NO-BRAINER IN TRAJIK-ISTAN- The Reality of Long Term Travel

...previously coming from Veshab, Tajikistan......

Dushanbe and Bokhtar

Our plan from Sarvoda was to take a shared 4WD to Margeb, another nearby village up in the mountains. On discovering the vehicles only left in the late afternoon, we decided to change the plan and high tail it to Dushanbe first, and discover the joys of the Yagnob Valley at a later stage.

The road from Sarvoda to Dushanbe was incredible- even in a land of beautiful road trips. During the first half there was a spectacular steep sided gorge on either side of us. A series of tunnels of various lengths marked the road, including the infamous “Tunnel of Death”. Anzob Tunnel (it's proper name), is 5,040 meters long, took about 15 minutes to navigate, and was every bit as scary as we'd been told. It was pitch black, and the only illumination were the car lights of various brightness looming up suddenly out of the darkness. Although apparently slightly improved recently, the tunnel is still very dangerous and has no lighting or ventilation. The thick fumes made it seem like driving through a dense fog, and at times we could only see two or three meters ahead. We could hardly comprehend how the drivers see what's going on. Perhaps they don't. Some were driving in a wild way and overtaking in the darkness, but thank goodness our driver seemed to be quite careful. We couldn't understand why there wouldn't at least be cat's eyes or reflective paint on the walls. Apparently cyclists dread this stretch of tunnel, and we could certainly see why!

After the tunnel, we entered into the open fresh air again, and saw the perspective had changed. The barren brown mountains were now greener, and patches of snow lay about on craggy topped mountains. The road was good (for Tajikistan), our driver calm (for Tajikistan), and we greatly enjoyed sitting back and appreciating the surroundings.

It was pleasant to be in the small capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe. Not as cosmopolitan as other capitals such as Almaty, or even Tashkent, it nevertheless had all the city comforts and we made the most of our amazingly luxurious room, abundant ATMs and a huge variety of food (shame about the same old crappy internet).

Our fancy (for us!) bathroom, Dushanbe

In our hostel every single one of the other guests were either coming from the Pamir Highway, or planning to go there from Dushanbe. We felt a bit out of place with our strange train plans (see below)! However, we enjoyed catching up on the latest traveller's gossip, and marvelled once again at the Central Asian traveller. People who travel in this part of the world are a different breed to elsewhere- especially South East Asia. They are generally adventurous, seeking something unusual, motivated and energetic and genuinely interested in the culture and nature around them. We were particularly pleased to talk to a young English couple who had driven a VW Golf from the UK. Their offer one evening of a wee dram or two from their bottle of Laphroaig whisky was a real treat! Thanks!

Public transport in the city was plentiful and cheap, and we quickly learnt the routes we needed to know in order to get around. The drivers were funny and grumpy, often shouting and beeping their horns at vehicles in their way. The downside was the heat inside the buses. Dushanbe was much hotter than the Fann Mountains area, and 40-45 degree days were the norm. Again, the dry heat was not as draining as the humidity of the tropics, but we did tend to keep our outings to the mornings and evenings. We always felt safe on the buses, not even thinking about pickpockets or sleazy men- it just isn't the way out here. People are generally very polite on public transport- men and younger people mostly standing up for old folks and women.

Fountain, Dushanbe

Backstreets of Dushanbe

Mosaics galore, city centre, Dushanbe

Stalin vodka for 90 cents- why not?! Dushanbe

Amongst the sights in Dushanbe we enjoyed was the Mevlana Yakub Charki Mosque, which we happened to catch at sunset, as men were pouring in. We weren't sure why there were no women praying. Sal had forgotten her scarf, so waited outside, while Rich entered and listened to a beautiful call to prayer inside, that wasn't broadcast on loud speakers. The tallest flagpole in the world, various cool gardens and lakes and the magnificent Deco statue of Ismoil Somoni (founder of the 10^th century Samanid dynasty) were other highlights.

The (disputed at 165 meters) largest flagpole in the world, Dushanbe

Ahh, the bling! Dushanbe monument

Mosaic statue of the poet, Rudaki, Dushanbe

Sal dwarfed by grand rotunda, Dushanbe

Getting a professional job, for once, Dushanbe

LOVE this operating mode!! Dushanbe

Glorious Ismoil Somoni statue in central Dushanbe

We made the most of more diverse foods, and scoffed Turkish kebabs, fresh salads, rotisserie chickens, pizza, fantastic fresh breads, and a large variety of fresh and dried fruits.....and of course the ever present ice cream! This is a country of an incredible array of snacks, and we constantly travelled with little plastic bags full of goodies. It was heaven!

Turkish meal, Dushanbe

The most interesting meal was at the famous landmark Rohat Teahouse. We were somewhat awed at the magnificent setting, and overwhelmed at the massive menu including a full page of intriguing sounding salads with English translations. We decided we just couldn't go past the “Herring with a Fur Coat” salad, and at the last minute added on the “Mali Whim”, just for fun. They were both delicious, but we couldn't help wondering what the “Evil Man” salad would have been like. It's such a treat for us to be able to eat at such fancy places, as the prices are very low.

