{"id":157,"date":"2019-07-13T01:49:11","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T23:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/j-ontheroad.at\/eastbound2019\/?p=157"},"modified":"2025-01-12T15:28:45","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T15:28:45","slug":"tajikistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/?p=157&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Tajikistan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photos<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took a\nwhile with a new report. But a lot has happened. Meanwhile, I am in Kyrgyzstan\nin Osh and try to bring my intestinal flora back under control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But\nbefore I start to tell about experiences in Tajikistan, more encounters or\nfunny things from other travelers in Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nSamarkand there was an elderly Korean who traveled slowly and writes a blog\nabout Central Asia  in Korean for other\ntravelers because there is not much information about this area in their\nlanguage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then\nthere was a younger Korean, who somehow got into a wedding party. Two girls\nwere running around with him throughout the afternoon. When one of them said,\nshe wanted to marrym hi, he got scared, simulated a phone call and disappeared\nin the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greg,\nfrom France, is on the road for a few months with his motorcycle. To cross the\nUzbek desert, he bought a metal jerrycan. He mounted it unprofessional on the\nmotorcycle. The jerrycan got scared and the gas started to burn. He drove that\nway for a while, until he was made aware of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greg’s\nexperience is spreading across the Overlander community. Days later, when I\nmeet other motorcyclists in Kyrgyzstan, they too knew his story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

05.07<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am\nfinally allowed to enter Tajikistan. When leaving, there is a moment of shock.\nWhen I had to return to Uzbekistan days before, the border guards did not give\nme any customs papers for the motorcycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These\nwere required at the exit. Luckily, the officials found me in the computer\nsystem and I’m allowed to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some days\nago somebody asked me if I will drive through „the tunnel“ on my way\nto Dushanbe. I had no idea what he was talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About\n80km north of Dushanbe is the Anzob Tunnel, the Tunnel of Death. It is a big,\nblack hole in the mountain. Exhaust clouds escape the entrance. When I\napproached, I thought: What? Do I have to go in there?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\ntunnel is 5 km long. There is no ventilation, lighting is sparse. When you see\na vehicle approaching, you only see two faint points of light. I was glad when\nI saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Cyclists are not allowed to go\nthrough. Usually locals or truck drivers pick them up. There is still a few\nboneheads, looking for some thrill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At noon I\narrive at Dushanbe and immediately go to the responsible office to apply for\nthe GBAO permit. As I mentioned in the last post, I forgot this when I applied\nfor my visa. Everything is super easy. They fill out a form, you pay 20 SOM (2\nEUR instead of 20 EUR if you apply directly with the visa) at the bank and the\nnext day I can pick up the permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here in\nDushanbe I finally want to change my rear tire. I try for a couple of minutes\nmyself. Then I mount the tire again. An Englishman, traveling with his wife\nwith a SUV, puts air in my tire. I start to drive around, looking for a tire\nrepair shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find a\nsmall place somewhere. I show the good man that I want to change the tire. He\nlooks at my motorcycle and shakes his head: No.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I let him\nknow that I’m will take off the wheel from the motorcycle and he just needs to\nchange the tire. He agrees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Damn it!\nI left my tools in the hostel. The guy is even worse equipped than me. He has:\none adjustable wrench, a mounting iron, a hammer, a half-broken set of Allen\nkeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the\nmiddle of the sidewalk I unmount the rear wheel. There are a few onlookers\nright away. After a short time the tire was changed and I can start again. The\nservice was 4 EUR. For that price I am not doing it myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I stayed\nat the Greenhouse Hostel. A true meeting place for a wide variety of travelers,\ncar, motorcycle, bicycle, backpacker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the\nevening I spend a long time with the older English couple and a young Swiss\ncouple. The English have been touring the EU a lot, but have never dared to\nleave it. Now retired, they have taken their courage together, drove off and\nare now enthusiastic world travelers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are\nsuper nice people and talk all the time, the two Swiss and I have only\noccasionally the opportunity to say a few words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

06.07<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the\nway to the city center, to walk around there a little bit, I pick up the GBAO\npermit. In the afternoon I’m chatting with an old South African guy. He can not\nafford to travel to Europe or expensive countries. Even Tajikistan is high\npriced for him. He was traveling a lot in India and also had stories to tell\nfrom Ethiopia and Eritrea. I learn a bit about how the state and its corruption\nin South Africa works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nlaughs, when I tell him about the „Ibiza scandal“ in Austria, that\npoliticians have resigned and the federal government has been dismissed. That’s\npeanuts for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\nobserve the events in the hostel, of arriving guests, of cyclists and\nmotorcyclists working on their vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slowly a\nfew people join us, the two Swiss from the previous day, Andrin and his\ngirlfriend, whose name I have forgotten, an Israeli, a Spaniard and a few more.\nWe chat far after midnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

