|
Tashkent – “city of Stone”, capital of Uzbekistan (July 22-23, 2012) 58 Images
We arrive in Tashkent at 3 in the morning, unpack our bikes, and there we go to find our hotel … which turns out being quite non trivial (next time I’ll mark some coordinates on my GPS). A nice place, apparently well-known to the French.
The modern part of Tashkent likes to show its wealth – in fact, space has been created by the earthquake of 1966 which destroyed much of the old town, and since the independence in 1991, many of the soviet buildings have been replaced by even more impressive ones, and of course, the Lenin statues have all disappeared …
We visit only a small part of the huge city (population over 2mio), the somewhat preserved part of the old town around Chorsu Bazar and the modern downtown with its parks and fountains where people come to find some fresh air during these terribly hot summer days (over 38˚).
We are a bit surprised how easy it is to take photos … people are literally attracted by our cameras, they want to be on the photo, sometimes together with us, they want to see it on the screen, they laugh, say “khorosho”, that’s it. And it’s the first time that we encounter people stopping us to take photos of us! of course, everyone has a smartphone nowadays.
|
| |
|
Samarkand, mythical city on the Silk Road (July 24-27, 2012) 96 Images
The Sogdian city Samarkand (meaning Stone Town as well), called Marakand by Alexander the Great, destroyed by Genghis Khan (13th century) and rebuilt by the Temurids (Tamerlane). The wonderful monuments of the Temurid epoch (15th century) that we come to admire nowadays have started to slowly deteriorate from as early as the end of the 16th century, and definitively from the 18th century and have been rebuilt (sometimes starting from small reminders, see photos) by the Russians (in the early 20th century, and then 1967-87). Some qualify it “inappropriate restoration work” but there is no doubt that it is a “pleasure for the eye”.
Shah-i-Zinda (“the living king”) is a necropolis that has been built continuously from earlier than the 11th until the 19th century. As the old location of the city has been a bit further away, on the hill (called Afrosiob) rather than down in the valley, this necropolis was well outside the city when its construction started. Whereas, the Ulugh Beg observatory from the 15th century (a really interesting personality, see
here ) is on the hill, not far from the ancient city, already destroyed at the time of the construction of the observatory.
A somewhat open question is whether Samarkand is Tajik or Uzbek, at least it is still somehow claimed by Tajikistan. A fact is that Tajik are the major ethnic group of the city, another that Uzbek took control over the city as early as in the 16th century, and today it is Uzbek ... with little chance of change in any near future.
Samarkand is of course an awfully touristic place, and everything is prepared for welcoming tourists. But we are lucky, during the hot summer period, they are less abundant, and we can visit all the monuments with ease. We encounter the greatest tourist concentration in the restaurants around the Registan. Also Silk Road bikers on their way from Europe to China are not a rare sight ...
|
| |
|
Khujand and the fertile planes of northern Tajikistan (July 28 - August, 2) 81 Images
Finally, we set off for our bike tour. Our main goal is visiting the beautiful Fan Mountains, less than 200km east of Samarkand, unfortunately the border is closed on that road and it will take us almost 10 days to reach them.
Here is the map of the first 6 days .
Day 1-2: From Gulistan to Bekobod, Tajik border at Oybek until a few km after Buston
We have to take the night train to reach Gulistan, halfway between Tashkent and Samarkand, from where it is 70km of flat terrain with rice fields to Bekobod where we should cross the border to Tajikistan. Unfortunately, this was disinformation. We have to backtrack 40km to the north to Oybek where it takes 2h to pass all formalities and to pass all our luggage (except the bikes) through the metal detector just as at airports and train stations. Finally in Tajikistan. Very similar but also different. The road is richer, a magnificent brand-new almost empty motorway (built by the Chinese with Chinese money) but the country is clearly poorer. Our first encounters confirm what we have been told, people are extremely friendly …
Day 3: From Buston to Khujand, the capital of the North, the Sughd Province
A short morning drive of 40km to Khujand. It is probably the most arid region we cross today, a kind of stony plateau, where each village represents a small irrigated oasis. We are pretty surprised to encounter a toll station in this desert, just before diving into the green Syr Darya Valley and Khujand. We get offered two big melons, one by a van driver transporting them (he first wants to hand it over to me “on-the-fly”) and another one by a policeman … after asking as the usual questions “where do you come from?”, “how old are you?”, “where are your husbands?”, “how many children?” (using the opportunity to proudly announce that they have 4, 5, 7).
