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Ups: 1. GREAT trekking opportunities (Fan mountains, Pamir).

2. Warm hospitable people. especially Western Fan mountains.

3. Ice-cream (mirozhna in Russian) machine at every corner, especially in Khorog.

4. Dushanbe is great for finding Western food products.

Downs: 1. Expensive, well relatively expensive, public transport. especially in the Pamir.

2. Very bad ifrastructure (roads, electricity), especially in the Pamir.

3. Scarce, expensive and unpredictable public transportation in the Pamir.

4. Chinese embassy in Dushanbe is almost impossible. see why.

Oddities: 1. When you are a guest in a Pamiri house, you get an escort to the toilet. every single time.

2. “Choy, choy”- again and again you’re invited to choy, just innocent choy. and end up with a 3 course meal and an invitation to stay for the night.

3. The Dushanbe-to-Khorog marshutka driver drives 24 hours straight- and makes it in one piece.

4. Girls who wear modest local clothes in Dushanbe change to Western-modern-not-so-modest clothes when arriving to Khorog.

5. The Bar-Mitzvah songs in the Pamir-Lodge.

6. The immigration form you recieve when entering the countrey has a Beeline commercial on it.

7. Visa prices, procedures and GBAO availability change from embassy to embassy.

8. That Accordion-player in Khorog bazar- all foreigners know him.

9. It is almost impossible to find non-sparkled water (biz-gaz) in Khorog.

Musts: Ishkashim Afgan bazar, Hotel Maria (Murgab), Kulikalon lake, seeing at least one bearded volture, Tajik hospitality.

* If you are Jewish- visit (and stay at) the synagougue in Dushanbe.

Tips: 1. If applying for a Tajik visa in Bishkek- be nice to the clerk, you might get it faster.

2. The ride to/from Dushanbe to/from Khorog is long (and expensive), bring lots of food.

3. The best Chaikhanas in Dushanbe are around the Barakat bazar.

4. Make sure you have all the food you need befor you leave Khorog. the villages have very little to sell other than bread.

5. Check with a few locals if the Ishkashim Afgan bazar is happening. they don’t always know.

6. Carry stomach-problem medicine.

7. Don’t feel obliged to visit the Khorog Botanical garden. it’s hardly worthy the name.

8. Try to catch the ilusive Penjikent-Margozur bus. supposedly leaves from the Takhta bazar (under the bazar) station early in the morning. it might save a lot of money.