Wednesday 3 August 2011

The Wakhan Valley

I left Khorog after spending a day in bed feeling pretty ill still but I had to keep moving and I was on the mend. I knew the town of Ishkashim was a couple of days away and there is a hospital there so I could always stay there a while if needed. On the way out of Khorog I went to the market and stocked up on decent food for the last time in a couple of weeks. I bought a litre of petrol to cook with then entered the Wakhan valley. The river is much narrower here, only about 10m wide, it would be very easy to enter Afghanistan!
 

The road was about 50% tarmac, 50% dirt and riding was tough, especially with low energy levels because of the illness. I was managing to make slow progress but I needed to get better soon so I could leave Tajikistan before the visa expired.

At the first police checkpoint I was cheered up. They handed me a pot of tea and some bread, which really helped my morale! 10km later I was really low, no energy at all so I gave up and lay down on a warm boulder on the side of the road and slept for half an hour. I woke up and managed another 10km to the next village and asked for a place to camp. The showed me to a lovely orchard and I put the tent up and unloaded the bike. To make things worse that day I discovered my rear pannier rack was broken. The hole where you screw it onto the frame had snapped. I swore loudly and the two teenagers who had taken it upon themselves to look after me (really nice guys) came to investigate the problem. I said 'problem', pointing to the damage, and one of them said 'no problem!'. He took it away and after an hour came back with a new component he had made in a workshop. It fitted perfectly and the rack was as good as new. Amazing! I gave him a big smile and thanked him before crashing into bed!



The next day I was woken at half 6 by an overexcited child who had brought me tea for breakfast. I went to use the toilet and was followed. He waited outside while I was on the loo then escorted me back to the campsite - very strange! Anyway, I left in better spirits but still not well. I limped on to anther village at lunchtime and ate a bit then slept in a bus stop before I was awakened by some middle aged women shouting 'tourist' at me! Very annoyed I carried on and struggled into Ishkashim where I bought some antibiotics. I met a Polish cyclist called Paul who rode with me to the next village where he knew a doctor. We knocked on the door and I was ushered in. I lay down on a mattress in his beautiful Pamiri house. It has 5 pillars, to symbolise the pillars of Islam. It's open plan with the kitchen in one corner, a TV and roll out beds. It was a lovely place.


The doctor made me a herbal medicine which I drank and then ate some rice and milk. I had a shower and then fell asleep. The next morning I felt a lot better so something had worked. Still not 100% but I was ready to get going again. The doctor was another example of amazing hospitality that I've been shown on the ride so far. In the morning before I left, a baby was brought to the doctor to be examined. He had a cough. The doctor checked him over and it seemed didnt ask for any payment. An amazing guy!


I left the doctor's and rode up an amazing valley. The side valleys on the Afghan side showed off views of the Hindu Pradesh mountains in Pakistan, with peaks over 7,000m. They were stunning, snow capped peaks with bright white rivers falling from them into the valleys in Afghanistan. It's an amazing place. I climbed an appalling dirt road for an age and had another energy crash. I struggled to a shop and found some coke, biscuits and CRISPS! I bought 4 packets and got my salt and sugar fix and was able to continue.





The next morning's I was better! Tummy troubles over I cycled along more terrible roads but through more beautiful scenery. I passed a museum with a Pamiri house and a solar calender from the 1800s. It worked by aligning some rocks and the shodows told the date somehow. In the afternoon I found a waterfall and had a refreshing shower under it. Next up along the valley was a mineral water spring. It was delicious, with naturally sparkling water.




I passed the village of Langar, the last settlement in the Wakhan valley and stocked up with 3 days of food from a very expensive shop! The road climbed out of Langar to reveal even more spectacular views of the mountains in Afghanistan/Pakistan. I cycled up a series of switchbacks, the local boys pushed me up from behind to give me a boost! I found a flat bit of land o the inside of one of the switchbacks and lay down on my mattress. There was no need for a tent. I made a fantastic soup for dinner and fell asleep under an amazing night sky. I saw 3 shooting stars and the milky way was as bright as I've ever seen it.



The next morning the road continued to climb up to 3,000m. It turned into a terrible sandy track, which wasn't all rideable. With a mixture of pushing and slow riding I managed around 35 miles a day for the next 3 days. The road climbed up the river valley and was as beautiful as every. I saw camels on the Afghan side of the river. There was really nothing except nature and beatiful scenery. The only sign of man was the track, there was no other traffic except 3 French cyclists I saw before the final police checkpoint. It was a very tough but fantastic 3 days. After the police checkpoint, I started the difficult climb up to Khargush pass, at 4,320m. The altitude was beginning to affect me. My breathing became short and I had to keep stopping to get my breath back. The climb was hard but very very difficult due to the altitude and the appalling road surface.




Eventually I reached the top and met Martin, a German cyclist I'd met in Khorog. We had lunch together and celebrated beating the pass. He had tummy problems now so he carried on slowly and I went ahead to begin the descent to Alichur. I decided to finish a bit early at a Lake on the Pamir Plateau. I came down from the pass and was on tarmac again. I let out a cheer as I cruised along the amazingly smooth road surface! It was wonderful to be moving fast again. I cruised down to the lake and enjoyed a beautiful night camping. I'd beaten the illness and the Wakhan valley and experienced the most beautiful scenery of the ride so far. Next up is the Pamir Highway. Can't wait!






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