26/8
The morning begins with partly cloudy weather and almost no wind. The road is still incredibly good, but I remember that it is supposed to get worse ahead. The rest of the way up to Yoged, which is just under 300 km from Khorough, not only offers a good road, but also breathtakingly beautiful and majestic landscapes, though there are some quite tough climbs at times.
When I left my tent camping just outside Kishti Poyen I have covered 250 km and still 340 km left to checkpoint two, Khorog. and the toughest part is left.
This part om Pamir Highway or M41 following river Panji which is also border river between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. I often see small villages, vehicles being driven, and hearing children’s play on the Afghan side.
The villages are small in most cases and I only cycle through them if I am not in need of water or suchlike.
Just before ten a´clock a.m. I took my first longer break at a small village and a typical roadside café with a leafy area below and several tables set out.
Early lunch break at a popular roadside bar
It is Saturday, and many are probably off work today, as there are plenty of people gathered around some of the barbecue spots. It also seems to be a place for travellers, since several cars are parked there.
I choose a table indoors and get salad, rice and some pieces of chicken, lukewarm drink and tea.
Praying mantis are ambush predators that chase other insects.
What we Westerners are not quite used to are all the flies and other insects that love to gather where there is food, but the other guests seem to take it all in their stride!
Curious glances come from all directions, and I suppose they wonder who I am and where I come from. The flag I have on the back of my bike, I suspekt few know where it is from.
The proximity to Afghanistan and the civil war that raged between 1992 and 1997 has left visible traces…
Russian tank left since the russian war in Afghanistan
and a number of times I encounter patrolling soldiers along the road with Kalashnikovs.
Patrolling Tajik soldiers, more curious than suspicious
Most of the time, they just note my passage, but occasionally someone wants to check my Visa and whether I have a GBAO permit or not.
After some tough climbing I reached Yoged, a small village but a Homsestay (B&B) made my interest so I stoped and asked for one night stand.
– 5 $ for bed includning dinner a young guy told me.
– I´ll accept
You couldn’t possibly haggle, even if you had no shame at all.
I get a room divided into two, with a 20” Russian tube TV. The bed is a thick red mattress on the floor. I drag it to one corner of the partition wall towards the other room so I can lie down and watch Russian TV.
The dinner was meat soup, vetetables and bread. Not a gourmet dinner but I got full and that was the most important.
Yoged-creek floats into Panji river
| Total distance | 73,6 km | Travel time | 04.41 h.m | Total time | 09.28 h.m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max speed | 72,1 km/h | Medium speed | 15,9 km/h | ||
| Max temp | – | Average temp | – | Min temp | – |
| Max elevation | 1998 m.a.s.l | Min elevation | 852 m.a.s.l | Total elevation | 2919 m |
See yea Later
P-G
//The Global Cyclist