Comments on: Five Things I Love About Tajikistan

By: Alison

Alison — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:42:22 +0000

Dan – good to know you’re having such a good time in Tajikistan. I really enjoyed reading about apricots, melons, and Rahmon Post some more pictures if you get a chance! See you back in DC.

By: Nick

Nick — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:04:13 +0000

I loved the post, Dan. And I fully appreciate the fruit fix. I could eat nothing but MANGOS in Sierra Leone and would be a happy person. That’s something I never would have expected before I came.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 06:16:11 +0000

Danny,
I have yet to meet any Zoroastrians in Tajikistan, but the people here are certainly conscious of the fact that Zoroastrianism forms a significant part of their heritage. Many shops and hotels bear the name “Avesto,” which I believe is the title of the seminal book of the Zoroastrian religion. In one museum I went to near the town of Isfara, the Avesto was displayed alongside the Bible and the Koran as a tribute to the great religions of the world. I will keep a lookout for any practicing Zoroastrians and let you know if I find any. Take care,

-Dan

By: danny

danny — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:58:30 +0000

Dear Sir,
want to know that is there any zoroastrians in tajikistan or not
because your country was once ruled by great zoroastrian kings and zoroastrian culture
thnks
danny
zoroastrian from pakistan

By: Ravshanoi

Ravshanoi — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:04:02 +0000

Thank you for your very colorful (and accurate I must say) description of Tajikistan. I have been living in northern Tajikistan for a year and a half and have also encountered many of the same hospitality situations. So much of what any of us try to do does seem like so little in the face of such need, but if there are enough of us helping it might eventually make a difference on a larger scale. Keep on going, Tajikistan needs you!

By: Alanna

Alanna — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:24:19 +0000

Ah, Central Asian hospitality. I had a meeting with a group of women in rural Tajikistan, about how expensive food had become and how they could no longer afford meat or vegetables or rice. At the end of the meeting they invited me home for a meal. They realized the contradiction, and one woman smiled in embarassment and said “I have no food, but I can give you bread an tea!” I claimed I had an appointment at the embass and fled. I wasn’t going to eat someone’s last piece of bread.

By: brendan11

brendan11 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:16:39 +0000

Great post, Dan — I’ve wanted to check out that part of the world for a while, now i want an apricot.

You’re one of the furthest fellows from the U.S., i think, and I am the fellow closest (abt 15 min walk from Texas) – interestingly, many people here have never spoken to a real live american either!

Brendan in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico

By: Jan & John, KivaFriends

Jan & John, KivaFriends — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:27:43 +0000

Dan, thank you for sharing with us. Funny – you make those Tajik guards look like hobbits And I suppose the best you can say about their President is that no one is running around shooting just for something to do. Thank you for being there and helping Kiva help those folks.