October 16th, 2006 | categorizilation: all categories,Tajikistan
You really must try this some time. The whole ‘I-do-not-know-how-to-ask-even-a-simple-question-therefore-are-living-in-a-storybook-where-everything-is-revealed-in-small-bits-over-a-long-period-of-time’ thing. Today has been one of those days.
I arrive at the police station ready to get my police report regarding the loss of my camera (for my insurance company) and then leave on my bike towards Khorog. However, it seems that the police had other ideas.
The plain clothes officer (who turned out to be the district’s top detective) took my version of events, and exlained that he would like to travel with me back to Warang to find my camera. He was certain that he would find it. It is a small town after all. The detective definitely had an air of confidence about him. Walking through the corridors of the police station, he commanded respect. He stood tall, with impeccably groomed hair and moustache.
I expained that I had no issues with going back to Warang, however my visa expires in four days, so that will be a problem. The detective took a concerned look at my passport, and ushured me to an important looking door down the hallway. He knocked and entered straight away, indicating that I should follow.
The district police manager’s office was in stark contrast to the rest of the police building interior. There was deep peach coloured carpet, a glistening glass chandelier, and a large solid wood desk. The manager was not tall, but very large – his large salary seemed to be treating him well.
I was greeted with the obligitory hand shake and gold tooth smile, and was promptly told ‘your visa is no problem!’. They would give me any amount of extra days I needed. The police manager went on to explain that a foreign citizen losing his camera was a ‘very big problem for us’. It was their job to see that the camera i found. ‘Therefore, please go to Warang with Detective Nazar’. There is one small problem however, and that is concerning petrol. ‘Would you be able to pay for the petrol to go to Warang?’
I figured why not. I was getting a ride back along some awesome sccenery, and if they did indeed find my camera, then the US$30 I paid is less than the $100 excess on my travel insurance.
So now I find myself in Warang, at the family of the driver who drove us here.. The driver has been drinking heavily since we arrived in Warang, and according to him, we won’t be going back to Iskashim tonight. It looks as though I’ll be staying here at his house. I haven’t seen the police officers all day either. I guess I will hear about the results of their investigation tomorrow.
