Almost at my second stage, Khorog

29-30/8
I’m close to completing two of my four waypoints with Khorog, just 130 km—or about two days of cycling—away.

I left Shipad in much better condition than last day but my appetite is still low.

Leaving Shipad and huge ,majestic mountains surrounding me

Just before half past ten I find a roadside restaurant and I feelt that now my appetite is slowly but surely coming back and I decide that it will be some breakfast. Tea, egg mixture and vegetables and a Pepsi Cola from the store next door will be my choice.

My first real breakfast for two days. Nice place with nice name ”TE House leaking water ”

I eat my breakfast with a good appetite and enjoy the surroundings of the roadside tavern. About forty-five minutes later I am ready to continue my pedaling. Before I set off, I fill my empty water bottles from the stream that flows down the mountain, past the pub and on towards the Panj River.

The water is ice cold and tastes awesome. I also rinse my head because even though I’m up in the mountains, the heat is palpable.

I come after tiring pedaling to the Rushan valley and the mountains that surround me are gigantic, 4, 5, 6 thousand meters of mountains around me and you really feel small.

Bland de små, billiga husen utmärker sig en fräsch och väl underhållen byggnad. Det här är hotellet, Café Naim i Rushan.

At five o’clock, I reach the small village of Pastkhuf and find a spot below a harvested field right beside the river. Two cyclists, a man and a woman, are already there, getting ready to set up their tent. They’re from Germany and have pedaled all the way from Dushanbe on their way to Osh.

After setting up my tent, I headed down to the river for a dip in the icy water, then went back up to grab my grocery bag and camping kitchen. I settled by the beach on the sloping ledge, boiled some macaroni, and poured it into a bag I’d bought in a small village, which I thought was some kind of meat soup. It looked good, but the taste was different—sharp and sizzling in my mouth.

Pastkhuf and Panj river

Contains probably some additive to meat stews for a whole family and not to macaroni for one person. Bury the cooking. My stomach flu has given up but on the other hand I have got problems with my bronchial tubes.

My bronchial tubes are beeping and it feels strained to breathe. I suspect that it is all the dust along the road that caused this. After the failed macaroni dinner, I crawl into the tent and quickly fall asleep to the audiobook Tomorrow it’s just under 50 km left to Khorough.

See yea later
P-G
// The Global Cyclist