After spending 2 weeks on the most outstanding road trip ever, we were ready for the comforts and relaxation offered by the modern world. Goodbye mountains, hi comfy beds and delicious food! Even though we were thrilled to have hot showers, great food and relax, we were also in Dushanbe to try to obtain three visas for the next countries we were going to visit: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran.
After stepping off of the helicopter (I still can’t believe we got to go on such an outstanding ride), we parted ways with Jess and took a taxi to our guesthouse. When we arrived, it was around dinner time so Nick and I checked in and followed our rumbling bellies to the nearby chaikhana (teahouse) for some kebabs, bread, salad and chai. We we still so pumped up about our helicopter ride that we talked and talked very excitedly for quite a while before heading home.
We had planned to spend about 10 days in Dushanbe organizing all of the visas and getting caught up on the website. What we didn’t plan was to actually stay in the city for the whole time! We had all of these great plans to head out into the nearby fan Mountains and do some much more trekking and possibly camping. That didn’t happen.
Beautiful Radaki Park in Dushanbe
We loved Dushanbe so much and found ourselves having a little routine that was good for a change. We awoke whenever we felt like it and walked the 3kms down the beautiful Rudaki main street to our preferred coffee place. We’d have two double Americanos with milk on the side and purchase up some incredible brunch – pumpkin & pear soup, pastas, salmon salad, roasted vegetables and other delicious western food. The food and coffees were perfect. We then would work on the website, go and see some sights and plan what we wanted for dinner.
Seven out of the eleven days that we were there, we ate Indian food! As you know, we love this cuisine. We can’t get enough of it. To be completely honest, the food here was the best Indian food we’ve had – in India or outside of India. The owner is from Delhi and the chefs are from the sub-continent as well. The thick, flavourful, spicy curries hit the spot; the fluffy naan bread smothered in butter and garlic were outstanding and the masala chai tea was thick and creamy. We tried something new every night and were never disappointed.
mmm, some of the best curries we’ve ever had!
Apart from eating delicious Indian food and drinking Italian coffee, we did dabble in the local cuisine as well. When we were in the Pamirs, we heard about a conventional food called kurtob (yogurt, onions, coriander and flatbread served in a wooden bowl) but weren’t able to try it. So, I was on the hunt for this food in Dushanbe. We found it at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant (seriously, it was a hole in the wall!)
A conventional meal in Tajikistan, kurtob
the hole-in-the-wall restaurant where we ate kurtob
We also ate at a nearby teahouse that we went to for lunch and snacks. We found some juicy, roasted chickens at the exposition for dinner a couple of nights, and also discovered a great shawarma stand.
Deliciously juicy roast chickens to buy at the bazaar
Getting hungry yet?!
The city of Dushanbe was relaxing, quiet, beautiful and had just enough going on for us. The huge Haji Yakoub Mosque fills up on Fridays for the 1:00 call to prayer. Worshippers rolled out their own personal carpet, knelt down and prayed. It was a very interesting sight to see.
Inside the Haji Yakoub mosque in Dushanbe on Friday
Bag-i-Radaki Park was a great place to view the sun set while kids whipped by on roller blades, parents pushed their babies in strollers and couples walked hand in hand. The flowing fountains, monuments and peaceful atmosphere made this a great place to linger.
Sunset at the Bag-i-Radaki Park
Near our guesthouse was the bustling Varzob Bazaar. here we found everything we needed for our roast chicken dinner: fresh bread and every ingredient for a salad. everyone said hi to us, were pleased to have photos taken and even provided us totally free samples of food.
Grapes for sale…out of the back of a van!
At the end of our 11 days in Dushanbe, we had successfully obtained our Iranian visa (it took 24 hours and cost 75 euros), Turkmenistan visa (it took 5 company days and cost $55) and our Uzbekistan visa (it took 2 hours and cost $75). Dushanbe is the place to go if you need these visas!
Whoo hooo! got our Iranian visas in our passports
We had stuffed ourselves with great food, done some souvenir shopping, wandered the streets numerous times, got caught up on our site and delighted in some down time. but it was now time to relocation on.
Uzbekistan, here we come!
***GOAT NOTES:
Where we slept in Dushanbe:
Adventurer’s Inn. Address: Pulod Tolis 5/11 near the Varzob Bazaar.
Cost: $18/person/night. We bargained and paid $15/person/night. including wi-fi and shared bathroom.
Where we ate in Dushanbe:
Salaam Namaste. Address: 81 Rudaki Ave. Phone: 992487018634, +992938694154.
Cost: $5.80 for meat curries, $5.40 for vegetarian curries. Breads & rice $1.25-$2. They also serve beer.
Segafredo Zanetti. Address: 70 Rudaki Ave. Phone: +992487015777.
Cost: $1.45 for an Americano coffee. Soups $2.30-$3.10. Pastas $3.55-$6.45. breakfast $1-$2.50. Salads $3.30-$8. Steaks, salmon, chicken meals around $10.
Also check out the teahouse best at the intersection of the Varzob exposition for kebabs $1-$3 and salad $1.50. look for the roasted chickens being sold on the street and for the small shawarma shop on Rudaki Ave.
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