Khujand, second city of the country dating back 2500 years ... is worth a visit, but we have only an afternoon to spend: take a bath in the Syr Darya and in the fountains, visit the bazar, and asking our way to a Банкомат (ATM), we meet Farid, a young local driving a wonderful “imported” Mercedes who has travelled around the world, speaks an excellent English and wants to improve his French (to ask for a visa), … we spend the night in the flat of his parents. An interesting evening.
Day 4: From Khujand to Nov (a few km from Bekobod and from Kyrgyzstan)
We start very late of course, and we have to go back to the bazar. We get an excellent tip, a source called “sputnik” a bit off the road turning left before the toll station outside the city … it turns out hard to find. The real source is in the president’s dacha (visible on google maps), but people bath a bit further down, outside the dacha’s park. Of course, only men can swim there, but we can as well of course, and it is wonderfully refreshing (no photos, we forgot). We have lunch in a nice and shady tchaikhana and another melon offered by a policeman as dessert.
Day 5: From Nov to Istaravshan, an old but since long forgotten city
Another hot day through an arid region, now facing a strong headwind at almost 1000m altitude, and still on a wonderful motor road. The only shade encountered is the one of a huge arch announcing the entry of the Istaravshan district, 15km outside this somewhat run-down town with a long history. Indeed we read “Istaravshan 2500 (years)” … but this is apparently speculation, a theory that the antique Cyropolis would be today’s Istaravshan, and not as generally admitted, Khujand. A more solid fact seems to be that the Persian Oshrusana has become a province of the Samanids around 900, losing its independence and gradually its importance.
Day 6: From Istaravshan to Djakurtan
We visit the Sogdian fortress on the hill above the city in the evening and the next morning the old town hosting a few very old mosques and madrassa. After this interesting visit --- we are accompanied by a swarm of kids all the time -- we leave the town just before noon. It is still dry but cooler and less windy, and we can finally see the mountains not too far away. We stop for camping just after the Shakriston village in an orchard at 1600m, a pleasant place but too close to the road and the awfully noisy Chinese trucks.
|
| |
|
Dusty Shakriston Pass and quiet Zaravshon Valley (August 3-6, 2012) 75 Images
Four more days and the Shakriston pass to cross before we reach the Fan Mountains. We are now in altitude and the slopes get greener but after the 1st day, we reach the end of the motorway, and we get it back only for a short moment, and then approaching Dushanbe. Here is the map of the following 4 days .
Day 7: From Djakurtan to the foot of the Shakriston Pass
It is a pleasant day, plenty of popular trees spending shade, more and more flowers, villagers selling apples, beekeepers with their rolling beehives … a highlight of the day is the “tshaikhana with the lions” where we get the best sheep barbecue ever (a pity that I was still so sick from the shashlik in Istaravshan). We are climbing all afternoon and at the end of the day we see the tunnel construction site. We arrive too early, we will have all the trucks climbing over the pass, in 3 months they will go through the tunnel. This time, a young local guy brings us to a nice pasture, sufficiently off-road to spend a quiet night.
Day 8: Shakriston Pass (3370m)
The first (and only) day that we get up very early, with the hope to climb the pass (1000m on an awful dirt road) before the arrival of the trucks. Obviously, this is impossible, we pass a convoy of a several dozens of trucks who start their climb a few minutes after us … but indeed, globally the traffic gets much denser in the late morning. I expected a tea stop on the pass, but there are only a few toilets … in a condition that one wouldn't dare to imagine. The downhill ride is impressive; without the trucks generating huge quantities of dust, it would be great all along the 2000m of descent, but we have to survive 500m and 10km of descent which feel like eternity. Back on the motorway below the level of the tunnel, it gets a real pleasure. We reach Kushikat in the Zaravshon Valley close to the sunset. The colours are magic. We are again at 1400m and apples and apricots are grown everywhere.
