I didn’t enjoy the hotel. It was a ripoff and the food was really poor compared to every other place I’ve stayed at in Tajikistan. I was expecting the breakfast to be not-so-great, so I got up and had muesli beforehand. The lady brought a bowl of rice porridge with melted butter on top.
I was underway at 8am which is early for me. I was unsure how far I’d get though. I was told the road surface was perfect except for parts near bridges and tunnels that were still under construction. The good bits were superb asphalt and the bad bits were a reminder of the roads I’ve been on in the last couple of months.
I was heading into a more remote section with fewer guesthouses and the usual dearth of possible camping places along this stretch of the river, so without a definite plan, I started. I realised that making it to Kalaikum was a possibility. Komoot said it was 89kms and if the road was this good, then it should be fine.
The morning passed with the usual stunning views of the gorge created by the Panj river. You simply can’t get tired of it.
On the Tajik side, the army are building a 2m fence topped with razor wire, so in patches, the views were obscured. It was stinking hot and the guys looked tired. And who wants to work with razor wire after all ?
The Afghan side looks great, terraces, trees, no fence, … It seems that the Tajiks have largely lost their use of the river due to the fence and I wonder what the reason is for such an epic construction. I can see it falling rapidly into disrepair as is the fate of most things newly built in this region.
At 50kms, I stopped for lunch at a nice spot beside a fast flowing stream. It was totally different to any place I’d been here. There were trees and tables outside and families dining. I had a great Plov, a drink and an ice cream and headed out. I still wasn’t sure where I’d end up but after speaking with two Swiss cyclists, I thought Kalaikum was achievable.
Closer inspection of the Komoot map revealed two tunnels which were in different phases of construction.
I went to the first and hung back seeing what the cars were doing. There was a small exchange of money and the guy at the gate would let them through into the unfinished tunnel. So I spoke to the guy. He didn’t want to let me through until I mentioned money, and then he was very sheepish about it. He got me to follow him to the container nearby, grabbed a flashlight and asked if I had lights. I gave him the thumbs up and was let through. He warned me to stay on the left hand side for some reason which I’d discover later.
My front light didn’t work, so I grabbed my head torch and lurched into what felt like an abyss. There was no lighting or ventilation and the air was thick with cement dust. I was breathing through my neck buff but visibility was only 2-3 metres. Luckily, there wasn’t much traffic as only one lane was usable.
If I’d stayed on the right, one of the deep drains in the middle of the road would have swallowed me whole. I stopped and moved to the side each time a car came in either direction. Soon, I was in the middle of this dark mess with no idea how far there was to go.
As I pulled off to the left to let a car go past, my foot sunk centimetres into the cement dust which was light and powdery and everywhere.
Eventually, after a few kms, I could see the proverbial light at the end, and a guy yelling at me. He wasn’t happy – maybe because I didn’t bribe him, and he continued to yell at me as I exited the tunnel and got back onto the road. Sometimes it’s best to smile, ignore and keep moving. Ok mate, I won’t do it again. Besides, I really didn’t enjoy it, except for saving about 5-10kms or so.
It wasn’t too long until I came to the second tunnel. I went through the same routine but was refused entry, as were the cars who similarly ignored the road closed sign. Oh well. It meant 15 extra kms of bumpy, rocky old road and some more magnificent views.
I met Billy from Townsville and didn’t realise until the next day that my camera was on during our whole conversation. He is going from Istanbul to Singapore and has an even lighter setup than me.
Soon I got to the other end of the tunnel and some glorious smooth roads. The tunnel exit was guarded by an army vehicle and a couple of troops for some reason.
I was locked in to make it to Kalaikum now and endured the final ups and downs for 14kms until arriving – after 97kms of sometimes very hard riding.
Next was finding a room for the night. Billy had recommended one place but the room was barely larger than the bed. Not great for a rest day. I went next door to the Roma Guesthouse and the nice owner apologised that he was full but would find something for me.
It took a long time, as his tour group guests started arriving and getting out of their Land Cruisers – yes, the same ones that cover me with dust and drive like test pilots all day. I ended up staying at the guy’s brother’s guesthouse which was a bit of a dump but just across the river. I’ve got a nice room tomorrow for my rest day though.
Dinner was at the Roma where I sat with 4 other travellers and had a fantastic conversation before collapsing to bed.
