July 7, 2007 Back in the Pamirs

Sharlyn Sawyer and Heather Rastovac, having arrived in Khorog, are waiting for the arrival of the rest of the fieldwork team, also en route by jeep from Dushanbe. The 18-22 hour journey, over rough roads, can be an endurance test. One that is all too familiar for all residents of this remote district. There are usually alternatives to this rather grueling ride, in the form of light planes that fly on an irregular basis from Dushanbe. This year the flights have been even less frequent, due to the cancellation of one of the carriers usually serving this route. As a result obtaining a jeep or bus (mashrutka) was even a challenge for the team. Necessitating tenacious, heroic bargaining and great persistence on the part of TDI administrator Mr. Jahongir Munzim and other team members.
We are happy to be living this year in a traditional Pamiri house and it will be interesting for us to see how we can best use the space to set up an office and handle our technical needs.