The tip (Tadjikistan - Kyrgyzstan)


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July 30th 2009
Published: July 30th 2009
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Finally back on my blog. It is not all that easy to conect and when so only limited time available so I appologise for the delay.

Obtaining the Tajik visa was suprisingly easy thought as I went though a travel agency (only way for tourists to get hold of one) they charged me a lot. Wanting to travel to the more remote region of the Pamirs they require a further permit but having some time on my hands I decided to attempt to obtain it in Dushanbe (the capital). At the agency i met an american wanting to travel the 600km distancing the two cities therefore we decided to travel together. After having been a little conned on the cost of the travel we eventually after arround14 hours arrived in Dushanbe. The authorites constantly asking for "tips" thought a large smile generally gets one round the corner. Dushanbe is a vibrant town and inspite of its poor economic situaton has a beautiful center and dozens of fountains and lightings makes it unlike any central asian city. Tashkent was ghost like at dusk meanwhile Dushanbe is full of life and people wandering the streets any day of the week. The sceenery (contrary to Uzbekistan) is rich in vegetation. I obtained the GABO permit (for the the Pamir region) directly at the issuing authority enabling me to safe several days and a fair amount of money on accomodation. Having vistied a little the surroundings with the American I decided to leave as the following morning towards Khorog the capital of the Pamir region.

Arriving as suggested at 9 am at the departure station, I easily found a Mashrutka (little Chinese mini-van that can hold normally 8 people) that they promised me would be taking the southern route (two roads possible thought the northern one is hostile territory being occupied by terrorists). Eventually we left tought instead we were 14 of which 4 children, 7 women the drive, and old man and myself. Within the first 42km we stopped seven times point at which we still had another 540km to go and had waisted 3 hours. Eventually and despite my efforts to follow our trajectory on the map, we arrived a military check point which defined to the begging of the hostile zone (me still not knowing that this was it). Normally tourists are not permitted by any means to cross this zone and the political consquence of an incident are undesirable. The military where insitant about sending me back but as I was asking therefore my money back from the driver they got me throught (which I must say didn't exactly please me; I would have rather taken my money and headed back). Abruptly a deafning silence fell upon all the occupants of the car with silent prayers and crisped fists. we had left Dushanbe with two identical vans the other driving ahead. In this unwelcoming zone we had to cross a river which resulted to be quite an adventure. The van ahead got stuck in the 70cm deep flowing water as he entered in third and once in spun the when making the van sit on stones. With the locals we struggled for 40 minutes to pull this van out. To avoid the problem with our a 4x4 towed it throught crating no further delays. Being the only fit man in the van suddenly the locals took me in and were ever so friendly. Military possed were all over the zone thought a couple of loud bangs were heard and the stress level remaind high. Originially I had believed that the journey ought to take only a dozen hours but by night fall we had merely passed the terrorist area. The road all along the nothern strech was of dirt and barely clinging on the edge of a sometimes 500 meter fall. We had diner in a caran atop a mountain which was covred with blossoms of unsual and beautiful flowers.

At about 1 am having gotten back down from the 3600 pass, we slept for a couple of hours allowing the river to rest a little too. However the misfortune had only begun; at 5am the van leading the way broke some oil reservoir making us having to stop on a nice long strech of asphalt just on the other shore of Afghanistan. The occupants of boths vans rested at a nearby house with some sleeping and others drinking tea and chatting quietly. Oddly one felt that the journey was taking too long. But shortly past 8.15 the kids playing along the road (cars passed at most every 20 minutes) one ran half way accross but then seeing a speeding minivan (identical to our) ran back. However the driver of the mashrutka first attempted to passe behind him but then was forced the other way making a sharp curve thereby flipping it in the air countless time hitting a rock on the way and eventually laying still along the road. I was 30 meters away and saw the entire accident. Being the first there and still seeing little due to the clound of dust; evedently the accident had become very serious. One man was laying sevelr meter away and slowly cries started to emerge. The entire back of the van had be endented (due to the rock) and with astonishing ease ripped the sliding door open and helped the people out. They had been less crammed than ours thought still 3 or 4 women, three children and three men. Very quickly all were cleared of the vehicule thought the man lying away and the eldest child (6yo) were dying and died moments later. the other occupatns had serious injuries with brocken limbs and bleeding wounds (including one to the back). The most seriously injured and the two dead where driven with our Mashrutka to the nearest military post but were 12 hours away from any proper medical attention.
Considering the situation the vans with wheels half the size of a normal car, paper like structure and glass that shatters directly upon impact are merely driving coffins with accidetns just waiting to happen.

After that the police took the deposition of all (besides me naturally not understanding a word) and that the women of my vehicule all consistently lied to protect the child form problems we headed towards Khorog arriving some 36hours after departure. Aga Khan, in spite of at times his political dispopularity has done a lot for the region and is highly regarded in the area. All odern facilities and any type of edducation or medical seem to be funded by the Aga Khan foundation. Khorog is quiet and having little interest in lingering endlessly arround, I left the next towards the tip of the Wakhan valley (still along the Afghan border) where that day a famous market is held on the Afghan side of the river. The market is like amyn of central asia besides in open air and with about half Tadjiks and haf Afghans. It was nice going into the country for how ever little time it was and abrustly one notices the effective proximity of The Pamir Region to this country that has suffered so greatly from wars. People are probably even more friendly on that side thought the mentality is generaly similar. I then took another 4x4 towards langer ententually trully appreciating the comfort of the there "luxury" vehicules (what a difference !!). However just before one of the many hot spring sources (comes hot hout of the mountain) and gaz tasting water, i met a family of french (parents travelling with daughter) which offered me trasport throught the trully remote Wakhan valley. We sepnt the night at Langar before exprloring a little the surroundings. The valley is huge and is very dry due to its high altitude (3500m +). We saw countless type of beavers with stunning furs and even saw the Pamir camel thought the Marco polo remains a myth to my eyes.

