Aini was somewhere I had dreamed about seeing ever since I realized it was at the other side of the pass and meant that we were almost in Dushanbe. We stopped for some food but I don't seem to remember actually eating. I think I was more in the mood to just get to Dushanbe and put the whole ordeal behind me. The Pamirians, on the other hand, wanted to get crunk. Look, guys, we all want to get crunk. But I have barely slept, I haven't eaten, I just experienced an emotionally harrowing 2 days in the mountains, and I read on Wikitravel that Tajik vodka is notoriously bad and even dangerous to one's health. So no, I do not want to get crunk. But that did not stop them. They ordered a bottle of vodka from some kiosk and got some tea cups and poured shots for us. I raised the glass to my lips and took in the lighter fluid bouquet which burned my nostril hairs. The first sip was so vile I thought I would vomit on the spot. Luckily my teacup had a huge chip and crack in it so I was able to position that part by my lip as a took a sip so the majority of liquid spilled out through the crack, down my chin and all over the front of my jacket. So long as I didn't walk near an open flame or light a cigarette I wouldn't burst into flames.
I told the Pamirians that instead of vodka I would have a beer instead so I ordered one while they finished their vodka. Then, when all was done, the 6 year old operating the kiosk gave the total, which was something like 20 som, and the Pamirians had the nerve to say that they didn't have any money and they needed me to pay. AHHHHHHHHHH. Guess how I felt at this point. I almost exploded with rage. But then the kindly Dushanbe businessman stepped in and offered to pay and I felt so awful that he had to clean up the mess left behind by these other two drunkards that I paid for half. Anyway, the businessman invited me to stay with him once we got to Dushanbe, but I was so distraught and tired of my traveling cohort at this point that I really needed some "me" time to reflect on what went wrong this trip, and what we could do differently. So much.
The trip from Aini to Dushanbe was really smooth because there is an actual tunnel between the two cities. Evidently they are building a tunnel under the Istarafshan Pass as well, but could you imagine 20 years ago having to go through that entire ordeal twice? Anyway, they ended up dropping us off in North Dushanbe at the collection point for all group taxis heading north. It was at the end of the trolleybus line but it was also 11pm and no trolleys were running. So I decided to walk. But we were in the 2200 block and the downtown was in the, like, 0 block. So I went against everything I believed in and I got a taxi. I mean, the taxi got me. I kept turning down taxi offers, and finally when I asked how much it would be and he said 10 som, I kept walking until he agreed on 5 som. Then I got in and he stopped to pick up two more people.
Okay, so if you're in a taxi and then the driver stops to pick up two other guys "conveniently" placed a few blocks down, do you not freak out? Do you not, after spending two days trapped in the snowy mountains, absolutely lose your shit? Well, I didn't, and it's a good thing because they were all actually really nice people and the driver just wanted to make some extra money. The two guys he picked up were Kyrgyz students. The driver took me to a hotel which was something like 70 som. Ugh. So then I walked and found a hotel that was $50 USD. UGH. But it was the hotel Tajikistan, and I was tired, and whatever, I had just saved SO MUCH money by sleeping in that teahouse the night before. So at the front desk they told me the dorm room was like $20 and the luxury suite was $50. Obviously the luxury suite because look at me. I didn't look tired and gross at all. I had just come from the Ferghana Valley. G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S indeed.
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