Yamchan

Quite by chance I happened to be in Ishkashim on the day of the weekly 'border market', which is held in no-mans land between the Afghan & Tajik customs & immigration posts on the Afghan side of the Pyanj river.Unfortunately I wasn't permitted over the bridge by the Tajik border controllers. I think it may have had something to do with not being Tajik, as it was communicated that I couldn't cross the bridge before looking at my passport.

Disappointed I continued East along the Pyanj. The mighty Hindu Kush looked more impressive than the previous day. Certainly my ability to enjoy my surroundings benefited from a good night's sleep. I had been very surprised how tired I had been the day before. I resolved to not push myself into that state, if only so as not to miss out on the enjoyment of wonderful sights.

So well had I slept that I hadn't noticed that it had rained. It had been just over a month since it had rained in my presence, & even longer since I'd been rained on while cycling. Looking at the clouds that sat upwind above the valley I figured there was a good chance I'd get wet. My luck held out though I'd rather have had a proper rainy day while cycling along the valley floor (altitude 2500m) than when tackling the upcoming Khargush pass which will be my first one above 4000m. I think I should be acclimatised for it. This night I sleep at 2700m.

I stopped to take a look at a fort built by a people who lived in this valley before the coming of Islam, who following the Arab conquest moved to Nuristan in Afghanistan. It sat on a long upcrop of rock near the bottom of the valley which had now become quite wide. The shape of the fort could be seen as well as parts of the mudbrick & stone walls. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed by the Tajik border guards who occupied the fort. The second time today I'd had my ambitions curtailed by them!

While stopped to I met the English teacher of a local school from a village up the valley. I met her again in a shop in the next village & she invited me to stay with her family. I arrived in her village some time before she did courtesy of very strong tail winds (it's on record, I sometimes get them) & the driver of the bus that she took deciding to stop to visit relatives along the way. I waited for her arrival beside the school & eventually someone came over to ask what I was doing. I explained as best I could. I was taken to a house behind the school where I was invited in. Worried that I would somehow miss my school teacher I tried to ask where her house was. Not long afterwards she arrived, it turned out that I was at her house & I had been talking to her husband. They were very friendly people & made me feel at home, channel hopping on their satellite TV until there was something in English which was an odd program on Turkmen TV about a bread exposition.

I cycled 75 km in 6 hours & 15 minutes
Total so far 7838 km in 114 days