Today was dedicated to sightseeing around Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s capital.

In the morning we left the hotel and walked over to the Museum of National Antiquities. After a guided tour of the museum we boarded a bus towards Hissor Fort (see the previous blog entry).

We made it straight to an Indian restaurant after our return to Dushanbe from Hissor. The kitchen clearly was a bit overwhelmed by the group, so it took a while until everyone was done with lunch.

Once we left the restaurant, we made it straight into Flag Pole Park, to see the massive Tajik flag flying in the wind. With a height of about 165m, this is (at the time of adding this blog entry) the world’s second biggest flag pole (after the one in Jeddah, with a total height of just below 171m).

From Flap Pole Park we continued into Rudaki Park, to see the monuments and statues here. After a quick glance at the National Library we made a visit to the Ismail Somoni Statue. From here it was a leisurely walk back to the hotel along Rudaki Avenue.

With that – and a final dinner – an amazing trip did come to an end, most of us were on the flight to Istanbul early the next morning.

My conclusion of this trip … it may not have been the most comfortable trip ever – or the one with the best food or entertainment options – however the natural beauty of the region and the fabulous views leave one stunned – and all the hardships are forgotten.