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Central Asian Journey
Kyrgyzstan goes to the polls today to elect or reelect a president in a process which is somewhat less than democratic. I just returned from a month in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan. I spent most of my time touring the cities with their theatres, monuments, parks, and museums rather than hiking in the mountains and feel I got a good sense of the social atmosphere in those countries. All three are former union republics which have retained many of the old Soviet ways despite operating independently since 1991. Of course, the market economy thrives and the shops are full, but you still need official permission to do many things. For tourists, it all begins with a visa application. In Kyrgyzstan you can get your visa at Manas Airport for US$70/100 single/double entry, as I did. Visas for the other two were available at the consulates in Bishkek after a little running around.
In Central Asia you need to have your passport handy at all times: I was asked to show it three times on the streets of Bishkek by police who probably wanted a bribe. I had time to spare and they eventually got tired of interacting with me and I was on my way. Otherwise, I was able to travel anywhere I liked. I got a shock in Khojand (Leninabad), Tajikistan, when loud explosions rocked my hotel room around 10 pm (I retire early when I'm traveling). The police headquarters was right next door to my hotel and earlier in the day the rooms had been searched by narcotics police with dogs. I thought a war had begun! After a few more explosions, I sheepishly peaked out my door and saw a guy in the hall who told me it was only a fireworks display to celebrate National Unity Day. Sure enough, but too bad I didn't know about it beforehand. It was over before I could get dressed.
Tajikistan is very different from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in that the Tajiks are of Persian descent whereas the Kazaks and Kyrgyze appear to be descendants of the Mongols. Tajikistan has a long border with Afghanistan and all three countries are on the watch for Islamic extremism. Fair enough, but officials sometimes use this situation to justify repression, as happened in neighboring Uzbekistan in 2005 when government troops opened fire on a crowded marketplace in a region where extremists were thought to be active. Of course, governments in both Canada and the US use the threat of "terrorism" to justify repression when it suits them, but I suspect that in Central Asia the results can be rather more deadly.
However, I must say that for me as a tourist, I found Central Asia a very safe and friendly area in which to travel. I never once had the feeling I had to be on guard against theft or violence, although the police themselves did seem rather threatening at times. People everywhere were honest and helpful, and the cost of living is low for dollar tourists. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan are easy destinations, but if historic sites are your thing, Uzbekistan has the bulk of them. I was in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara in 1987 and hope to return next year.
In Central Asia you need to have your passport handy at all times: I was asked to show it three times on the streets of Bishkek by police who probably wanted a bribe. I had time to spare and they eventually got tired of interacting with me and I was on my way. Otherwise, I was able to travel anywhere I liked. I got a shock in Khojand (Leninabad), Tajikistan, when loud explosions rocked my hotel room around 10 pm (I retire early when I'm traveling). The police headquarters was right next door to my hotel and earlier in the day the rooms had been searched by narcotics police with dogs. I thought a war had begun! After a few more explosions, I sheepishly peaked out my door and saw a guy in the hall who told me it was only a fireworks display to celebrate National Unity Day. Sure enough, but too bad I didn't know about it beforehand. It was over before I could get dressed.
Tajikistan is very different from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan in that the Tajiks are of Persian descent whereas the Kazaks and Kyrgyze appear to be descendants of the Mongols. Tajikistan has a long border with Afghanistan and all three countries are on the watch for Islamic extremism. Fair enough, but officials sometimes use this situation to justify repression, as happened in neighboring Uzbekistan in 2005 when government troops opened fire on a crowded marketplace in a region where extremists were thought to be active. Of course, governments in both Canada and the US use the threat of "terrorism" to justify repression when it suits them, but I suspect that in Central Asia the results can be rather more deadly.
However, I must say that for me as a tourist, I found Central Asia a very safe and friendly area in which to travel. I never once had the feeling I had to be on guard against theft or violence, although the police themselves did seem rather threatening at times. People everywhere were honest and helpful, and the cost of living is low for dollar tourists. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan are easy destinations, but if historic sites are your thing, Uzbekistan has the bulk of them. I was in Tashkent, Samarkand, and Bukhara in 1987 and hope to return next year.
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