Earthlooping at Khujand's Bazar Square
Arriving in Tajikistan after the hectic week in both Turkmenistan and especially Uzbekistan due to the visa restrictions, was like a breath of fresh air. For the first time since probably Turkey, we didn't have to rush anywhere and we could just rest and update the web a bit. We only stayed in the city of Khujand, although the most important thing Tajikistan has to offer its visitors are the Pamir mountains. But as it is winter, the access is quite complicated, expensive and time-consuming. Besides, we're supposed to go to Nepal in a few months, so we'll have plenty of mountains there!
After the bus from Tashkent dropped us by the border with Tajikistan, we entered the building to come accross a small problem: to leave Uzbekistan you have to hand out a copy of the customs declaration we filled in when we entered Uzbekistan. Problem: we didn't have the copy. The border guards in Olot probably forgot to give us a copy of it. Great.
Luckily, the policemen there were quite nice and after making us wait for a while (there was quite a lot of people crossing the border) told us just to fill in a new form, declare no money and go. Probably it was because we just spent 3 days in the country, because they loved Barcelona or whatever, but we avoided a quite big trouble and could advance to the Tajik side of the border. But remember, when entering Uzbekistan make sure you have a copy of your customs declaration and you keep it until you leave the country.
Khujand's Bazar
On the Tajik side, the procedure was really simple. We just got a stamp on the passport and free to go. We were in Tajikistan! The Tajik side of the border is really run-down and when you get outside the scenery doesn't get much better. After some bargaining, we got a good price (definitely better than the one we got when entering Uzbekistan) for a shared taxi to the nearby town of Buston, from where we took a one-hour marshrutka to Khujand, our final destination in that crazy day.
We finally got to Khujand quite destroyed, took another taxi to our hostel and end of the day. Summary: 7 different vehicles taken, 12 hours on the road and one border crossed. But we made it! For the first time we didn't have to rush anywhere and we could fully rest and sleep as much as we wanted to.
The selected hostel this time was a wonderful apartment in the center of Khujand. The owner only spoke Russian but he brought his daughter, who was able to communicate in English and told us the apartment had some small problem: there were electricity shortages in all Tajikistan and we would probably lack electricity at some points of the day.
We finally got to Khujand quite destroyed, took another taxi to our hostel and end of the day. Summary: 7 different vehicles taken, 12 hours on the road and one border crossed. But we made it! For the first time we didn't have to rush anywhere and we could fully rest and sleep as much as we wanted to.
The selected hostel this time was a wonderful apartment in the center of Khujand. The owner only spoke Russian but he brought his daughter, who was able to communicate in English and told us the apartment had some small problem: there were electricity shortages in all Tajikistan and we would probably lack electricity at some points of the day.
Khujand Downtown
We can live with that. Worse it was when later we found out some other problems. There were bugs all over the kitchen and the bathroom, and besides electricity, there were also often water shortages, which made it quite difficult even having a shower. But this is Tajikstan, as one of the poorest countries of the world they need to save money somehow, so nothing to complain about.
When the father and the girl left, we just went to have some food at a really good and cheap restaurant on our street (good Tajik food and better green tea) and back to the apartment to have some rest, actually a lot of rest. It was the first time we didn't have to worry about running to sightsee, or catching a bus or whatever since probably Turkey. In Iran our 30-day visa was a bit too short to go to all the places we wanted to, so we were quite rushing. Besides, the visa application processes didn't help. Turkmenistan was also quite crazy as we had only 5 days, but the worst was Uzbekistan with so much to see in only 3 days. So, now we really felt relieved.
When the father and the girl left, we just went to have some food at a really good and cheap restaurant on our street (good Tajik food and better green tea) and back to the apartment to have some rest, actually a lot of rest. It was the first time we didn't have to worry about running to sightsee, or catching a bus or whatever since probably Turkey. In Iran our 30-day visa was a bit too short to go to all the places we wanted to, so we were quite rushing. Besides, the visa application processes didn't help. Turkmenistan was also quite crazy as we had only 5 days, but the worst was Uzbekistan with so much to see in only 3 days. So, now we really felt relieved.
Mausoleum at Panshambe Square
The next day we woke up quite late and went to explore a bit the city of Khujand. It is actually quite interesting, not a must in Tajikistan, but worth spending a couple of days if you happen to end up there. We started by going to the Afghan Bazar, yet another Central Asian bazar, but the really nice one is accross the road: Panshambe Bazar. It is a beautiful covered, lively and colorful bazar which leads to an even more beautiful square: the bazar square.
In the square you can just walk around stopping at the stalls selling different stuff, sit down by the fountain, go to the big mosque or visit the mausoleum right next to the mosque. It is a really complete square and worth spending some time just hanging out.
In the square you can just walk around stopping at the stalls selling different stuff, sit down by the fountain, go to the big mosque or visit the mausoleum right next to the mosque. It is a really complete square and worth spending some time just hanging out.
The mosque at the square
From there, towards the river to see a bit more than the square in Khujand. We came accross some live singing probably for Christmas celebrations, walked along a huge wide avenue, cross the river and came back to see Khujand's fortress, a theatre and back home. Actually, besides the bazar and the square, Khujand is another typical Soviet city with no charm, but still, to us it was the place where to relax, update a bit the website and rest, so quite good feelings about it.
The rest two days spent in Khujand were just sitting at home and updating the web a bit, as it was the very first time since Armenia that I had the time and the Internet to do it. In addition, despite the water and bugs problems, the Internet at the apartment was really fast and stable (there was not even a single electricity blackout any day), so we had to take advantage of it.
The rest two days spent in Khujand were just sitting at home and updating the web a bit, as it was the very first time since Armenia that I had the time and the Internet to do it. In addition, despite the water and bugs problems, the Internet at the apartment was really fast and stable (there was not even a single electricity blackout any day), so we had to take advantage of it.
Watermelons vendors
When we finally decided to leave Khujand, it was towards Kyrgyzstan, which was just some 3 hours away from there, so we took a shared taxi with a couple of local dentists to Isfara and from there a minibus to Osh, in Kyrgyzstan.
From the 4 days spent in Tajikistan I cannot have an opinion about the country, just about Khujand, and it is a very good one. Although Tajikistan have the Pamirs as a highlight, as I said it was time-consuming, expensive and hard to get there during wintertime, so maybe next time! Anyway, Khujand felt really good after the hectic journeys over Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
You can already check the pictures and the guide about Khujand!
From the 4 days spent in Tajikistan I cannot have an opinion about the country, just about Khujand, and it is a very good one. Although Tajikistan have the Pamirs as a highlight, as I said it was time-consuming, expensive and hard to get there during wintertime, so maybe next time! Anyway, Khujand felt really good after the hectic journeys over Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
You can already check the pictures and the guide about Khujand!
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