Day 178 (Tajikistan): before Kuljab - Khermanjo (darkness descends - moon rising over Afghanistan)

daily distance: 99km
total distance: 10,648km
riding time: 7-8h

I set out after a yummy breakfast and continued my way to Kuljab. I was there soon enough and wanted to try my luck with finding an internet cafe. Some of you may wonder about this obsession, but the visa question for the US is burning on my mind. And sure enough. There was paperwork to be taken care of. And decisoins to be made. I need to figure out whether to make the application in Bishkek/Kyrgyzstan or someplace in China. I figured China would be easier and started preparing for that. Things have to be sent there, interview times set up and the like. Not good to do this on the road on a bike. Final consideration is to head to Germany and cut the trip short. Not something I want to do, but something I may have to consider.

I was so engrossed in everything that I went the wrong way. I found out 12km later. Back to where I was and I decided to head to the internet cafe again and do some more work. The guys were nice. It was part of a university and funded by a US agency and the person running it was extremely helpful with everything. Not only once, but twice. Thanks so much. Things changed a bit and it was a good thing I came back. I looked more closely at the wait times and prep times at the Chinese embassies and the whole thing is a bit more complicated than in Bishkek. There, it’s a one day affair really and so I am thinking about shifiting everything there. Time is an issue of course and we shall see how it goes. Will have to prepare everything in Khorog and then take it from there. After that, no more internet and until then, no internet. I know … 15 years ago. And then the Neanderthals …

It was uphill for a long time and I kept hacking away at a 2200m pass, starting at 600m or so, maybe a bit more. Up, up and more up. It was hot, though beautiful and I reached the top around mid- to late afternoon. Too much time due to the detour.

On the downhill you get checked twice. Once by the military and once by the police. The checkpoints are 100m apart. I am sorry, this is stupid. I have exactly zero understanding for that. Each time, they do the same stuff and it is nothing but annoying.

In town I stocked up and headed out, knowing it would be a close call to get to the valley bottom before dark. I didn’t make it and sort of did. I headed through a steep valley, which never seemed to end. And it was gettting dark. Too dark for riding and the road was getting worse and worse. Really bad as a matter of fact.

Somehow I managed to signal a car to stay behind me and I was looking for a place to pitch. The people in the car had other plans though and said that I should move 2km further (turned out to be 12km) and I would sleep there. Deal. Murderous run through the night, but I made it in one piece. I was shot and drained when we got there in the pitch dark. What I saw before though was majestic. The mountains on the other side of the river must have been Afghanistan and the moon rising over them was a moving sight. Got here in one piece (barely over that downhill).

I did however ponder that I will most likely no longer be able to make it to the Yellow Sea without the help of motorized vehicles. Either way … Bishkek or Beijing, I will not have enough time unless I race like crazy and I don’t feel like doing this. We shall see what happens.