The road to Khorog is an improvement and although slow gets us in before dark and in fair shape. The scenery along the Oxus river is amazing and the drive requires a blend of avoiding potholes whilst trying to see all around us. The footpath along the afghan side continues for miles before finally petering out in the middle of nowhere. We see a lot of people on the path going to and fro but they are just out of shouting range.
The car charging system has started to fail and we are no longer charging the battery as we travel which is a worry but hopefully we can fix the problem in the coming days.
Waking up in Khorog , in sight of the border crossing into Afghanistan is exciting and we all tripe down to the Consul to see if we can get visas. He is very helpful and pleased that we plan to visit even if it is only for an hour or two.. Needless to say there is a cost involved but having come this far we can hardly not go through with the visit.
Visa in hand we go back to the hotel and walk down to the border crossing, which is a small bridge over the Oxus. No problem getting out of Tajikistan or into Afghanistan although the Tajiks thought we were mad to visit that ‘dreadful place’.
Incredibly Lucky, as the town is 7 kilometres away, I talk to an Afghan who speaks perfect English and is leaving the country for a posting in Quebec ! He is the local police chiefs brother and arranges for a car to take the 5 of us to the local town. Here we are met with great glee by all as they rarely see visitors from Tajikistan and even less from Europe. We are taken to an eating house for lunch and some local music whilst they pull and prod everything we have. No one speaks a word of English but with the help of our Point It book we get by and have a really interesting lunch.
After lunch they take us to their bazaar which is surprisingly well stocked with goods and food, although the hanging meat covered in wasps is a bit of a concern as Chris and I have just eaten some of that !
I am persuaded to buy a ‘Burberry’ bag for 5 dollars from one of the traders and return to Tajikistan with this along with a new Afghan cap. The kids are all very well dressed and the women mainly uncovered. The local area is called Badadistan and is clearly more tolerant than some parts of the country.
After a further hour or so and having handed out quite a bit of small money to various parties we are on our way back to the bridge in an old Toyota which bangs and crashes down the rough track to the border.
I had been keen to visit Afghanistan whilst being very nervous. As it turned out the people were brilliant and we really enjoyed our brief experience whilst remembering how bad things are further south in Helmand. Anyway we have done it and I would not have missed it.
A restful evening in Khorog before the rigours of the drive down the Pamir Highway – 400 Kms at about 12,000 feet.
Leaving Khorog we expect a very difficult road over the Pamir Highway to Murgob, as it turns out this is actually not so bad and we make good time up the mountain to 12,000 feet and the plateau beyond. It is our first cold days drive really and we have to break out coats and gloves for the trip. The Pamir Highway is a famous road in these parts and it is true to say the scenery is sublime, however after 300 Kms of it we were very pleased to see Murgob ahead, not least because we were running very low on fuel.
The only fuel in the town was 80 Octane which is really not very good for high altitude work. We were lucky that one of the many people who came to look at the car knew of a secret stash of 95 Octane fuel, this turned out to be in the back yard of a local house. Having refuelled we had the decision to make as to whether we stopped in Murgob overnight as planned or press on towards Osh being as it was only 1300.
Bernard and Dina had arrived a little before us and felt that pushing on to a lakefront Homestay 130 Kms closer to Osh made sense and we agreed. Four hours later we arrived at a tiny village on a lake with several huge ‘Homestay’ signs painted on house walls. We had been told of a specific one and so went there. It was cosy to say the least, we met a cyclist from New Zealand going home from the UK !, a Oigher (pronounced weegar) tour guide who was en route to the Kyrgyz border and of course Bernard and Dina.
After dumplings for tea we tried out the ‘douche’ which consisted of standing in a small hut with a huge water boiler, fired by wood, a bucket of cold water and a saucepan. What looked like a disaster actually turned out to be a really good way of warming up whilst cleaning up ! After this experience an hour spent driving children around the village was followed by some bread and jam for supper. David had the full meal but I was not hungry after the dumplings earlier. Beds consisted on two duvets on the floor of a private ‘suite’, hard but warm.
The following day we pressed on to the Kyrgyzstan border which required us to climb through two further passes at some 4,500 metres (15,000 feet), at this altitude we were in snow rather than just seeing it the day before. Bitterly cold wind made the passes quite an event and we were really pleased when we made it to the border post.
The car charging system still refuses to work and we had to be bump started at the Homestay. The situation worsened after the border when the car stopped completely in no mans land. Luckily Bernard and Dina realised something was wrong and came back to see what had happened. They gave us a pull to start the engine and we then went on in convoy to the Kyrgyz side of the border. Once through we headed across the plateau to Osh, dangerously low on fuel and desperate for a source of power to replace our faltering battery and my failing power pack.
