Sunday 18 October 2015

Day 470-473: Leaving Tajik, into Kyrgyz


 21km after coming down from the pass, after these white houses, back on asphalt again!



 Frozen?

 Threw a stone just to double check that its frozen.. 






Seeing bits of Karakul Lake already


Karakul lake with snow capped mountain


Karakul Village





Sadly the sand was full of trash


The 'oven' for making bread




There is a shop in the building on the left. Everyone gave me a weird look when I asked if there is any shop here and eventually someone brought me. No signs and you wouldn't even noticed. Don't expect much but you are able to find some expired instant noodles, biscuits, sweets etc anyway you should already have a strong stomach by now travelling through central asia...



 And the mud clad house here is another shop in it




 School playground






Inside a banya... one pail of hot water that is constantly being heated beneath and one pail of cold water, mixed in the middle pail and you can take a shower... the room had a thick door that looks bomb proof so the heat doesn't get out and you get a sauna effect inside

+++

Leaving the village behind

Ahhh... the last leg of Tajik... heavy heart













I saw two moving black objects from far and thought my eyes are playing up until they came nearer. Viola! Touring cyclists from Australia.
 Tim and Henrietta - treadlytwo.wordpress.com




About 8km of washboard and gravel to the checkpoint
Last pushed to the checkpoint!

 Where? Not there yet?

 Must be that! Tajikistan border 

 I got stamped out on 17th and entered into a 'no man's land' in between the Tajik and Kyrgyz border. Thought I have crossed my last pass at the border but no, there is still another kilometre up, up, up... grrrrrrr

 So here I am, at 15800km I'm another country closer to home. Fabulous time cruising slowly through this beautiful country that I've never imagined I will one day visit. Blessed with good weather, little tourists and few touring cyclists left, I felt I've arrived at the right time. Fond memories of the lovely people be it locals who fed and sheltered me, tourists who lend a hand when needed, truck drivers who have their body half hanging out their window just to pass me some apples, laughters and curiosities of children and their never ending screams of  'tourist, tourist'....Tajikistan, you are hardwork but well worth every pedal. 
Don't wait too long to visit this place if its on your list... come before things changed....



 The only family in the 'no man's land' 5-6km down from the tajik border

 Another 17km to Kyrgyzstan border






 Officially in Kyrgyzstan

 I probably left just in time before it gets snowy


 The clouds don't looked friendly... something is brewing... snow maybe

 First stop in Kyrgyzstan... arriving in Sary Tash

A snow capped backdrop of Tajikistan, another chapter closed. Goodbye & Thank you.



15 Oct 15: 46.70km [Sunny]
17 Oct 15: 57.02km [Sunny]
18 Oct 15: 43.09km [Sunny]

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