Tajikistan Visa Issued

I received word that the visa for Tajikistan was issued, along with the permit for the area that includes the Pamir Highway.  If you haven't looked at pictures of that part of the world, I really suggest taking a look, using a search engine for images.  It is starkly beautiful.  Those of you familiar with some of the remote areas of Alaska will find similarities with these mountains, I'm sure.

The passport is with the Russian Consulate now, and I hope to hear from them in another two weeks. In the meantime, here is a photo from western Mongolia.  It illustrates navigational issues, n'est pas?  For those who wonder, besides two GPS units, and maps and satellite images downloaded to the MacBook Air, I have 3 pounds, 4 ounces of paper maps, a U.S Army Corps of Engineers' compass, and a pair of cheap dividers.  But the dividers have a handmade leather case I stitched up for it yesterday, so they have that going for them, which is nice.

Bon soir! Or more properly, bon nuit!