Wandering CrankWandering Crank

Biking the World one crank at a time

In the Need of a Rest…a holiday from the…holiday?

by Nathan Molyneaux on category , , , , ,

We arrived back in Dushanbe and the Pamir adventure had taken its toll on me.  I was very tired.  Whilst physically I would recover, I had lost 7kg in one month.  Emotionally, I was not present.  I had receded into the depths of my mind.  Not a place anyone would want to be.

Your doubts surface, you second-guess everything and depression creeps in.  I noticed this most when in the Hostel talking to other travellers, none of it was going in and I never really engaged in conversation.  Maybe I am exaggerating, but I guess listening to Adele while writing this paragraph would change the way I felt about the situation!

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Altitude sickness and the end of one adventure

by Nathan Molyneaux on category , ,

Murghab is the central town for the region and really the only place for fresh fruit and vegetables.  There was much restocking in the bazaar.  Unlike other bazaars, the shops here either run out of a container or have converted the container into a shop.  It is cheaper than building a proper shop.

Whilst wandering the paths of mud between containers I came across bananas and oats, something I was not expecting and a German couple, Henning and Maria. We had met briefly in Alichur.  I sat and chatted with them for a while and found out we were heading in a similar direction but we would probably leave a day earlier.

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For the wish of better roads

by Nathan Molyneaux on category , ,

Ollie, Seb and I set off from Langar late in the afternoon, with the intention of camping on a hill overlooking the town.  It would take us about an hour but the views made up for it.  It was also a chance for Ollie and I to practice our astrophotography.  I only got a couple of good shots; something to add to my learning of photography.

Masha and Adam would join us in the morning after collecting some bread for us all, their guesthouse offered to make us bread.  After they arrived we set off.  It was going to take us about 2 days to get to Khargush Pass and 1 day to go over and down.  There was little traffic, a bonus but also no life, no villages or shops.  There was a possibility of a cafe about halfway.

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The Wakhan Corridor, a land of poverty but with ambitions.

by Nathan Molyneaux on category , ,

After a longer stay than planned at the Pamir Lodge, Ollie and Seb were not able to get a hitch, so I set off.  It was probably a good thing, the staff were excellent and you meet many travellers.  But it was time to leave the city and head out.

The road was nice to begin with, asphalt with views of the Hindu Kush Mountains in Northern Afghanistan.  It soon descended into a gravel track with potholes!  I was told this is the best bit of the road!

My target for the first day was the Garam Chashma hot springs and the possibility of camping on the way back to the main road.  The road up was a rough track but only an extra 4km distance to the journey overall.  When I got there, people were surprised to see a cyclist, not common off the main road.  The springs were amazing and a local from Dushanbe, who holidays here every year, helped me navigate the rules.  There were specific times for men and women.

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The North Road to the Pamir Mountains and the fun of altitude and sheep

by Nathan Molyneaux on category , ,

There was first a small journey to Dushanbe and the Green House Hostel, known to all travellers of the Pamir Mountains.  I cycled for about 3 days of this journey and made it through the border in a record-breaking 20 minutes.  I don’t think that record will ever be broken!  Through the city of Khujand, Tajikistan’s second city.

The city is nice but very little to do; however I got a chance to sort out my money situation.  I only have Mastercard and after some research only one back takes it, Halyk Bank.  I will need to stock up and start using US dollars!  Due to some nasty climbs and even nastier tunnels, think no lighting or ventilation, I decided to hitchhike with the bike to Dushanbe.  Always a challenge, but I was lucky.  Solyjon was travelling from Uzbekistan, bringing coal for Shashlik (barbequed meat) and I was able to throw my bike in the back and get a lift.

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