We then went to Bulunkul which is back on the Pamir highway but to our supprise we encountered not one vehicule in nearly three hours along the niceley contrasting paved road. Just before reaching Bulunkul we passed a pass at 4600 but unlike one would expect the pass was merely a high plain with a smooth asent on either side giving little indication of the actual hight. Bulunkul is the end of the world and insoite being meely 16km for the "high" way it is a samll settlement of houses surrounded by beautiful hlls and soft mountains with lakes, pounds and abselut flatness. Trully undescribable...

Following a nice diner of fried local fish (plenty full as its agriculture is sponsorred by unesco) we reached Murgab the last real town before Kyrgystan. Its is abselutely dry with not an ounce of water in sight nor grass on the horizon. I met a New Zealander and German with whome to continue the journey directly to Sary Tash (Kyrgyzstan) early the following morning thought it resulted to be as always a little more complicated when working on a budget. The driver cancelled last minute (literally: 1am - scheduled departure 5am) therefore we waited until 12 time at which a group of locals where interested in crossing to Kyrgystan. On the way the lake Kara-Kul was of amazing beauty hvaing being formed by a meteorite 10 million years earlier. Lifeless apparently it is meant to freeze over in winter thought the turquoise waters seem just amazing. On the crossing (as the road goes along the chines border (which has thick barbed wire to limit drug smuggling) jsut past a former military check post) we "illigally" stepped into China. good laugh. At the border and as we were travelling with locals, the car was completely checked for drugs thereby speding nearly 4 hours just for the no mans land between the two countires and the Kryrgyz border. The sceenery changes radically. From completely bare to completely green. Just stunning difference.

We spent the night in Sary tash and the following morning I headed towards Sary Mogul from where I was hoping to attain Peak Lenin. However after much efforts and dishonety of the local tourism office, I wandered off in the park valley which eventually attains peak lenin. Teh sigt of a 7000+ peak literally a few kilometers away is just undescribable. Already at 4000 and looking another 3km straight up. I spent 6 hours in hail, rain then snow and the coldest nigh of my life (by far.... snow and ice in my tent). I crossed a dozen rivers and even had to use m crampons as anchorage to help me accross one, drenched clothing and complete exhaustion, I attained a high plateau (10-12hours hard hiching aon all types of terrains including glaciers) which got me with abeslutely no effort to base camp. however due to the drainage physical and emotional I gave up the prospect of doing the peak and headed back towards Sary Tash (eventually Osh). I difficultyl got trasport to Sary mogul but then headed straight to Osh (250km) with a bone to bone 8 hour marathon but got there in a reasonable time as the road had been severly flooded due to a part of a hill colapsing. In Osh immediately upon arriving I met the french familly from Tadjikistan and we agreed to meet the following day (they had also just arrived). Sorry to have failed the Peak thought the people attempting it had anything from 10 days to 3 weeks to do i, were near proffessionals and had very serious budgets.

Osh was a nice relaxing place with Bangkok/Buenos Aires type of atmosphere. Really nice. Got onto some internet about two weeks after Tashkent and strolled peacfully the streets.
With the french family we decided to go to Naryn to do a Horse ridding treck in the high pasteures. We got a driver that we believed was ore like a military fighter pilot and got us there with two hours less than scheduled (10h and 500km) we addressed the local tourism office to do a horse treck immediately the following day. Inspite we only got onto horses at 2pm we had done good timing and quickly all our annoyances were history. the horses partly very unrully and with saddles trully NOT approrpiate for men, were just a lot of fun. The plains were endless on this high plateau arround the Song Kol lake (3000m). Not better environment could be imagined for galopping endlessly. the lake is beautful and the wolf like dogs (pamir dog), the thousands freely roaming steeds and endless cattle made it a true paradise. Tourist orriented without a doubt but then again very plesant and staying in the yourts was just amazing.
Due to some physical constraints I saddled down a few kilometers before arriving and enjoyed a beautiful peacefullness of the region (thought also a nice strom).

Deceding form the plateau was just like scottish sceenery with oddly familar sights. Here many say that Kyrgyszstan is the second Switzerland (at times very true but one could say the same for parts to sctoland england or Africa :D). We now arrived in Karakol along the Issy Kul lake. Its beautful and is meant to be a little the "hot spot" of this central asain region particularily to Khazaks and Russians. One meets here far less locals than Chinese or russians. Dramatic change in the ethnographics.

Now heading a couple of days to the montains and then towars China throught Bishkek, Osh , Irkeshtam and hopefully Kashgar. So that's all folks... :D

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30th July 2009

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What is happening to your photos? Would be great (and safer) if you download them. Ks

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