Khojand – Dushanbe, Tajikistan 31 May 2011

The drive was much smoother than expected with the road repaired. Six hours drive except for one hour to cross a pass at 3 300m altitude. Two black spots with the driver surfing on the edge of the unstabilised road with the canyon 500 m below and the other black spot is the 15 minute dark and wet tunnel. We thought it would never end. Down in the canyons laid car skeletons.

We arrived in Dushanbe (which means Monday in Tajik). Quiet city with a lot of the young people deserting the country after the fall of the USSR block. The town seems more orthodox than all the cities we have seen so far. It is true that we are now very near Afghanistan. Tajik people form another ethnic group closer to the Iranians, Afghans and speak different versions of Farsi (Persian language). We have been welcomed personally by Bahrom Yusupov and his son. Heavy programme tomorrow where I will meet the Mayor, the architects of the city and the architecture students after a thorough visit of the city.