Wednesday September 24, 2014, 236 miles (380 km) – Total so far: 5,577 miles (8,975 km)

Wednesday September 24, 2014 Seven days bicycle: 236 miles; truck rides: 45 miles Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan share the Pamir Mountains which are the highest mountains in Central Asia. There are two routes to take from Khorag, Tajikistan through the Pamir’s to Kyrgyzstan – the Pamir Highway designated M41 or take an alternate route through the Wakhan Valley which eventually meets up with M41. Both routes are very challenging but the Wakhan Valley route is even more so because of the lack of a paved road after about 30 miles. This route also takes you along the Pamir River and the border of Afghanistan. At times we were just a stone’s throw from Afghanistan and only a few miles from Pakistan. The Wakhan Valley road is very hilly and mostly broken up but the scenery makes up for the difficult cycling conditions. The Pamir Mountains are majestic with some peaks still holding snow from last winter. Water is plentiful for filtering as the small markets, known as magazines, do not carry it. People drink river and stream water and as we filter they look at us and wonder what we are doing. None of the markets have any refrigeration so all drinks are warm.

Unfortunately we are both still sick. I can’t seem to shake my 3 week cold and neither of us can get over diarrhea. We filter and sterilize water, clean up with sanitizer lotion, and avoid meat but still can’t figure this out. We are on and off antibiotics but those don’t seem to help. We have tried several kinds available in local pharmacies. We recently heard that giardia is a persistent bug that appears to go away but then recurs, sometimes often. So next we will look for giardia medication. Afghanistan is always in view with Afghans waving and yelling to us as we ride. The Tajiks are also very friendly. Miles are slow but rewarding. One afternoon the wind increased and we noticed a haze appearing behind us. We were soon engulfed in a sand storm that roared up the valley. At this point we were wondering how we could camp in this massive valley of windblown sand. As we cycled into the next village there was a very large building that looked like it could be a hotel and it was! With great relief we moved out of the sand and into a $12 hotel room. What a deal! Also located on the property was a restaurant where we enjoyed a fine soup dinner and a few glasses of warm beer. We met a policeman from Dushanbe who was visiting his uncle who happened to be the proprietor of the hotel and restaurant. The policeman spoke English so we all had a good time talking.

Last night we learned that the sandstorms are a common occurrence in the fall and announce cooler weather coming. Along the way we met a New Zealand couple cycling from Melbourne, Australia to Ireland and are in their 11th month. A few hours later we were at the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. In between the borders is an island where every Saturday there is a bazaar featuring Tajik and Afghan products. We were really excited about this and after handing our passports in at the gate walked to this island. Unfortunately the bazaar was not being held this day.

In the next village we were finally able to find a simple rice lunch and also five 2L bottles of water. No matter how the river, stream, or fountain water is filtered and sterilized it still tastes bad. So now we crave bottled water. We continued climbing through the valley and passed our old record of 8,050 feet and hit over 8,600 feet. This is about half of our anticipated altitude. We are slowly building our legs and acclimating our bodies to altitude. We do rest more and drinks lots of water whether we are thirsty or not. Late in the afternoon we were thinking of where to camp when Jocelyn spotted a Homestay sign in front of a small farm. A family of five lives on this farm and tends to crops and animals. Along with that there are two extra rooms where they invite travelers. We really liked the family and land so decided to stay. Right next door are the remains of a 3rd century B.C. fort. After chai and snacks the kids took us on a tour of this fascinating fortress. When we returned our host had cooked a delicious vegetable meal. It was then another early and excellent sleep.