and occupation, but they all speak Russian, no one reads or writes in Farsi or old persian. I discovered that of the 7 million Tajiks in Tajikistan, nearly 3 million work and live in Russia, sending money back home to boost the ailing economy. The people drink alcohol, many eat pork and few seemed to care much that it was Ramadan. It is interesting that the ideology of some is that to be "culturally tolerant" we must simply all be the same. I don't like that, and my father often tells me that this is the last era of distinct cultures as the world continues to globalize. I now know I must explore more of the last bastions of the former USSR before their ancient cultures completely disappear.
Regardless, I got a sense for how things go around Tajikistan, as photos of Putin and their president dominate, grand boulevards line Dushanbe, and proud monuments to the government stand all across the capital. I gotta say, these former communist states do get a few things right, or at least on the surface of the capital, the rest of the country I am sure is another story.
So here we are, one final step before Afghanistan. An I enter the same way many of the Russians did, by AIR. But I enter without bombs, chemicals or machine guns. I enter without an agenda of conquest as so many have before me. I enter it learn, but I have to say I am a tad nervous of what lies beyond the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, much the same as I am sure many young Russians my age were back in 1979. I am about to enter the land of the unknown, where few travellers dare to go, and from the border where one of the greatest disasters in modern history played out.
Here I sit at the airport, finishing my blog and well it's time to go! Goodbye Tajikistan and the former USSR and say hello to Afghanistan.
Tune in soon for some updated photos from Tajikistan and the post from Afghanistan will be editing and available shortly.
Cheers,
William Delaney
So the side detour continues, as I attempt to reach the hindukush, the land of the Afghans.
I booked this flight with a gamble, I had no idea if a VISA would be granted on arrival, but I took a chance and things worked out for the better.
I then realized how truly blessed I was to be here, I was back in the former USSR! And not only that, but the furthest outpost of what Ronald Reagan coined, THE EVIL EMPIRE. I have visited all the European states of the former USSR, but I lacked the Caucasus states and that of central Asia, so this was in some ways a blessing in disguise, not only that but the irony of entering Afghanistan the same way the Russians did in 1979 made this all the more meaningful.
I met a fine gentlemen from Australia, Mr. Craig Beers. He was kind enough to let me split his apartment for the weekend in Dushanbe while I sought out ways to cross the Afghan border. It also happened to be his birthday, and this being a former Russian outpost, well let's just say there was plenty of vodka and good Russian beer to go around. I found that products I bought in Belarus and Ukraine were widely available in Tajikistan, kinda random, but it makes sense, including sparkling water, a rare commodity on the sub-continent and in China.
Regardless, Tajikistan proved to be a short, but fascinating little detour on the trip. Craig got his permits for the east of the country, I sought out as much info as I could about the border, which had closed all but one post due to drug smuggling problems and fighting between the Russian army and the Afghan insurgents/smugglers. I then realized that with the Russians struggling on the border, very few cars were willing to pay the Russians a big enough bribe to risk my security, so I had to seek out a flight to Kabul.
The man who booked my flight with Kam airways, a Pashtun Afghan turned out to be a blessed man, he took us all over Dushanbe, out for dinner, to his couple businesses and introduced us to all his friends. It was a treat and a great way to finish up in Tajikistan, which I shall surely again visit to see their incredible Pamir mountains on another trip.
I realized the extent to which a culture can be modified, and how the USSR, although it prided itself on "cultural tolerance" simply just russified everyone within its borders, and the Russians still control the security of Tajik borders, 20 years since the collapse of the USSR. The people are Tajiks, cousins of persians left after centuries of conquest and occupation, but they all speak Russian, no one reads or writes in Farsi or old persian. I discovered that of the 7 million Tajiks in Tajikistan, nearly 3 million work and live in Russia, sending money back home to boost the ailing economy. The people drink alcohol, many eat pork and few seemed to care much that it was Ramadan. It is interesting that the ideology of some is that to be "culturally tolerant" we must simply all be the same. I don't like that, and my father often tells me that this is the last era of distinct cultures as the world continues to globalize. I now know I must explore more of the last bastions of the former USSR before their ancient cultures completely disappear.
Regardless, I got a sense for how things go around Tajikistan, as photos of Putin and their president dominate, grand boulevards line Dushanbe, and proud monuments to the government stand all across the capital. I gotta say, these former communist states do get a few things right, or at least on the surface of the capital, the rest of the country I am sure is another story.
So here we are, one final step before Afghanistan. An I enter the same way many of the Russians did, by AIR. But I enter without bombs, chemicals or machine guns. I enter without an agenda of conquest as so many have before me. I enter it learn, but I have to say I am a tad nervous of what lies beyond the Pamir mountains of Tajikistan, much the same as I am sure many young Russians my age were back in 1979. I am about to enter the land of the unknown, where few travellers dare to go, and from the border where one of the greatest disasters in modern history played out.
Here I sit at the airport, finishing my blog and well it's time to go! Goodbye Tajikistan and the former USSR and say hello to Afghanistan.
Tune in soon for some updated photos from Tajikistan and the post from Afghanistan will be editing and available shortly.
Cheers,
William Delaney
'I enter without an agenda of conquest as so many have before me' - nice work William! Looking forward to hearing about the second axis-of-evil country. Henry T
ReplyDeleteThanks brother. I am updating the last of the series and soon the Iran section will be published. Can I add your blog as a link to the site. Since your journey is just as epic and eye opening.
ReplyDelete