Tajikistan

A parcel of sand arrived from Tajikistan, and one of the bags was blue.

The blue sand was crushed lapis lazuli, from a deposit high up in the Pamir Mountains. Beside it lay sand in white, beige and brown.

Behind the parcel was a long search. OUAW’s founder had heard that the country had rules on sand, but did not know how to get permission or have sand collected and sent legally. She emailed, called and faxed. In the end she wrote to English-speaking people with a connection to the country, whom she found on social media and in online forums.

The parcel also held a USB stick with maps, pictures and descriptions. And a very official photo from the country’s geological survey: a serious man in a suit beside a map, next to a table with the four bags of sand.

How the request finally reached them is still a mystery.