BORDERLINES: A Journey to Central Asia

Not unlike the oxygen, the border is invisible, yet each of our breadth is affected by it.

A river of twenty meter width separates Afghanistan from Tajikistan a century away. Tajikistan boasts its national heroes and ancient cities, yet the same heroes and cities are also claimed by the neighboring Uzbekistan. A Dungan Muslim in Kyrgyzstan longs for his ancestral land in China, yet a Kazakh is proud to speak Russian better than the Russians themselves. Meanwhile, Turkmenistan is isolated in its own utopia, under the shine of the Great Leader who promised a Golden Century to the whole nation.

Central Asia possesses among the world’s most absurd history and borders. Seduced by the mystery of “the Stans”, Agustinus Wibowo crossed the border river of Afghanistan and explored the ex-Soviet Central Asian republics to understand what it means to belong to one nation, one people, one custom and one reality.

With his critical eye of a journalist, yet also with the irony and humor of a visiting tourist, not only Agustinus will accompany you to enjoy the rough roads and thrilling adventures to the most improbable borders, but also to explore the borders that reside inside the deepest corner of your mind.

Paperback, 528 pages
Published April 14th 2011 by Gramedia Pustaka Utama
ISBN: 9789792268843
edition language: Indonesian

GARIS BATAS: Perjalanan di Negeri-Negeri Asia Tengah

Penduduk desa Afghan setiap hari memandang ke “luar negeri” yang hanya selebar sungai jauhnya. Memandangi mobil-mobil melintas, tanpa pernah menikmati rasanya duduk dalam mobil. Mereka memandangi rumah-rumah cantik bak vila, sementara tinggal di dalam ruangan kumuh remang-remang yang terbuat dari batu dan lempung. Mereka memandangi gadis-gadis bercelana jins tertawa riang, sementara kaum perempuan mereka sendiri buta huruf dan tak bebas bepergian.

Negeri seberang begitu indah, namun hanya fantasi. Fantasi yang sama membawa Agustinus Wibowo bertualang ke negeri-negeri Asia Tengah yang misterius. Tajikistan. Kirgizstan. Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan. Negeri-negeri yang namanya semua berakhiran “Stan”. Perjalanan ini bukan hanya mengajak Anda mendaki gunung salju, menapaki padang rumput, menyerapi kemegahan khazanah tradisi dan kemilau peradaban Jalan Sutra, ataupun bernostalgia dengan simbol-simbol komunisme Uni Soviet, tetapi juga menguak misteri tentang takdir manusia yang terpisah dalam kotak-kotak garis batas.

Petualangan Agustinus Wibowo di buku ini seakan mengajak kita untuk masuk dan melihat sendiri tempat-tempat yang selama ini tersembunyi di peta dunia. – Andy F. Noya