Ski Touring in the Shadow of the State
Emomali Rahmon – The Beloved Leader.
His photo is everywhere.
Looking down at you with benevolent eyes, arm often outstretched, acknowledging the love of a grateful people. Rahmon, Tajikistan’s “Founder of Peace and Unity” and “Leader of the Nation,” watches over the country from billboards and the outside of buildings. One could be forgiven for thinking that he was the manager of every hotel we stayed in.
Often the images are accompanied by rousing, patriotic texts. Here’s one translated:
Dear people!
I believe in the creative power and the honour of every one of you.
My great nation!
As long as you live, I am proud to bear your name,
I sincerely love you and wholeheartedly dedicate
my entire life to serving you.
My great, heroic people!
Hand in hand, all together,
in an atmosphere of peace and harmony in our beloved homeland,
Tajikistan, we will turn it into a paradise on Earth.
An ancient nation and a culture of tolerance — the Tajiks!
The hard and difficult days are behind us.
Now, with confidence and firm steps,
toward a prosperous future,
let us raise our caps even higher and move forward!
My proud and successful people!
May joy on the road to a bright and prosperous future
be with you forever!
Of the two and a half million books held in the colossal Firdausi National Library we only saw a few. All were by Rahmon or about him.
You get the picture.
But what about the skiing?
We put in some great turns despite bad weather and the challenges of moving around this exceptionally mountainous country. Tajikistan was this year’s ‘Expect the Unexpected’ tour and the trip lived up to expectations.
The notorious road up to and through the Anzob tunnel closed due to avalanche only an hour after we passed through, blocking our way back south to Dushanbe. What to do? The answer was to drive to, and visit, Samarkand in Uzbekistan before heading south to cross back in Tajikistan at Denau. There are usually (but not always) solutions to be found on these trips!