Grand interior at Rohat Teahouse, Dushanbe

Menu of exotic (and weird!) salads

Rohat's salad menu (mostly about US$1.50)

Herring Under a Fur Coat and Mali Whim salads, Rohat Teahouse, Dushanbe

Many older Soviet-era apartment blocks and public buildings in Dushanbe (and probably other parts of Central Asia) are very funky, and some have magnificent mosaic murals on the sides. Apparently these are dying out as the buildings become updated. We loved them, along with the designs of some of the buildings themselves.

Space themed mural on apartment block, Dushanbe

Vibrant mural, Dushanbe

Funky old Soviet era apartment block, Dushanbe

Our next idea was to explore the possibility of a train trip to southern Tajikistan. We knew it was extremely hot in Khatlon province in August, but we thought a lovely train journey followed by a quick stay might be bearable.

We made our way to the train station to begin the challenging process of finding out what days and times trains departed from Dushanbe. You wouldn't think it would so difficult, but the information was almost impossible to come by. The combination of our bad language skills, no English being spoken at the train station, no schedules posted anywhere, an outdated Tajik railways website and nothing online about it had us confused and we nearly gave up. The helpful guesthouse we stayed at were finally able to call someone and find out the timetable, for which we were very grateful (as it was different from the one we were planning to use!). We still weren't 100% sure which route the train took, but once again, decided just to go for it!

Our route from Uzbek to Penjikent, around Ayni, Dushanbe and Kurgonteppe

There was a lot of staring as we arrived on the platform, and when we asked where to buy a ticket, we were told it was free as we were tourists! This may be because travellers are such a rare sight going to this part of Tajikistan. Woohoo- saved US$1.50 each! Upon boarding, we were quickly approached by a senior conductor, and asked to follow him to a fancier carriage (we were actually quite happy where we were). He settled us in the compartment, and tried to give us mattresses and white sheets to lie down on. We indicated we wanted to sit up and watch the scenery! He also, embarrassingly, refused to let anyone else into the carriage, and as the train filled up along the journey, that became slightly awkward. It was exactly what we didn't want, but he was only trying to be nice.

I suppose the scenery was lovely, as always in Tajikistan, but we couldn't concentrate on it. Unfortunately, it was probably one of the worst train trips we have ever been on. We knew from past experience there wouldn't be any AC, but the combination of the tiny high up window, the extreme heat and the walking pace with which the train was moving was hideous. It honestly felt like a mobile sauna. After five hours, we had nearly passed out from the intense internal heat, and stumbling out onto Khatlon station, breathing in the 45 + degrees seemed like heaven.

Train from Dushanbe to Bokhtar

Our "private" compartment, Bokhtar train

We had managed to find out the name of a potential hotel in Bokhtar, the main city in Khatlon region, and upon arrival we suspected it was probably a knocking shop. It wasn't the first we had stayed in, and the ladies were friendly enough, although we're sure they wondered what the hell we were doing there! The room was air conditioned and fine for a couple of nights, especially the price.

To be honest, the sights were thin on the ground in Bokhtar (also known by its old name Kurgonteppa). We spent a morning strolling the hot part of town full of treeless parks and statues, until we found the great bustling, crowded and mostly shady bazaar area. Here we stopped and sat at various ice cream, coffee and compote (juice) stands to rest and people watch. The ethnicities here really are a fascinating mix. At one end of the spectrum there's those with more of a Chinese look, and at the other end are the fair/blonde people with Russian backgrounds- we even saw one random redhead!

There was mostly a funny sort of reaction to us (the only tourists in town). A quick glance, followed by averted eyes and pretty much choosing to ignore us, as though they had no idea how to interact with such strange people! Beggars were out in absolute force in this area- many more than we have ever seen in Central Asia before. They were not very persistent, however, when we waved them off easily. The temperature was at least five degrees hotter than Dushanbe.

Curious kids, Bokhtar

The teppe (hill) in Bokhtar

Rich happy with his plov, Bokhtar

Finding an alternative back to Dushanbe was amusing (we literally could not attempt that train trip again). We spent several hours trying to find out about a big bus we had heard made the trip back to Dushanbe (a rarity in Tajikistan). After asking at two bus stations, and many locals in town, no-one had any idea when or where it departed from, or if it left at all. We resigned ourselves we would have to take one of the shared taxis with a potentially mad driver back to the city. Turning up at the bus station the next morning, we were surrounded, as all the drivers vied to get us into their shared taxis. We spent some time deciding, and then noticed the big bus had just pulled up behind us! You couldn't make it up! For a cheap price, AC and luxury seats, we comfortably got back to Dushanbe in three hours less than the train and were dropped close to our hostel. The roads in that part of the country were superior to where we'd been travelling, and many big Chinese trucks and equipment were constructing bridges and improving and expanding the roads on the way.

