This is great, thanks hauteboy.

Looking at the route you followed, I understand that you did a daytrip to Istaravshan from Khujand, hence the dogsleg in your route. Do you happen to know if there is a more direct border crossing from Istaravshan if you're heading to Samarkand, or do you have to go the same long way around that you did?

I'm trying to figure out whether we drive from Samarkand to Dushanbe via the northern border crossing (ie somewhere around where you crossed), or if we loop around to the south of those mountain ranges and enter Tajikistan near Tursunzoda. Curse the Panjakent border crossing closure!