200 years ago on the "Other SIDE"

23th of September:

 

We had a warm night in the Jurt but just because the alarm clock was ringing at 3 a clock in the morning to put again a 10 litre pot of dried Jak shit. Outside it was snowing small ice crystals and the landscape was covered with a thin white layer. The water in our tanks on top of the car was frozen. The mother is sitting outside in a thick layer of clothing and getting the milk of the Jaks. One after another stands up and does his job. They get their donkeys and one goes South with the goats and the others East and West with the Jaks. Anyway this will be there last week in this silent cold, but nice place.

 

We go on into the direction of the Wakhan valley. The "way" is sometimes hard to find. It seems cars go up here very seldom and if they always choose a different way. We just try to follow the way in the Russian maps and try not to cross the border to Afghanistan which is left from us. The car is jumping over the stones mostly we are not faster than walking speed. Grass, stones and mud but a beautiful landscape around us just for us. We are going to Zor kul first and from there along the border river to the Wakhan valley. After Zor kul we actually have no permission to go since a additional permission from Dushanbe is required. Between us and Afghanistan is just the river. Until Wakhan valley we just drive a dirt road along this river and there is no other way since the valley is to narrow on our side. Arriving in Wakhan valley we have to pass a military check point. This time I pretend not to speek any russian. The post sends us back to the military camp which is close to the check point. I still pretend I do not understand. I just give Visa and our other permits, just always asking for the way, but just in English. They are actually very friendly and it seems they even do not know about the other permit. Or we just had a good day with nice guys. They fill up our bottles with warm tea and we go on.  Yessssssss (:).

 

We just drive some more kilometres into the valley which is stony and more like a desert here. But we are almost 1500 m lower than last night and it is comfortable warm. At the other side in Afganistan we see people coming with their horses, donkeys and sheep. It really looks like another world, like 200 years ago. Guys with their sheeps and traders with their goods on the donkey. Arabic clothing and turbans. They stop on something which look like a small mosque or grave for us and make their camp there. An old man and young guy making a horse race just for fun or to show which horse is the best. Others making a fire and cooking. It seems they are coming from the mountains behind the valley which is already Pakistan and close to the Hindu Kush.

 

(N 37.30502°, E 73.01373 °)