By August 2025, it was possible to cross the Friendship Bridge in Termez, Uzbekistan, and enter Afghanistan near Mazar-i Sharif. For a variety of reasons, this was a more attractive option than transiting through Tajikistan, as we had planned in previous years. We arrived in Termez on a hot Thursday afternoon on the flight from Tashkent and checked into the gorgeous Comfortable Homestay, planning to get our visas the following morning.

Afghanistan’s consulate in Termez is on the lower floor of a new residential building. The red, black, and green flag of Afghanistan hangs on roadside of the building, but in the courtyard the white Taliban flag is flying. It was a reminder of the diplomatic complexities of engaging with a state whose government is not formally recognised. 

The challenge? The consulate was shut. The website said it was open, and a tourist we met at the homestay had successfully applied for her visa the day before. We googled “public holidays in Afghanistan” but nothing showed up. The security guard was adamant, however: no one is here; come back on Monday. Friday 15 August was, we would subsequently learn, Victory Day, the fourth anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power. 

Our plans were upended, though not irreparably. Our arrival in Afghanistan would be delayed (yet again), but this time only for a few days. We would enter, bureaucracy permitting, on Monday evening instead of Saturday. In the meantime, there was nothing for it but sightseeing in Termez and drinking a few last-minute beers in the garden at Diplomat restaurant.