• From Kartafkhona, we opted for a private taxi rather than a crowded "Damas." Through Yandex Taxi, we booked a Ravon Nexia for 115,500 UZS (Comfort fare). The trip took one hour.
• At the border, several drivers approached us offering rides to Dushanbe. After some negotiation, we hired a new Chevrolet Cobalt for 800 TJS to travel directly to our hotel in Dushanbe.

This included stops in Pendjikent to buy a Tajik SIM card and bypassing the hassle of multiple transfers. It was worth the extra cost for a smoother journey.

• Group taxi from Kartafkhona to the border cost 15,000 UZS per person. Locals paid just 10,000 UZS.
• At a nearby shop, I exchanged UZS for TJS at a rate of 1,000:1.
• Border crossing was smooth. Uzbek officers thoroughly checked my registration but Tajik officers said nothing about migration cards.
• Taxis to Pendjikent from the Tajik side charged 15 TJS per person after some haggling. Locals again paid less (10 TJS).

Pendjikent was surprisingly pleasant, and we stayed overnight at the Zarafshon Hotel for 160 TJS (no booking websites list it).

• From central Samarkand, near the Medical Institute, I caught a taxi to Kartafkhona for 10,000 UZS. Two other passengers joined along the way, and we drove for 20 minutes.
• At the bus station, several “Damas” minibuses had direction signs on their windshields. It took 1.5 hours to reach the border via backroads and unpaved areas. Locals paid 10,000 UZS, but I was charged 20,000 UZS.
• I exchanged 100,000 UZS for 90 TJS at the border.

On the Tajik side, no buses or vans were available—only a few cars. I walked 100 meters and found a car with two elderly ladies. The driver agreed to take me to Pendjikent for 15 TJS but ended up driving me directly to the market without charging anything and even gifted me a melon!

The return trip was less comfortable. The car picked up three drunken Tajik men who smoked and drank as we rode together in a cramped space with loud music blaring. Still, it was an adventure.