03/11
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| World's tallest flagpole..whatevs! |
Now that we were able to travel the Pamir Hwy we needed a
GBAO permit to travel in Gorno-Badakhshan (GBAO), an autonomous region of
Tajikistan. We set out and found a couple of agencies that could issue us a
permit however being a weekend we had to wait till Monday to apply. Dushanbe is
a very small and quite picturesque city so we decided to take a walk and see a
few of the sights, including the tallest flagpole in the world! Yep now we had
seen numbers 1 & 2 (Baku) on the list, which left only the third highest in
North Korea to round off a perfect flag pole world tour. Our sightseeing also
took us past a large monument where a police man kindly offered to take a few
pictures of us. After five shots or so he was still insistent to take more and
we both became a little anxious, asking for the camera back. At this point he
began to ask us for money, we promptly laughed it off said no and walked away a
little bemused but excited at our first extortion experience by the Tajki
police. Soon after we walked past the “Republic of Tajikistan Agency of State
Financial Control and Struggle with Corruption” who were obviously not doing a
great job… Back at the homestay we met up with John and were given a large dish
of plov for dinner and all agreed it was time to go for some beers. We found a
bar that was having its opening night and went in to check out Dushanbe’s
Saturday nightlife. Fair to say Dushanbe is not a buzzing place, but the bar
did deliver great local pints for $1 and we had our pictures taken for the
opening night!
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| Our evidence of extortion- the suspicious/uncomfortable looks on our faces.. |
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04/11
Finn sniffed out the best coffee
in Dushanbe at café Segafredo and indulged himself with his regular order of a
double shot, soy, skinny, Brunswick st latte. We spent most of our Sunday here
as it rained torrentially outside except for heading to our new favourite doner
shop, which will most likely win Best Doner of Tour Award (BDOTA). Cost $2,
flavour exceptional (with cheese)! and the owners decision to paint the shops
walls with lead paint while eating made the doners seem moreish, if not
addictive. They were so moreish that John ordered three while telling us how he
travelled in India for six weeks living on $1 for food per day.
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| Our META Homestay in Dushanbe! |
05/11
Today we could apply for our GBAO permit which the lady said
would be ready tomorrow morning; however we insisted that we wanted it today. She
said maybe and told us to call back at 4pm. Back to Segafredo for the Batts
special coffee order and organise our transport from Khorog to Sary Tash (Pamir
Hwy) with SAFAR Drivers Club. Calling our permit lady at 4 she says its ready,
win! Off to Khorog tomorrow. Knowing that we were going to Khorog tomorrow and
parting ways with John we went back to Public Pub for burgers, fish and chips
(in a landlocked country) and beers to celebrate.
06/11
The journey from Dushanbe to Khorog takes about 16hours so
we set off early to the bus station after getting a little lost but eventually
found it with the help of a local mechanic. The yard was buzzing with Land
Cruisers everywhere and it wasn’t long before we were approached by lots of
Tajik’s offering us a spot in their car. We found one guy who gave us a price
and we were ready to negotiate like Uzbekistan however we were given the
local/real price which was very refreshing! Soon enough we were on the road and
it wasn’t long before our car was stopped at a police check point. Our driver
alighted from the vehicle with passport and licence in hand and we watched as
he skilfully took a 5 Som note from his pocket, placing it in the palm of his
hand and exchanged the note with the policeman in a friendly handshake. At that
he returned to the car without showing any documents to the police man. A
bribe! Chatting to each other about our first bribe experience one of the other
Tajik passengers told us how this was very normal and that it gets cheaper the
further you get away from Dushanbe. Our new friend who spoke excellent English
works to organise the famous cross border markets between Afghanistan and
Tajikistan.
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| Leaving Dushanbe behind us.. |
As the hwy crawled up though the mountains it reached the Pyanji
River and followed its path to Khorog. On the other side of this river was
Afghanistan! We were literally 20m or a stones throw from Afghanistan! although
it’s not recommended you go walking off from the road as the Soviets placed
land mines along the border. Currently a French company has been clearing them
and teaching the Takijs army how to clear the mines. After a surreal drive
seeing taking us past Afghan villages, Tajik soldiers, 10 bribes (which we
coined as the Tajik Handshake) and 14hours of driving we arrived in freezing
Khorog at Pamir Lodge. The owner Said greeted us and showed us to our room and
exhausted we fell asleep dreaming of our Pamir adventure that was to come
tomorrow.
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| Look Mum..Afghanistan! |
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| More Afghanistan... |
07/11
As we woke up to the freezing cold we emerged from our room
and headed across the small garden to Said’s house and enjoyed some breakfast that
included fried eggs (no surprises there!)
and fresh bread straight outta the oven. But soon enough our driver
Yusuf arrived, after Said had called him about half an hour earlier, and was
ready to leave. So as Said distracted Yusuf with breakfast and cups of tea, we
went and packed our bags and got dressed. We said our goodbyes to Said and his
family and then we were off in our Landcruiser on the Pamir Highway, something
that we thought wouldn’t happen but is happening!! Our first stop was a fire
temple and ruins of the fortress of the infidels about 5 km outside of Khorog.