We arrive in a small town that has a petrol station and refuel without difficulty. However, the battery situation has worsened and I do a deal with the garage owner to buy the battery from his mate’s car for USD 100, damn expensive but we need it. Once this is installed we head off again, freezing cold and very windy but we are making progress, well for 1 mile or so, then the car just gives up with a cloud of black smoke.
After trying a number of things we limp back to the garage to be told the nearest mechanic is 100 Kms away. We stop to wait for the last Landrover in the hope he can help but in the meantime I work my way through the problem and come to the conclusion that the air filter could be an issue. Taking this out takes a second and it is covered in dust from a dust storm the day before and a week of appalling roads in Tajikistan. Having beaten the dust out I replace the filter and the engine starts first time, thank heavens for that, a three hour wait for the Landy with a Morgan on the back has been averted.
The descent to Osh continued without further incident, a final high pass, reasonable road, minimal traffic and then we were there signing with relief.
We hear that the Morgan is dead and that Conrad and co will bypass Osh and drive straight to Bishkek. I head out to find a battery charger to buy or hire but soon realise all I will be able to do is get someone to put a charge in a single battery. My taxi driver is really helpful and connects me with his friend who speaks good English and explains to the charging people what I am after, unfortunately Osh is not the place for buying a charger.
Returning to the hotel Chris, Liz, Bernard and Dina are ready to go off for supper to the Richman Club, this turns out to be a restaurant made up of private rooms with curtains and red upholstery. Not sure it is a good place for a meal !, more like a knocking shop. Anyway we order and sure enough the food is very slow and inedible. So hungry but two pints of beer later we return to the ‘Deluxe’ hotel and bed.
In the morning I find our car has been rifled and we have lost all our coats, my Afghanistan hat and Burberry bag and all my good clothes for our return home !. What can you say, Chris had paid the hotel proprietors’ son 100 some to look after the cars and clearly he had slept through the raid. We should have known better and taken all the stuff inside with us, but c’est la vie.
We depart Osh early, at day break, as we had a 670 Kms drive to Bishkek which we are dreading as the car is very tired and far from being in good condition. In addition to the charging problem the rear sump guard is hanging off, tyres still an issue, running rich and a rear bumper is loose. However, we are running OK, unlike the Morgan which by this time has been loaded into a lorry for transporting to Bishkek.
We leave Osh with the Porsche having a clutch problem but Bernard has agreed to wait and see they are OK as we need to get started to make Bishkek before dark. Without charging system we have no lights at all and cannot drive after dark.
The start out of Osh is fairly confused but we eventually get on a reasonable road to Bishkek and make some speed. We have another high pass to transit towards the end of the run but before this we have a further three punctures, luckily slow ones that we check on the high plateau in a tiny village where there is a Vulcaniser. He repairs the tyres but we lose and hour and the day is beginning to look tight if we are to beat sunset.
The car is running rich and leaving it on whilst we sorted the tyres to avoid having to bump start it was a mistake. As we leave the village the engine is spluttering and lacking power, I think due to the spark plugs getting sooted up. We press on in the hope they will clear themselves which eventually happens twenty minutes later. The run is beginning to get to us, we are already tired and it is already 1600. We start up the long pass to 15,000 feet with the weather deteriorating, light rain/snow and the temperature plunging. By now the car is running a bit battered but we have to coach her up the long winding road to the pass.
Things gets worse when we are suddenly plunged into darkness in a long unlit tunnel. I cannot see a thing and have to lean out to see past the windscreen which is covered in snow, to see where I am in relation to the solid wall on my right. There is a car 30 metres in front which is getting away from me but at least he gives me some idea of the direction of curve of the tunnel. Keeping 3 feet from the wall we press on with lorries and cars passing us to the left. With no lights we run the risk of someone overtaking in the tunnel and hitting us head on. Nothing we can do but push on at a fair speed to try and keep behind the car with lights. What seems like hours later we suddenly emerge from the tunnel and start downhill. David’s only comment ‘ that was tense ‘ !.
No snow this side but the road winds down the mountain for miles ahead. On the third turn down we have another puncture just when we are beginning to think we are over the worse. We change this just as Bernard arrives in the Landrover. He tells us that the Porsche is broken and is also going on a truck to Bishkek with It’s clutch arm bent. So we are the only car left !. Back on the road and we head on down the hill to a petrol station at the bottom some 60 kilometres from Bishkek. Having refuelled we drive off to join the Tashkent to Bishkek road along which I passed in 2000.
Our arrival in Bishkek is faultless with the help of a taxi from the outskirts taking us into the Hyatt hotel near the presidential palace. Thank heavens we are here and have a rest day to sort out all our car problems. The Morgan is due in at 0400 along with the Porsche in a different lorry, no sign of the rally Landrover but we believe this also on the way.
What a week it has been !
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