Day 9: From Kushikat to Urmitan
We put up our tent in a garden just outside Kushikat on the road to Pendjikent (awfully neglected) where we are warmly welcomed by a family. They are worried whether our tent, our sleeping bags would be warm and comfortable enough. Everything is inspected, and finally they conclude it should be ok. The next morning, the grandchildren are the first ones to arrive, to help us taking down the tent, eager to take photos with our cameras … a pleasant encounter. I have no photo of the incredibly friendly daughter Gulmira, unhappy to have her husband -- who works in Russia -- only once every two years while her sister has already several kids …
All day, we follow the Zaravshon River, its orchards, popular trees, villages and the typical endless ups and downs ... all in all a pleasant, pretty warm day, and once more we face headwind. We would like to visit the small town Urmitan, but it is too late, we have to find a place to camp. After a while, we find a flat field, of course near a house where we must ask permission, and where we are invited to sleep in a tsharpoy in the dry and moreover get a nice dinner.
Day 9: From Urmitan to Artuch in the Fan Mountains
The next morning, we want to leave early, but we first must take breakfast and promise to come back on our way back from the Fan Mountains; but as we will completely change our plans, we never come back here (no picture). After a short morning ride, we reach Dashti-Kazy where we leave the Zaravshon to climb slowly up to Artuch (1800m) in the Fan Mountains. We are invited twice on our way, in the late morning in Dashti-Kazy and after our picnic lunch a bit higher up in the Valley, and no possibility to decline.
|
| |
|
Fan Mountains: Alaudin Pass, the bikes on the mules (August 7-10, 2012) 82 Images
Finally, in the Fan Mountains. Our host in Artuch is a guide for “well-known French trekking agencies” (French is spoken here), and he also provides the lodging for the tourists … we are of course invited. They convince us that there is a much better way to visit the Fan Mountains than the one we have planned: “just visit Kulikalon, then cross the Alaudin pass; don’t worry for the bikes, we transport them on the mules – easy. Then you have an easy day by bike to Iskanderkul”. We don’t hesitate for long, this is totally unexpected, but indeed a great idea.
Here is the map of the following 4 days .
Day 1: From Artuch to Kul-i-kalon
Kul-i-kalon means simply “big lake” in Tajik. The 4-wheel road to the “Artuch Alplager” – which looks quite nice –is quite acceptable by bike, sometimes a bit steep, small portions on which we have to push (1h1/2 for the 7km). There, we transfer our luggage on the mules and continue (for a little while) on the bikes. First it feels great, incredibly light, but quickly it gets clear that Kulikalon is NOT reachable by bike. The mules wait for us in the shadow where the path gets really steep and stony. The lake and the surrounding area are beautiful (see photos as an evidence). We put up the tent close to our friendly shepherds’ / tourist guides’ camp, not the best but a nice place close to the lake.
Day 2: Around Kul-i-kalon
This is supposed to be a pretty touristy place but we don’t see any organized groups, just a few individual travelers camping around the lake. We are at 2800m and it’s very calm. We visit the series of 6 lakes starting from Kulikalon all along the valley leading to the foot of the north wall of Chimtarga, the highest Peak of the region. We go straight to the 5th and 6th lake to admire the colours and the impressive Chimtarga wall (not much is left of the glacier). In the afternoon, we visit the 4th lake hosting the camp of a group of Russian climbers who are here for a month; we skip the two smaller lakes to explore a bit the 1st lake before the sun disappears behind the clouds.
