the Adventure Lifestyle magazine

�����=- aJ I Istan a newly independent nation in Central Asia which ��� has been undergoing profound political and economic changes since breakup of the Soviet Union. Since the civil war in 1992. sporadic fighting ha continued. largely in remote areas. but with some incidents in the Tajik of Dushanbe. Tourist facilities are undeveloped .... many of the goods an services taken for granted in other countries are unavailable. Without a visa. lers cannot register at hotels and may be required to leave the cou immediately."-state Department Internal Travel: Travel is difficult and unreliable. Flights may be canceled or substantially delayed. International train connections are dangerous because of criminals operating on board. Road travel can be made difficult by checkpoints. where police or soldiers are generally armed and will shoot if vehicles do not stop. The U.S. Embassy recommends road travel only in daylight hours. and on routes known to the traveler or a --...Ireliable escort."-State Department "Areas of Insta bility: In February 1997. two United Nations vehicles were hijacked in broad daylight and their occupants taken hostage. A series of murders of ethnic Russians have included seven murders in one night. Outside Dushanbe. there have been sporadic nighttime fighting in Tursunzade and demonstrations in several other cities. The U.S. Embassy recommends Americans remain inside during hours of darkness. Travel within 15 mires of the Afghanistan border is tightly controlled and potentially dangerous."-State Department "Crime Information: Tajikistan has a struggling economy and widespread unemployment. which have resulted in a high incidence of street crime. Travelers should not travel alone or on foot after da rk. "-State Department "Currency Regulations: Taj ikistan is a cash-only economy. International banking services are not available. Credit cards and traveler's checks are not accepted. Traveling with large amounts of cash can be dangerous."-State Department 36

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