Holiday trip to Panjikent and Seven Lakes

May 9th was Victory Day, celebrating the 1945 victory that the Soviet Union won over "Hitler and Facism" in “The Great Patriotic War” (WWII). Because of ~ 10 million Soviet military deaths and ~15 million civilian deaths, every family suffered enormous losses, including those in what is now Tajikistan, so it's a very big holiday here. First, a few days in advance, there was an assembly at MGU, including these kids from a related school singing a song from the era with 1945 newsreel footage in the background. (Black and orange--the colors of death and war, I was told).

On the actual day, we got to see what seemed to be the entire town of Panjikent come out for a ceremony honoring the few remaining veterans and laying wreaths at the memorial park.

The timing of the holiday allowed Lee and me to take a three-day trip, from Dushanbe to Panjikent. We made the drizzly ~ 4 1/2-hour drive with an American friend of a friend, on a mountain road through passes and tunnels (improved in the last few years).

Panjikent is a pleasant town on the banks of the Zerafshan River.

We enjoyed meeting new friends of friends, catching up with a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, seeing the Victory Day celebration, and exploring the ruins of the ancient Soghdian city.

On Tuesday afternoon we connected with a driver and homestay host to go up to Haft Kul or Seven Lakes, in the Fan Mountains. This amazing area gave us glimpses of beautiful mountain-snow fed lakes, landslide devastation, environmental degradation, and village life.

Strip mining for gold; Chinese-operated; payment for their job of paving the M34 highway?

Second Lake (morning) and the mountain road

Our homestay, between Fourth and Fifth Lakes

Fourth Lake, afternoon

Sixth Lake, morning

Village girls near Fifth Lake

At the homestay

It was good to see the lakes in different lights/weathers on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. We were told they are at a low level now and that to see them in their glory we should return in August when they are full of snow melt.

We drove back to Dushanbe on Wednesday afternoon in a shared taxi with three other Americans and a Dutch tourist. These two photos represent both the sublime and the not-so-great aspects of travel in Tajikistan.

Peaks near one of the tunnels

Traffic jam returning to Dushanbe

 We returned to somewhat of a heat wave (in the 90s) in Dushanbe, and Lee's ankle is still sore, and I had a bout of giardia again (thankfully only 24 hours), so it's pleasant to look back on these refreshing photos.

Fifth Lake, morning