07.07<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I start\nheading towards the  Wakhan Corridor and\nPamir Mountains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kalaikhum\nis my goal of the day. There is a north route with about 250km, which should be\nmore adventurous – and as it turns out later, it is. And a south route with\nabout 330km, which is mainly paved and in good condition. I choose the North\nRoute. Of course I do. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first\n100km are in very good condition, I move on fast, then the gravel road begins.\nThe road leads through steep rugged terrain through the mountains. For the\nfirst 20km I need an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After\nthat it is a little better. It’s only 50km to Kalaikhum when a landslide blocks\nthe road. That’s annoying. Right behind me is a SUV. We examine the situation.\nThere is no doubt, he has to turn around. I take a closer look at the\nsituation. The landslide is shallow, partly I see where the locals have lead\ntheir animals. It is possible to get over there. I take the luggage and boxes\nfrom the motorcycle and carry everything to the other side. After that I go\nover the landslide step by step with the motorcycle. It was not too bad. In the\nlast few centimeters there was a wet part, as I suspected. The „wet\npart“ turned out to be a deep mud channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the\nfront tire I can go over it, with the rear tire, I dig myself in. Crap! Almost\ndone, and now that, the whole motorcycle dirty. I pull the bike over and pull\nit on firm ground. Then I go to the river and fetch water to wash away the\ncoarsest dirt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bike\nis packed again, I drive 100m and get a shock. No bridge over the river. I\nthink: Was it all for nothing? To I have to turn around now, and do everything\nagain? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

River\ncrossings are always a thing with the motorcycle. How stong does the river\nflow? How deep is he? Is the track smooth or are there obstacles, in form of\nlarge stones in it, which increase the risk of falling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A local\nis by the river with his donkey. He looks at me, does not speak a word. I asked\nhim showing with my hands: How deep is the river? He: About a hand’s breadth. I\ndo not trust him. I take a branch and check the depth about 1\/2 meter from the\nshore. In fact, only 15-20cm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I start\ndriving. As soon as I’m in the water and have overcome the first 1\/2 meters, it\nis much deeper and my boots are running full with water. I stop on a gravel\nbank in the middle of the river and turn around. The guy looks at me. I just\nshake my head in his direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since my\nboots are already full of water, I wade through the second part, which is no\nless deep. But there are no obstacles. So I go through. On the other side, I\ntake off my boots and pour out the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the guy, standing there, just looking at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nKalaikhum at the hostel I meet a Canadian who was in Afghanistan for a few\ndays, he is traveling with a cheap Chinese rented motorbike and a there is also\nCzech motorcyclist. We chat about our experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

08.07<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chorog.\nThe road there goes along the Afghan border. The two countries are separated by\na large river. The road is a disaster, but the worst part is still ahead of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Chorog\nI enter a Minimarked to buy food and water. An old lady, and I assume that\nthose two children are her grand son and grand daughter, not older then 15-17\nyears, are in the shop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where do\nyou come from? It can’t get in their mind, that I traveled from Austria to\nTajikistan by motorbike. Are you married? I say: No. The eyes of the old lady\nbegin to brighten up. She talks with her granddaughter. I do not understand a\nword, but I know what they are saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I\nleave the shop, the old woman calls after me: I love you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the\nstreet, I meet two other motorcyclists who look like they are looking for\naccommodation. I stop and tell them where I am staying. When I come back from\nshopping, the two are there too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With\nthree other Englishmen, wishing to hike in Afghanistan for two weeks, I then\nplay cards till night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

09.07<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not\nfeel so well. Probably I ate or drunk something wrong. I already spent a lot of\ntime on the toilet during night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I move on\nto Langar. From other travelers, I’m warned that the last 150km of the Wakhan\nCorridor is Hell. I do not even know if you can talk about a street. On the way\nto Langar, I am at least did already 50km .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m still\nnot well. I have diarrhea and some fever. I arrive in the early afternoon and\nlie down right away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10.7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To\nMurghab. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another\n100km through hell. Corrugated parts, potholes, bumps, sandy spots. At a deep\nsandy spot the motorcycle started to skid, I bang against stones, the clutch\nlever is bent, the windshield broken, also the indicator glass and the right\nmirror is bent. Well, not so bad. Just broken plastic. The indicator is still\nworking. I fix everything as far as possible and move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The worst\nthing I notice when I arrive in Murghab and examine the bike again more\nclosely. I lost my duct tape out there. The most important thing on this trip.\n\ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today I\nreached altitudes over 4300 meters. Murghab lies at an altitude of about 3600m.\nI can hardly breath walking up the difference of 20m from the market to the\nhostel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here, the\nPamir is a very rough area. There are not many villages and they are far apart.\nIn between, one sees, from time to time far away from any civilization, small\nhomesteads that are inhabited by shepherds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As hard\nas the ride is. The scenic view is uniquely beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In\nMurghab the cold wind blows the sand through the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the\nhostel, 6 people are waiting to leave the village. They want to go to\nKyrgyzstan. But the collective taxis, which are large off-road SUVs, don’t go\nfurther then Muhrgab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I chat\nwith them a little and then lie down again. They are super touching and ask how\nI am, if I need anything, if they can help me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11.07<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the\nmorning, the 6 can find a solution, they were able to find a taxi that brings\nthem across the border.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I too\nstart to leave Tajikistan. On the last kilometers, the road is really bumpy\nagain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think:\nWhy are you doing this to me Tajikistan? That I for sure will not forget you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was\nexhausting challenging days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I cross\nthe mountains to Kyrgyzstan and it’s like landing in paradise. But more about\nthat, next time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tajikistan was a real challenge. The easiest thing was to get the permission to cross a certain area. I also had to cross a landslide and rivers and fought againt a really bad food poisoning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":237,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tajikistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=157"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":651,"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/157\/revisions\/651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/j-bauer.at\/eastbound2019\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}