High Temps, Cheap Eats in Tajikistan

My friend Paul Gesalman, who is travelling in Central Asia with his wife, reports that in Khujand, Tajikistan the temperature yesterday was 106 F, hot by any measure. The town's museum was closed, but he and his party managed to eat a large meal in "one of the best shashlik houses in town."

It consisted of one skewer each of lamb and beef, a half chicken, a bowl of borsch, green salad, french fries, a tortilla stuffed with onion and meat, a melon plate, another plate of fresh fruit, a pitcher of juice and mineral water. This all came to just $14.50 U.S.

He hasn't been reporting on hotels. Paul is an old Central Asia hand (not that he is old, just a figure of speech) and I suspect he is staying with friends. However, I checked Trip Advisor http://www.tripadvisor.com for hotels this coming weekend in Dushanbe, the Tajik capital. I couldn't find any prices of under $100 per night, not including local tax, and a number in the mid $200 range, so the bargains may only apply to food.

Paul has been posting on Facebook some amazing photos of the mountains in that part of the world, and writing about a trip through a local road attraction known as the "Tunnel of Death." Sounds like a great trip if you can tolerate the heat.