Week 8 (Tajikistan)

10/8

Rose at 6.15, breakfast too early, updated blog. Laterz.
Took us 3 hours to cross the border to Tajikistan. Had to get a second stamp, since i had a multi-entry visa (seriously!). On the road to Istaravshan. Just had lunch and bought some beers (5 sominos each (1 US$)). About to go on the road again. Laterz.
Istaravshan was not that spectecular, but again: people are very friendly and extremely curious. Everytime we enter in city this is what you see:

Spend an hour there. Then up to the mountains for a bushcamp. Slept lousy on the rocky ground, since my air mat is flat.


11/8

Rose at 6.45, end of diahrea (yeee), breakfast, and on the road again for two more bush camps at a lake at high altitude, so... cold, but no mozzies. Laterz.

12.30, we're stuck and need to get rid of a few stones, to have our truck pass the small bending of this mountain road.

Need i say more? I only know one rock formation, that's more impressive and that's Led Zeppelin ;-)
On the way again now though.
Arrived at the lake early (15.00 our so). Put up our tents and the relaxation begun. Very cold water to swim in though, but still. Good cooling for the beers too. At 5.30 Tim and I started cooking and at 7 everybody had their dinner. At 8 we were done.
Had a great campfire, with lots of music, new Turkmenistan friends from then on to 11.15 pm. Then somebody started shouting that it had to be over with. We already had decided that, but still a bit of a let down after such an nice evening.


12/8

My stomac is a little upset, so... to the toilet at 8 pm yesterday, 4am and 9.30 am again. Hope it's over now.

Slept in till 8.45 and when i went to the truck Tim and Dave had done most of the breakfast. Thanks guys, highly appreciated. Now... do a little walking with Tony this afternoon and relax the rest of the day. Yes!
Just said goodbey to the Titjikistan guys we met at the campfire last night. They are going hiking to the 7 lakes, a few km's from here. Have fun guys. Great and very hospitable people.

Spend the rest of the morning sleeping, reading. Went for a walk to the waterfalls in the afternoon. Took me 3 hours, but it was very nice.

<Ozzie Allison's pic to add>

Had a great dinner, made by Dennis and Corine. (tried to ) play a complex Radio Head song with James. It's hard, but it's a great song.
Campfire with a beer to finalize the day. Good night sleep.


13/8

Rose at 6.40. Breakfast and on the road again. We have 3 hitch hikers with us. One is Erich (Germany), don't know the other two. Laterz.
Drive went well, untill ... construction work on the (4 km long) tunnel, so.. we're waiting... and went on waiting untill 14.00h. Then a drive through a 4 km long tunnel, which was under construction. Scarey drive.
17.00h we arrived in our hotel (well, smotel (smelly hotel)) in Dushanbe (capital of Tatjikistan). Carlos and I share a room (nr. 13).
Getting my washing powder from the truck, coz after these two nights... 11 bush camps in a row....
Now shower and then a Burger King's Whopper. Yeeeee.

The Burger King became a local little outside restaurant (owners: Turka and Tulja). Food was good and cheap and people friendly. But at the exchange office they tried to rip me off (30 euro for 101 somino in stead of 201 somino). Had to get angry to get the last 100, but in the end i got it. The guy even played to be insulted. Anyway, Tony, Marian and I had a good meal. Later another drink with Dave (UK) and Dennis (Falklands) to finish the day.

Back in the hotel, finally got a wifi connection, so left a small message to say i'm OK.
Good sleep.


14/8

Woke up at 7.30. No breakfast i guess. Updating log in bed now, while traffic starts up in town. Going to explore Dusbane. Laterz.
Had a nice breakfast with Marianne, followed by a visit of a bazaar, where I managed to buy warm socks (!) and a new flash light. We're going up, so it will be cold. Right now that sounds like music to my ears actually.
At 10.30 left for the center of town. Walking. Took 1,5 hours to get there, 2 hours to explore the center and 1,5 hours back. Exhausted. Had a beer with Tony and then... good bye diner: Ellen will leave us tomorrow, so... back to the center of town by cab, indian food and back. Very expensive and everything took ages. (before all people had arrived, before dinner was ordered, before we had payed (after a re-, re-, re- recalculation)). And since i was so tired already it pissed me off that it all took so unnecessary long. Anyway, back at the hotel now. Getting some sleep. Really need it.
Just a check on my FB page (wifi is back).


15/8

Had a good night sleep, but... diahrea again (getting fed up with that). Had breakfast on my own in the same place as yesterday. Packed, said good bye to Ellen (she's going back to Dubai, where she lives and works), and on the truck again. Had to stop the traffic to get the truck of the hotel area.

<Aussie Allisons pic to add>

Now on the road again. It's a cloudy day, which makes the temperatrure very pleasant. 24 celcius. Great. Laterz.

It was a though, thouhg, very bumpy, long, long drive through the Pamir  mountains (better: the Wahkan valley) of Turkmenistan. Everybody was exhausted. Had to fill up the wateretanks, bucket by bucket from a well, we found on the way.
Bush camped on a dry river bed.

Slept like a log from 10 to 5.30.
Oh yeah, Marianne got quit sick. Hope she gets better soon. Pity her.


16/8

Woke up 5.30, breakfast, and another bumpy day of 200 KM of bad road ahead of us. Must reach the Pamir Highway, where 4 more days of bumpy rides await us. Laterz.
13.30. The drive was scarey as hell again. Still the scenery was stunning.
Just had lunch in a small village at the beginning of the Pemir mountains.

Found a small beach, where two rivers merge. Blue colored water merges with brown(ish) water. Strange view.

The trip in the afternoon was long, scarey and bumpy again. It went along the <find out> river, that forms the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. So, saw Afghanistan, but never set foot on it.

At the end of the afternoon there was a truck jam at one of the passes. Did bushcamp near a dry river again in the desert. Had a nice dinner, sang a few songs with Kate (don't worry, i just played the guitar), went to bed just after 9 PM, so i could...