Australia to Europe

The journey to the border from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan was riddled with problems: the cooling system was still overheating even though some repairs including a new water pump have been completed in Osh. A well operating cooling system is kind of essential if you want to conquer the Pamir Highway, the second highest highway with passes up to 4655m and the highest country border. Ah well, after several stops and goes I decided, slowly but steady wins the race and to take the risk.
So with a few stops to cool down the radiator I finally made it to the border crossing. No long wait as not too many people take this route.
So first the Kyrgyz pass control, quick and easy. Unfortunately Rexby couldn’t do without a bark, so I had to show the doggy pass port and his Vet certificate. It is apparently a requirement that you get the dog vet checked before each border, which is a bit difficult as there aren’t too many vets around. I and all the other dog holders have never done this either.
What can I do but blatantly offering him the vet check performed for Rex’s entry into Russia, which he accepted? My pride of my brazenness was short lived as he now made further checks of the dog passport and found that I don’t have an entry stamp into Kyrgyzstan in the document. Now, a dog I did not import into Kyrgyzstan I cannot export he tells me. So please what can I do???
I will be travelling the Pamir in convoy with Christoph, a German guy and Lena his Russian friend. I quickly asked Lena, into the office to translate. I asked, what can I do now? Well, I am told, you have to go back to the border where you entered the country. “No I cannot travel back, my visa will not allow me.” “I don’t care, not my problem!” and so it went. Lena was really giving all she had: “you will need to shoot the dog, we will not travel leaving him here” “you have a gun, let’s go outside and shoot the dog!” Ahhh, the Russian temperament!!!
I tried another avenue: “My husband has died, and now I have this dog as protection! I can impossible travel on without the dog.” It was very cold and my nose started running, so I sniffed. I caught his eye which made me to wipe my eye for good measure, and the other eye as well. I don’t know, what made him change his mind, the prospect of great difficulties with his authorities, when shooting a dog at the border or the prospect of a crying woman, but he gave me the stamp. So after 20mins or so we left the office with the stamp on the document hopefully successfully hiding our triumph. Thanks so much Lena!!!!
Now through the noman’s Land again to the Tadjik border.
The border is quite a ramshackle affair with some decrepit containers as offices. Into the first office: I say my salam alaykums and ask them in Farsi how they are going, Hojat, you would have been proud of me, and in no time I had a biscuit between my teeth and a stamp in my passport. I asked them, Please, please please put a stamp into my dog’s passport as well, but no, I will get this in the quarantine office.
The next office I attempt to enter and I am told, to go out again and take my shoes of first. So I take off my shoes and back in I go. The same Farsi ritual, some small talk in English, 245 Somoni paid and out I am. Christoph later told me he had to pay the double of that and not even long discussions made the officer change his mind. I really have to work on my language skills, seems to be opening doors.
Next office, quarantine. Same initial procedure, which always seem to be followed by a happy smile. I of course was a bit nervous, did I not have the veterinary certificate, but he only wanted to know if the dog is healthy. Oh yes, healthy he certainly is. Some more documents and the coveted stamp in my doggy passport and through the border I was.
I drove through the gate, but I was still waiting for my travel companions. Whilst I was sitting in my car, one of the officers of the quarantine office called my back in. Now they’ve got me!
But to my biggest surprise when I enter the office, they usher me into the second room, I am offered a little stool and on a log of timber in front of me they placed a frying pan with a yummy potato stew they have cooked themselves. Who had ever been served food by a customs officer! I was speechless about this welcome to Tajikistan!Read more