Back into the mountains after our rest in Dushanbe, heading onto the Pamir Highway. orgasmic scenery. Celebrated my birthday with a bottle of Tajikistan cognac, could just cram into bags and great value at 4 pounds. We spied an ideal camping site on the other river bank, that rare occasion when there was a bridge across the huge river we've been following. The previous night we'd camped on the lawn of a tea-house, having fantastic home made beer, a barrel cooled by stream water and pulled by foot pump. Fantastic cool down swims the end of hard days ride, also washes the clothes.
Khaburabot Pass
The 2nd pass at 3250 metres, roughly the same height as a week earlier, but lots easier due to acclimatisation. The downhill was very rough and steep, a relief on the legs, but hard on the fingers, constant breaking 2 hours downhill for 36km. The bikes take a pounding and after a while, you simply don't care, everything is secure, let it rattle on dude. Amazingly haven't had to change brake pads yet for 6000km, still going strong.
Used our petrol stoves for lunch, by a stream, which happened to be running through someone's back garden, but they didn't mind, kids bought as fresh cherries, etc... In fact have been trying to fix my petrol burning stove for the last 2 days now, and at last, today, yipee, I can make hot noodles, welcome relief from biscuits.
Stayed in one dust bowl of place, basic accommodation at a truckers stop, the most basic unsanitary place you could dream of, however, the place had character and a grim charm. Enquiring about washing (a shower would be unrealistic), I was taken round the back of the 'hotel' and given a kettle full of warm dirty brown water, washing with my cycle clothes on - water straight from the main river, there are no clear springs/side-streams here - and five minutes later there's a guest drinking tea from the same kettle - so, be wary if you order tea - actually, I had soup, the vegetables were good, I threw away the meat after one taste, and the soup definitely tasted muddy. Washing up was done using the puddle in front of the 'hotel', and we saw a tea pot being filled from it too. The lady who delivered the my soup, bizarrely, had soup all over her face. Still, must toughen up the stomach for later on, all good practise. I won't tell you about the toilet.
For the last few days we've followed the river Pyanj up-stream, along border of Afghanistan, it's hard to describe the magnificent the scenery, in panoramic 3D and impossible to capture by photo. Afghanistan is clearly visible across the gushing river, very close, we are in a deep river valley, our road winds on one 45 degree angled bank in Tajikistan, on the other, we see donkey trails, houses, people on the more basic Afghan side. Although we are following the river up-stream, the road sometimes climbs high above, and then there's a downhill back to almost river level.
Hot, the heat is big, the valley runs east-west and our river bank points straight at the sun. I really enjoy stopping at the streams, gushing down the valley sides, and soaking my head in cool snowy melt water, then drinking it. Have lost all those civilised hang-ups about purifying water, dropping my spoon in the dirt, picking ants out of the muesli,... Cool mountain water springs, the best.
Accepted an invitation to stay with a local, Subhia, pitching our tents in her garden next to their fresh water spring, where we cooled our drinks. Fantastic to camp under an huge apricot tree, every time the wind blew there were fresh apricots to pick, so we just ate them, good for morning muesli too. Keith had 7 beers, and just the 3 for me, I wonder what they thought of us. Very nice family, Sobhia talked most excellent English, so was easy for both of us.
Landslide
And then there was the landslide. Cycling along, and a local person tries to tell us something, and 10 minutes later we realise why. There is a huge rock/mud slide blocking the road, all the way down the mountain side to the river, vehicles have stopped, people are scratching their heads wondering how to continue. Can't have been long happened as there are only 1 or 2 people clambering over the slide. Local people from a nearby village have come to watch, and we hire a group of kids to porter our gear over the slide. All very friendly and helpful. Huge landslide. Will take many days to clear, we crossed in about 10 minutes, everything was covered in mud. As we fixed up the bikes, there was sudden pandemonium (ye spelling), alarm, shouting and everyone was running, vehicle engines started, reversing away, basically, there was a roar from high above and clouds of dirt as another landslide was carving its way down the mountain side. Real panic, you'd have to have been there, but alas, I ran too, bike in hand alongside our faithful porters, but nothing came. Interesting account here from a fellow cyclist losing a bag in a landslide.
Seen some Chinese trucks, travelling in conveys, big Chinese flags draped on the sides and considerate drivers too. It's amazing how their large vehicles cope with the rough terrain and mountain passes, good mechanics too as we've seen many being fixed on the road-side. They must enjoy the challenge.
Also, there's landmines here to, off the side of the road, not always obvious, but i guess those nice green grass areas surrounded by barbed wire are there for a reason. Keith and I, took turns hunting those camping spots, we still have 2 legs each. A few shells of tanks left over from the civil war, but really all that is over now, and the country is very safe, its just nice to boast sometimes.
Khorog
So, am in Khorog now, a major town on-route, and as I walked here, shadows and sun-lit red glow slopes from the sun low in the sky. As I said, its hard to photograph, so have to take the time to chill out, been busy though today, fixing, maintaining, get supplies. We will stop here for 2 days, then the Pamir Highway gets more remote, maybe 2 days to the next shop with some dry patches, so fill up those water bottles. The final half of the journey here, the river became very wide and slow, more like a lake, and less hilly too.
Must mention the water irrigation here, fantastic, there are springs, artificial channels, sluice gates all over the place, all very organised and easy fresh water. In most villages there's always the gentle trickling sound of flowing water, even from our guesthouse apartment, we can hear the spring running through the neighbours garden.
The bikes have been reliable too. The odd puncture here and there, lately its been get thorns from wheeling the bikes into camping spots, and not on the road. I carried a big heavy duty spare tyre from Istanbul to here, so am pleased to finally use it now on my back wheel, bring on the rough road...
Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow (instead of doing chores), and then its off on Monday into the wilder more remote parts of the Pamir Highway, heading of towards Murgab, and ever onwards towards China. Bye for now....