After spending three nights at the Pamir Lodge in Khorog we eventually made it aboard the infamous Khorog to Dushanbe flight. This flight only runs when the weather is perfect, and is consequently prone to being cancelled at the last minute. But after reading the following description in Lonely Planet, we decided it was a must for our itinerary:
"The aircraft scoots between (not above) mountain valleys, flying with wingtips so close you could swear they kick up swirls of snow. In Soviet days this was the only route on which Aeroflot paid its pilots danger money."
- Lonely Planet
We heard that getting a ticket on this flight was tough, but nothing could have prepared us for the chaotic and nonsensical process.
First, you must go to the airport with a copy of your passport and put your name on a waiting list. We did this and were told to come back at 9am in two days time. When we returned two days later we were told our names were not on the list and they did not have the copies of our passports. Grrr...
A plane was scheduled to arrive at 12 noon that day but the 16 seats had already been sold. The man at the airport counter (which is a misleading description as the counter was nothing more than an arc shaped hole in a wall 25cm wide and 20cm high) said there was another plane at 3pm but it was also sold out. He didn't speak any English, so all of this was translated through helpful locals, who were also scrambling for tickets. After insisting we needed to get to Dushanbe that day, and after several visits to the hole in the wall (on one of which he found our passport copies) he told us to come back at 2:30pm as there might be tickets available. That sounded dubious. We settled ourselves down to wait just ten metres from the little hole in the wall so we were in view.
At 2:30pm I went back with our passports and US $200 ($100 per ticket) and competed with a bunch of others also trying to get on the flight. After much persistence we were finally given a ticket which was reminiscent of a plane ticket from the 1990s, printed with red ink on carbon paper.
I couldn't believe we were getting on this flight. I had been feeling anxious all day with the waiting and now it was happening! After more anxious waiting in a small terminal lounge we eventually stepped out onto the tarmac and saw our lightweight Tajik Air plane that would either be our passage to Dushanbe or to the afterlife.
The plane seats 16 but there were more like 20 people crammed on that flight, including one kitten (cageless).
Unfortunately, the sound of the engines was disturbing to the poor cat, but that didn't stop it from enjoying the views.
Which were spectacular.
If I had the opportunity I would definitely take that flight again. Yes, it's expensive, dangerous, cancelled regularly and a pain to get tickets, but it's like being on a scenic joy flight through amazing mountainscape for 45 minutes. The alternative is to take a 12 to 14 hour share taxi on some dangerous roads that are prone to landslides. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but I know what I would choose if given the opportunity again. Just look at this view!
We heard that getting a ticket on this flight was tough, but nothing could have prepared us for the chaotic and nonsensical process.
First, you must go to the airport with a copy of your passport and put your name on a waiting list. We did this and were told to come back at 9am in two days time. When we returned two days later we were told our names were not on the list and they did not have the copies of our passports. Grrr...
A plane was scheduled to arrive at 12 noon that day but the 16 seats had already been sold. The man at the airport counter (which is a misleading description as the counter was nothing more than an arc shaped hole in a wall 25cm wide and 20cm high) said there was another plane at 3pm but it was also sold out. He didn't speak any English, so all of this was translated through helpful locals, who were also scrambling for tickets. After insisting we needed to get to Dushanbe that day, and after several visits to the hole in the wall (on one of which he found our passport copies) he told us to come back at 2:30pm as there might be tickets available. That sounded dubious. We settled ourselves down to wait just ten metres from the little hole in the wall so we were in view.
At 2:30pm I went back with our passports and US $200 ($100 per ticket) and competed with a bunch of others also trying to get on the flight. After much persistence we were finally given a ticket which was reminiscent of a plane ticket from the 1990s, printed with red ink on carbon paper.
I couldn't believe we were getting on this flight. I had been feeling anxious all day with the waiting and now it was happening! After more anxious waiting in a small terminal lounge we eventually stepped out onto the tarmac and saw our lightweight Tajik Air plane that would either be our passage to Dushanbe or to the afterlife.
The plane seats 16 but there were more like 20 people crammed on that flight, including one kitten (cageless).
Unfortunately, the sound of the engines was disturbing to the poor cat, but that didn't stop it from enjoying the views.
Which were spectacular.
If I had the opportunity I would definitely take that flight again. Yes, it's expensive, dangerous, cancelled regularly and a pain to get tickets, but it's like being on a scenic joy flight through amazing mountainscape for 45 minutes. The alternative is to take a 12 to 14 hour share taxi on some dangerous roads that are prone to landslides. Both have their advantages and disadvantages but I know what I would choose if given the opportunity again. Just look at this view!
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