After wandering the ruins, having a quick ice fight and stalking a fox that was
stalking us we were back in the car. We then passed the Chinese truck stop, as
the name suggests, a truck stop for Chinese lorries delivering all manner of
cheap and as Yusuf informed us, dodgy goods to Tajikistan. It was then on to,
by Harros request to the Sarez Sanatorium which Yusuf had told us that bathing
in the indoor hot spring was an option. As we entered the sanatorium we were treated
to just a load of nude Tajik dudes, so we opted out of the sanatorium and had
lunch before heading back out on to the road and to our stop for the night-
Bulunkul. As we settled into our homestay with some cups of tea and bread we
were soon treated to Marco Polo sheep- an endangered wild sheep native to the
Pamirs that locals hunt and cook regularly but many American and European
hunters pay up to USD $40,000 to come
and shoot. We then had the opportunity to make a difference in our homestay;
Yusuf asked us if we had any painkillers as our host was experiencing some sort
of horrific toothache. Harris obliged from his medicine stash and left the tab
of panadol with her, the least we could to. With nothing else to do except
check out the stars we were in bed by 8pm- in the coldest place in Tajikistan
with no electricity.
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| At the Fire Temple having an Ice Battle! |
08/11
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Bulunkul PS Class of 2012
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After suffering altitude sickness at -40 degrees Celsius which
included vomiting whilst being watched by a wolf, we were up fairly early to
make the short walk up to Yashil kul at 3734 m. A few selfies and a chat to a
local later we headed back down, said good bye to our hosts and jumped in the
car on our way to Murgrab with some significant stops along the way. But these
were not the only stops we made- the best thing about the private car was that
we were able to stop whenever we wanted to take photos and drink in the surreal
scenery at 3600-3700m altitude for the whole journey. Our first stop on the
highway from Bulunkul was the white fish natural spring, a deep blue and
turquoise spring stocked with 3 BLACK fish that had stuck it out for the
winter. Then it was onto Bosh Gumbaz, a photogenic Chinese tomb, which involved
driving off road across frozen streams and through a single Kyrgyz village. Then
it was back on the road to Murgrab and soon enough we had arrived; pulling up
at our homestay not long after lunchtime. We headed down to the bazaar to get
lunch which consisted of a few snickers, persimmons and a juice (with icebergs
even though it wasn’t in a fridge). With full bellies and with Yusuf having lunch
with his brother, a truck driver driving the Pamirs into China, we headed up to
Yak House- a cooperative for the making of handicrafts in the Pamirs for a bit
of shopping. Then we rolled on back down to our homestay to chill out and get
ready for dinner- meat and potatoes. After deciding that the next day, in order
to get to Sary Tash with time to go onwards to Osh, we would get up at 5 am,
have breakfast at 5 30 am and set off by 6 hit the sack soon after an episode
of Treme.
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| Our Host at Bulunkul |
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09/11
Despite a few troubles with our car- caused by the freezing
cold and the diesel engine-we set off on time from Murgrab. After an hours drive, involving a lengthy and
constant climb in the landcruiser we stopped at the highest point on the Pamir
highway- the ak-baital pass at 4655 m. Another hours driving and we reached
Kara-Kul, a lake at 3914 m that was created by a meteor approximately 10
million years ago. Pausing a couple of times on the road hugging the lake
(including one for a piss- the piss with the greatest view we have both ever
had) let us take in the amazing scenery;
particularly the high mountain ranges and tall peaks (the highest being Pik
Lenin at 7134m). Then it was back in the car driving alongside the Chinese
Rabbit Proof Fence and ascending to the Kyzyl Art Pass at 4282 m, the location
of the Tajik border post. With relative ease we got through this border- thanks
to Yusuf’s connections and his nephew working regularly at the post- and even
got a tour of the border guards accommodation limited to a shipping container
with 4 bunk beds and a pot belly heater. Over the pass we drove down into the
valley, along a dodgy road for 20km to the Kyrgyz border posy at Bor Dobo. As
we drove through no mans land, we came across a small orange tent with 3 bikes
parked outside and a small solar panel facing the sun. Here we met 2 German
cyclists (the third suffering from altitude sickness was hidden in the tent) riding
a loop from Germany to Bishkek and back for 13 months. In no man’s land they
were waiting for their friend to get better before they pushed on into the
Pamirs despite it being -40 and their friend already suffering altitude
sickness. After a quick chat we headed onto the Kyrgyz border with a Tajik
Narcotics Police officer. Thinking that having this guy with us would actually
make it easier to get through the Kyrgyz side it caused problems (especially
since he didn’t have his passport with him-idiot!). But eventually, after
thoroughly searching our car and stealing our persimmon, the Kyrgyz Border
Police let us through with no problems. The police even negotiated with Yusuf
to give one of their Kyrgyz border police mates a lift to Sary Tash to pick up
supplies for the post. So as we headed off to Sary Tash this Border Official,
in his broken English proceeded to tell us, using the example of PM Julia
Gillard, that women made weak presidents and then went on to sign our ball as a
symbol of cooperation between Australia and Kyrgyzstan. Soon enough we arrived in Sary Tash, and were
stopped on the main road with our Policeman hailing cars to take us the next
leg of the journey to Osh. Furthermore, in his camouflage and furry hat he
negotiated a price with the driver, which we thought the driver wouldn’t mess
with. Thanking the Kyrgyz policeman for his assistance and Yusuf, Head of the
Safar Drivers Association (theres his promised plug!) for one of the greatest
experiences this trip and probably EVER and wishing him safe travels on his way
back to Khorog - Inshallah- we packed in the back of our Lexus and began the
drive to Osh.
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