Roadworks and landslide
We had been given a choice of starting at 0400 today or 0700. The earlier time was to avoid road works and Altynbek, the driver, didn’t seem to offer an in-between option. So, we chose the later departure, as 0400 is obscene!
With delays settling up the bill at the homestay, we departed at 0720 instead. The road today was unsealed and dusty. We followed the Panj River all day, which separates this part of Tajikistan from Afghanistan. The river was terrifyingly fierce in many parts.
At the first road works, we were let through after a brief wait. Not so lucky at the second with a wait of 1h10.
Our third wait wasn’t due to road works but for some landslide to be cleared. It appeared from the pile of sunflower seed shells outside one car window that the wait had already been substantial.
A cyclist had lay himself down on the road sunning himself, resting and sunning himself while waiting for the road to reopen.
A friendly truck driver pulled up behind us and offered us ice-creams, sparkling water and one yoghurt drink. What hospitality! Altynbek cut up a watermelon in the meantime.
After 50 mins we were finally able to resume. We were glad to have not opted to depart at 0400 this morning, as it would have been a long wait! Or worse, we could have been taken out by the landslide.
Text continues after this gallery.
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- Following the Panj River.
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- Cyclists eating dust in the roadworks.
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- Major upgrades are underway.
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- Following the Panj River.
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- Looking across the Panj River to Afghanistan.
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- The Panj River is ferocious in parts.
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- Altynbek cutting up a watermelon.
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- This kind truck driver offered us ice cream, sparkling water and a yoghurt drink.
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- Following the Panj River.
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- A cascade joining the Panj River.
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- Cyclist waiting for the landslide to be cleared.
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- The Panj River is ferocious in parts.
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- Busy on the road.
Car deliveries from China
Continuing on the road, I saw many BYD electric cars being driven in the opposite direction. They had no registration plates and had windscreen placards on them. Altynbek confirmed that these are new cars being hand-driven from China for delivery to Dushanbe.
The journey takes about a week through the most awful terrain. I asked Altynbek why they didn’t use the M41 highway which may be smoother. He explained that M41 led to Kyrgyzstan rather than directly into China, and that border is currently closed except to foreigners like ourselves.
It probably shows that the BYD vehicles are well-built and have decent range to be delivered in this manner.
We did notice Aion electric cars are delivered the normal way on the back of car transporter trucks. There were in fact quite a few of these passing when we stopped for lunch around 1330.
The road today wasn’t all unsealed. In some parts, it looked like it had once been sealed but now all broken up.
Arriving in Khorog
We arrived in Khorog around 1630, putting up at the fairly nice Pamir Palace hotel near the airport runway. It came with a very well-finished bathroom! Marco and I shared a room with six beds and two aircons! Downside was there was no elevator to access Level 5!
Marco and I finished the day with a walk into Khorog to meet Sandra and Lutz at 1945 at a place that offered a good mix of international cuisine.
Tonight, we sleep at an elevation of 2123m, slowly building up to the nearly 4000m which we will soon have to endure.