Upon arrival in Dushanbe, Rich needed to see a doctor, as he was having issues with his vision and was having trouble focusing and seeing double (not from too many beers this time!). We discovered the next three days would be public holidays, and everything would be closed, so we immediately rushed out and ended up spending the entire day seeing doctors and having tests done at various clinics. Unfortunately, it was somewhat more serious than we had anticipated. The various eye tests showed his eyes were in perfect health, and the helpful and sympathetic ophthalmologist strongly suggested he have an MRI and referred us to a neurosurgeon. Although the MRI results showed there was no life threatening problem with the brain, it was obvious his issue still needed sorting out.

The doctors decided together Rich should be given a treatment of an assortment of drugs, vitamins and electrolytes to sort out the problem. Thankfully, he was able to partake in day visits to the clinic, and avoid a hospital stay. An interesting fact was that not only did we have to buy all the medicines at the pharmacy ourselves (no prescription needed), but also all the syringes, needles, drips and tubes for the injections!

So, every morning we would take a marshrutka over to the clinic and see the nurse for three bum injections and a slow drip with two drugs/vitamins into the blood stream. An additional trio of tablets three times a day rounded out the cocktail. The rest of the day he had strict instructions to rest and not become overheated.

The patient, Dushanbe hospital

Some of the medicines prescribed

It's kind of ironic, as ever since he was layed up in the UK in 2016 with an agonizing bad back and sciatica, he has been extremely motivated to stay healthy, and help himself to stay reasonably fit with exercise. His back, sciatica and even his long-term dodgy knee have all been under control for the past few years due to his focus and determination he would not be at the mercy of doctors and their drugs. Unfortunately, he had no control over his brain (those who know him will attest to that!). 

As Sal coped with the amusing, but trying effect of the drugs on Rich's moods (happy and chatty as though he was constantly drunk!), and his eyes became slowly better day by day, we breathed a big sigh of relief. Although, we had a back up plan to evacuate back to the UK for diagnosis and treatment, the thought of months of waiting for appointments in an unsympathetic health service didn't fill us with glee.

Dushanbe is small, but we were very impressed with the care and medical service he received. As all the clinics were private, he was seen pretty much immediately, and the costs were so low, we couldn't believe it. Most of the facilities seemed new and modern and all had a few people that could speak some English. The ophthalmologist even gave us her email and private number to keep in touch over the holiday weekend. We compared this service with the public health system in Britain or Australia, or how much it would have cost at private clinics in those countries, and considered that in a way, we were lucky to be here when it happened.

People often ask us about whether we have travel insurance (no) and what happens if we become ill during our travels. Up until now we have been mostly healthy, and have treated any minor ailments with a trip to the pharmacy. In most countries we travel in, prescriptions are not needed, and almost everything can be bought over the counter. We felt this incident was a good example of what happens if we become unwell. We use the local facilities if they are suitable, and if not, we can return to our homes for more complicated issues. Simple!

By now it was mid-August, and the temperature had dropped a  few degrees in Dushanbe. Once we had satisfied ourselves Rich was on the mend, we planned a new, somewhat reduced route to return to the Zerafshan Valley, and continue further north from there.

By the way, thank you to those of you who helped Rich from afar with information and love. 

Details for accommodation and transport for the places in this blog:

Accommodation:

Dushanbe- Pamir Hostel, 230 somoni/US$24 with breakfast

Bokhtar/Kurgonteppa, Sairi Orzu Hotel- 120 somoni/US$12.70 no breakfast

Transport

Sarvoda to Dushanbe, shared taxi, 50 somoni/US$5.20 each, 2.5 hours

Dushanbe bus/minibus/trolley car 1-1.5 somoni/US$0.10- 0.16 each per hop

Dushanbe taxi short trip 10 somoni/US$1

Dushanbe to Bokhtar/Kurgonteppa, train, free!, 5 hours

Bokhtar train station to Bokhtar hotel, share taxi, 10 somoni each, 10 minutes

Bokhtar town cenetre to bus station, taxi, 10 somoni, 10 mins

Bokhtar to Dushanbe, Asian Express bus, 15 somoni/US$1.60 each, 2 hours

And for anyone who is interested in the details about the costs of medical treatment in Dushanbe, here is a breakdown:

Shifo Eye Clinic- consultation with ophthalmologist and four eye tests on machines 100 somoni/US$10.60 (two hour wait)

American Eye clinic- retina eye test on machine 120 somoni/US$12.70 (seen immediately)

Nurafzo Hospital- MRI 389/US$41 som (seen immediately)

Nurafzo Hospital- consultation with neurosurgeon 35 somoni/U$3.70 (seen immediately)

Shifo Clinc- daily injections and drip for five days 33 somoni/US$3.50 a day (seen immediately)

Medication from pharmacy- 1100 som/US$116.50 (no prescription needed)

Total medical costs: 1909 somoni/US$220

.....continuing north to Margeb, Tajikistan.......