Tajikistan

 Tajikistan

We crossed into Tajikistan. It was relatively painless and after some of the other borders, it was a breeze. The English had to pay USD35 fof an e-visa. Everyone else were straight through. We gathered together on the far side and were all through in under 10 minutes. Alan and Frida took a bit longer.

The flat green plain is surrounded by mountains in the distaance. As we drove deeper into Tadjikistan, the mountains closed in. Our first stop was just a quarter of an hour away from the border.

We stopped at Panjakent.  This was a thriving Persian city between the fifth and eightth centuries. It was a mub brick built city so not a lot  survives.

It has a great defensive position at the mout of a valley leading into the mountainsm and on the edge of the fertile plains. It sits on the top of a hill with long steep sides ovrtlokking the modern city nestling next to the river.

Some buildings have been recreated to give a few of what it might have looked like///

...but much of it lies in a confused heap.

A view across the city. There is a museum but it was closed when we visited.

The main road follows the river in the bottom of the valley. It is a steep sided valley but where the land i flatter, there is water and decent soils, there are firlds and orchards. The parched upper slopes are used for rough grazing.

Looking across the river to the dry pastures.

Looking up the river There is a lot of snow melt and the river isfull of grey silt.

There are a few road bridges across the river, but many are suspension footbridges, often doubling to take electircity or water to the far side.

A side valley.

Another view up the valley

In the upper reaches of the valley, there is so little room that the road has been hacked out of thre side of the slope. There is no farming here, just rough summer grazing for goats.

A traffic jam of a different sort as a trailer had become unattached from a lorry and blocked the whole roqd. We waited but inpatient drivers overtook us and blocked the road when they couldn't get pst.

The river shrunk as we headed into the top of the valley. We clmbed away from the river to cros a pass.

There were a couple of tunnels as we climbed around hairpin bends towards the pass. The road no longer goes over the pass but takes the Anzob Tunnel. It is 5,040 metres long and its highest point on the pass is at 2,740 metres. A second tunnel to the right is still under construction.

It also has a second name, the Tunnel of Death as there is no ventialtion, no lights and despite the amount of traffic, both lanes use the same tnnel with no central reservation.

The entrance to the tunnel of death.

Another local traffic jam caused by goats being taken yp to their summer pastures. There are paths around the tunnel but they are narrow and there is an inevitable pile up by the portals.

one unfortunate incident where a lorry had becomw unattached from its trailer, blocking the road.