The border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan runs for almost 1,400 km along the mountain river Panj. At its lower reaches the Panj can be very broad, but up in the mountains it turns into a narrow stream raging with emerald water. Here people who are on the opposite banks of the river can talk to each other without raising their voices. Tajik locals say twenty years ago they could throw a bar of soap to the other side and a bag of heroin would fly back.
