This topic has been discussed many times, linked at bottom of this post.
OP, IMO you'd be better off exploring the local culture or pedaling to Turkey rather than sitting around pondering the Rohloff topic. Obviously people who own them will have their own set of prejudices to justify the purchase decision. It's much like the Chris King headset, and the majority of owners who think it was a great decision to pay 10X as much for a headset, with no apparent real advantage over the cheapest ones you can buy.
I don't agree that Rohloff reduces maintenance. The main thing all chain-driven bikes need, including Rohloff, is frequent, regular chain cleaning and lubrication. Derailleurs, cassette and chainrings need to be wiped down occasionally too but not nearly as often as the chain.
All IGHs add friction and rob pedaling energy compared to a cleaned, lubed derailleur (D) system - you pay for that "reduced maintenance" and IGH novelty with every crank revolution. They become more equal in this regard once the D system gets dirty or is pedaled with poor gear selection (cross-chained). So keep your D drivetrain clean and use gearing properly and you're miles ahead (literally). I recommend you take the opportunity to ride some of your buddies' Rohloff-equipped bikes and compare pedaling resistance to your derailleur bike by swapping back and forth. You should notice the difference.
There is a long-standing myth that Rohloffs (R) are maintenance free and last forever, both clearly false as you know. In your Bishkek guesthouse you see a failure rate of 1 in 12, but I think it's actually a little higher. I have read a handful of touring journals where a R broke mid-tour. To R's credit, they do ship a replacement hub out free of charge to the ends of the world (well, free if you don't count the $1,400 you paid for it).
I am not totally opposed to the Speedhub - I might own one if they cost <$500. Not only is the R itself expensive, the bike that will accommodate it satisfactorily may be expensive too. There are no proper, economical touring frames or bikes with horizontal dropouts or EBBs, so you'd have to use the R chain tensioner, or have a custom frame made. I have read the R tensioner performs poorly longevity-wise and in fact any old rear derailleur is the usual substitute once the R tensioner breaks mid-tour.
I don't think the Speedhub is a bad idea, it's just that for most bicyclists it seems to be a solution without a problem. If you decide to buy a Speedhub, this company has consistently offered the entire R product line at very good prices over the ~5 years I've checked:
http://www.starbike.com/php/suchen.p...loff&q=&cid=28
Past discussions of R:
http://www.bikeforums.net/search.php?searchid=6333069
https://www.google.com/search?q=rohl...bikeforums.net