Week 9 (Tajikistan & Kyrgystan)

17/8

... rose a 5.15. Helped Jill and Aussie Allison preparing breakfast, Packed and the 3rd day of dangerious truck driving is about to start. Laterz...

And then.. after a 200 meter drive (no kidding) there was a check post... and it wouldn't open before noon. And i rose at 5 something... Let down!

10.45 ... waiting ... grrr.
13.40 see 10.45 .. more grrr (Bridge needs to be repaired).

14.30 we were off finally. The usual long bumpy drive further towards the Pamir highway, which we did not reach again that day. 55 KM before Khorag, the city where the highway begins, we had a cold bush camp.


18/8

Rose 5.45, normal routine (breakfast and find a decent place to err... "download"). Funny thing is that 2 months ago nobody knew eachother while now you advise eachother about the good places to take a dump. Lol.
Anyway, on the road. After a few miles we found a good source to refill the watertanks. Meanwhile we acqaintanced with the locals, Friendly people as always in these countries. We managed to leave  our garbadge there as well (and i spoiled some of that messy stuff on my clothes (clean clothes now, coz the smell is unbarable). Updating blog now... Looking for a good supermarket to do some shopping for 4 cookgroups, coz we will be out of the civilized world for at least 4 days. Tim and I cook the last day (spaghetti).

Shopping in Korang was done quicky. Strolled around the city for one more hour to do some personal shoppong (i.e water, bread, cheese and beer).

The drive in the afternoon was bumpy of course. The scenery stunning as usual.

Bushcamped at a wet spot. It was cold. 7 degrees celcius.


19/8

A bad night of sleep. My sleeping bag is not cold proof enough, so woke up like every hour. Feel ok though. See if i hang in during the day. Laterz.

10.45 Stuck, like really stuck. No possible way to continue and so... back to  Korang... grr. No other option left though. So, 3 days up and down the Wahkan valley, to reach the Pamir highway, all for nothing (except for the great drives and the stunning views.. let's not forget that).

14.30 luchbreak in a small village. Not for me, i already eat some bread and cheese on the truck. Everybody seems a bit depressed. Don't know why... perhaps of the "return to Korang"-thing? Well, let's see..

Arrived in Kohrag at 7. Found a nice lodge, where we slept. Also met James (USA) again, who hitched with us a couple of days ago. Nice to meet up with him again. Managed to put a small message on FB, through James' tablet.


20/8

Woke up at 6, showered, shaved, had a great breakfast with fried eggs and all, so... ready to do the whole Pamir highway, which will take us untill midnight we reckon. Well prepared though.
We have to leave Tajikistan on the 21st, so... KM's to do. Laterz.

15.40 went over a 4.2 km pass. The view was stunning as expected.

Saw some mountain marmots too. They're too cute (Picture thanks to David Ford).

Had dinner at 4.x KM altitude, coz we want to go on driving till midnight and just have a snack round 7 pm or so.

Drove on to 20.30 and then bush camped in the desert-ish environment at high altitude. Putting up tents in the dark went fine, got a quick meal, enough to get you through the night. Cold it was though. Temperature dropped close to zero. The midnight pee wasn't pleasant. Slept ok though. Put my jacket on after 3 AM.


21/8

Rose at 5.30, good breakfast (beans and eggs on toast; love it). 6.45 on the road again. On our way to the border. Hope to enter Kyrgystan round noon. Laterz.

Saw lots of mountain moarmots again and some jaks too.

Reached the border with Kyrgystan round 13.00, where we are waiting now.
Crossed it in 30 minutes. Then an 30 minutes trip through nomens land. Now waiting to enter Kyrgystan... and waiting...

Entered Kyrgystan at 16.00 or so. Picked up 3 Kazagstan hitchres, who stay with us untill Osh. Roads are good. Found a beautifull bush camp lot near a river. Nice diner and (finally) played guitar with James again. We almost completed the complex Radio Head song (Paranoid Android). Good night sleep, though still a bit chilly.


22/8

Woke up far too early (1 hour later here), prepared breakfast, checked to vegetables we need for cooking tonight... completely rotten (we left them in the plastic bags.. rather stupid actually).
On our way to Osh now. Spend a few ours there to re-shop and hopefully do some internet, coz it will be unavailable again for a while after Osh. Laterz.

Long drive in the afternoon. Found a great spot to bush camp, including swim facilities, which i could not use, since Tim and I were cooking.
Spaghetti was ok, but it was 21.00h before we were ready. Shared a cold beer with Tony and learned a new Pink Floyd song with James. Slept like a log.


23/8

Happy birthdayto me. Breakfast ready in 20 minutes. On our way now. Sorry, have to stop... running out of batteries on my laptop. Laterz.
Long drive on the truck through the mountains of Kyrgystan. Strange country. They burry their deceased in graves, that have minitiature cathedrals on them.

The large planes between the mountains remind me of Mongolia. Nomad-like lifestyle:

Got a very good cold bottle of Tjech beer for my birthday. Thanks Will and Ally! Drank it on the truck. Bush camped on a high plane. Not too cold though. Played another song of Pink Floyd's album "Dark side of the moon". James and I almost play the whole album now.