A Presidential visit

Beautiful People - celebrating the President at Central Park

For the past few months, Khorog residents have been busy repaving roads, completing unfinished buildings, walls, park boundaries. We’ve never seen such frantic activity, nor Khorog looking so ... spruced. President Rahmon is on his rounds... he’s visited Penjikent, ........ and now it’s the turn of the capital of the Pamirs. The response to this ‘State Visit’ is mixed. Some people shrug their shoulders in resignation, others plan what they are going to wear and how they can finagle a ‘ring side seat’ for this parade. And us? We’re going fishing. Well, we might wait until the weekend, when all the fuss is over.

The Pamiris seldom say 'No' to a photo op.

On his visit, the President opened the new Lycee, a gymnasium, amongst other notable activities. The speechifying took place in Central Park, and of course, no-one but invited guests were able to get anywhere near the area. The PECTA office, located in the Park, just yards from the centre of activity, was closed for the day. No access. Jelte did try to get in via an un-known rear entrance along the river. Two guards with Kalashnikovs saw him off!! Everyone (or almost) was dressed for the occasion, in suits, ties (which you almost never see in Khorog), Kyrgyz hats, Pamiri Hats, Pamiri traditional dress. For women, red was the colour of the day.

Red IS the colour

There is no florist in Khorog; there just isn’t the disposable income to make it a viable business. But on this day, there were fresh flowers everywhere!! Pot plants that must have been nurtured by just about every Khorog resident, lined the walkways and entrances of Central Park. The Tajik flag flew everywhere as well as from the highest mountain peaks (and they are still there). A huge flag and welcome message adorned the mountain-side. Jelte, I and a few stalwarts were busy with meetings while all of Khorog lined the streets to wave their flags and welcome Him to Khorog. And then it was over. The pot plants went back indoors, the flowers were appropriated by those quick enough to claim them and the crowds dispersed. Until the next time...... meanwhile, Jelte and I are off fishing over the weekend at Yeshikul and Burunkul in the Murghab.

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Cross Border Markets and our First Tajik Wedding

The kids (here at a wedding) are all right - always It's Friday afternoon, 4:30 pm and a colleague mentions, by-the-way, that Monday is a holiday as Constitution day falls on Saturday, 6th November. A long week-end with places to go and things to see!! To hell with a two week pile of unwashed clothes! Here in Khorog, every Saturday morning there is a cross-border market, which is the closest we can get to actually visiting Afghanistan. View from the bridge in our village towards Afghanistan At 10 am Jelte, Rod and I hail a 'cab' and for the price of just one Somoni each (the equivalent of 30c or 20p) we share a 'golf cart' - commonly known as a Chinese van - with 4 other passengers to take us to the site of the cross-border market. When we arrive, things are just beginning to come alive. Standing out in the crowd We wander around the few stalls of fruits and clothes and odds and ends. Jelte and Rod si...

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