Soles of a Nomad

Dushanbe surprised me. I expected a quiet Central Asian capital. Instead I found enormous monuments, glowing fountains, and neon-lit buildings that make the city look like a blinking Christmas display at night. We only had one day before heading onto the Pamir Highway, but a walk through Rudaki Park offered a fascinating glimpse into Tajikistan’s strange, grand, and intriguing capital.

Getting from Samarkand to Dushanbe overland isn’t the most obvious travel route in Central Asia—but it turns out to be surprisingly doable. Here’s exactly how we made the journey: Yandex ride to the border, money exchange chaos, an unexpectedly fair-priced driver, a mildly stressful border crossing, and a beautiful mountain drive into Tajikistan.