travel – Rock and Roll Caravan Cafe

Tajikistan

First some Information:

Visa: 45 days Evisa or 30 days visa in the Embassy, 50$
GBOA Permit: 20$
24$ Import tax for the car 15 Days, we extended for another 15 days in Khoroug, 15$
7$ Tax for some “disinfection”
Internet is quiet bad and expensive, you can text, but it will be quiet stressful to work online anywhere east of Kulab. Around 10$ for 3GB
Diesel in the Pamir 1$, in the west around 0,80 Cents, LPG is available outside of the mountains.
Currency is TJS (Tajik Somoni), 1€ = 10,58 TJS; USD is widely accepted, 1USD = 9,44 TJS

The country

You can split Tajikistan more or less in three parts, the West with the Capital Dushanbe, the North with the City Khujand which is cut off from the rest of the country through the Fan Mountains and the East, Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Region (GBOA). GBOA covers almost half of the country, but only around 200 000 People (Tajikistan has around 9,3 Millions) are living in this complete crazy mountainous Terrain.

Border crossing Georgia – Armenia

We used the border crossing between Sadakhlo and Haghtanak. As everywhere in the Caucasus the drive was very beautiful.

We arrived at the border. The Georgian Side was very quick, keep in mind, they check your insurance! So have it, otherwise they will give you a fine.

Armenia:

There was only one car in front of us. At this border checkpoint passenger have to go separately across the border.

Vakıflı

It is said to be the last Armenian village in Turkey. Approximately 70 people still living here. Once there were 7 villages in this area.

When the tensions in 1912 in the then Ottoman Empire rose, people fled from here, one village has remained. We spent a few days here to find out what happened.

Stanexpress

Maybe you sat once together with other travellers, talking about travel stories and destinations. Then you might heard the expression „The Stans“.

Mostly they are talking about Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Afghanistan and Pakistan are also part of the Stan-collection, but because of many reasons they are not so frequently travelled.