4/9–2017
After a few days in Khorough battling nausea and pain, I was starting to regain my strength thanks to a dose of Tajik penicillin. But on the second-to-last night, after going out to eat, I struggled to make it from the road back to my hostel. Breathing was difficult, and I had to sleep half-sitting. My asthma medication only provided temporary relief, and soon I was dealing with more aches and dizziness. A Dutch doctor staying at the hostel advised me not to continue without a proper examination.
With my asthma, the dusty weather, and the high altitude risking aggravating my condition, I chose to join a young German couple—who had canceled their bike trip to Osh due to AMS, Altiude Mountain Sickness—and ride a jeep back to Dushanbe.
Our Jeep back to Dushanbe
During this trip, I’ve realized that dust, combined with the high altitude, is behind my health issues. The dust along the road has caused me, on three occasions, to barely manage getting in and out of the Jeep without triggering asthma attacks, and my medication only helps for a short time.
My whole thoracic spine feels inflamed, aching from my waist to my neck, and even walking up ten steps leaves me breathless.
Canceling is not a decision I take lightly, and I’m deeply disappointed. All the preparations and dreams that motivated me to trade my daily routine for life on a bike feel like they’re falling apart.
The motivation vanished, and then came the strange issue with the Chinese visa requirement. According the consulate, I’d have to fly to Sweden and apply for a new one there, as any application through a representative wouldn’t be approved. The German couple I shared a jeep with got the same message before heading into Mongolia.
Two other Swedes heard the same, but for some Norwegian cyclists, it was fine.
My dreams have crashed—I hope it’s only temporary. I’m booking a flight from Dushanbe back to Sweden as soon as I can get a ticket, which I’ll try to arrange this morning.
See yea later
P–G
//Disappointed The Global Cyclist