Day 3: Over the Alaudin Pass to the Alaudin Lake
We are supposed to leave early but, of course not. We must first take a shepherd’s breakfast, and charging the bikes on the mules is more complicated than the other day. Our guides are two boys (I don’t remember their age, the older one is perhaps 10) and a dog, to take care of the boys on their way back. All the way to the pass, we have nice views on Chimtarga, then on the lakes, and from the pass a stunning view on the surrounding summits and down to the Alaudin Lakes with their astonishing colour. Vegetation is quite different on the other side of the pass. On the way up (on the west side), only short grass and tiny flours, whereas the way down (east side) is awfully stony but covered by a much more generous vegetation. The shores of the Alaudin Lake are much more touristy than Kulikalon: several camps of larger (organized) groups, as well as a number of smaller ones. Here, we get some information from the troubles in Khorog, entry point to the Pamir. We are again almost at 2800m but not even half an hour from the Alplager and the (dirt) road.
Day 4: From the Alaudin Lake to the Mutney Lake and back
We spend a day exploring the valley climbing up to the Mutney Lake. From there start the climbs to the Chimtarga pass and summit, and to the Kaznok pass (without the bikes, we would cross the latter to reach Iskanderkul). In the morning, the weather, the views on the Alaudin Lake and the mountains towering up above the valley are magnificent. From the muddy Mutney Lake, to reach the Chimtarga or Kaznok Pass we would need another day, and our tent --- as we don’t have either with us, we have to start our descent in the rain. At Alaudin Lake it's almost crowded now, but plenty of nice people to talk to …
|
| |
|
Fan Mountains: Iskanderkul, we on the bikes (August 11-14, 2012) 55 Images
We say now goodbye to the mules and continue exploring the Fan Mountains by bike. Given our restricted time budget, our goal is to reach another famous lake of the region, the biggest one, Iskanderkul, named after Alexander --- the Great of course --- in 2 (short) days.
Here is the map of these 4 days .
Day 5: Long descent from Alaudin Lake to Zeravshan-2 below Iskanderkul
The day starts with a short but stony descent and a difficult river crossing just before reaching the Alplager (for which we are lucky to get some help). From there, we follow the river on a globally rather nice road until we pass through impressive gorges with reddish walls and finally reach the first village (Margusor) in the afternoon. There we pass through a series of short rain showers and follow now a quite populated valley until we reach a village called Zeravshan-1, a former industrial site, now more or less abandoned which leaves us with a strange impression. Here we get back on our main road M34, also here brandnew, and after a few kilometers more, we reach Zeravshan-2, even more abandoned, and where we have some difficulties to find a convenient camp site almost in the dark.
Day 6: Climb to Iskanderkul and a rainy afternoon
Today, we climb up the gravel road following the Iskanderdarya to Iskanderkul. As almost everywhere, there is a narrow green stripe with popular trees all along the river which from time to time, around some village, enlarges to wider green areas with apple and apricot trees. The villages are also full of kids, immediately gathering around our bikes, very interested in my GPS, and all catch a little brother or sister and immediately pose for a photo, and sometimes they ask to take the camera themselves.
For “one of the most touristy places in the Fan Mountains", Iskanderkul is a terribly quiet place. Only at the somewhat run-down tourist camp from the soviet times, we detect some kind of activity. It’s Sunday, and a few people from Dushanbe are here for the weekend. As it starts pouring before they finish their meal, we are offered to improve our meal with roast goat --- not bad. We spend the evening in the cafeteria, the only clients are some groups of cyclists, all on the road for several months at least … a pleasant and enriching evening.
Day 7: From Iskanderkul to Saritag, mainly walking
The “Belgian girls” (on the way from Belgium to Vietnam via Chengdu, Guilin …) have indicated us a nice homestay in Saritag, the village in the valley above the lake. The road up there is extremely stony and steep, and we prefer leaving our bikes at the president’s datcha on the lake shore and walk up to Saritag. It’s much greener up here; indeed, we are only at 2400m and water is plentiful. Except for a group of crazy alpinists from Siberia with huge backpacks, it is a very quiet place. We also meet again Sue, an English girl travelling back from Asia for a new job in Holland, we have already met at Alaudin.
Day 8: Short early morning exploration of the Arkh Valley, and the long descent to Takfon on the main road
This is our last day in the Fan Mountains. I get up early for an excursion in the Arkh Valley leading to the Kaznok Pass. Promised, at 8, I’ll turn around … and Monique waits at the tourist camp down at the lake. With an hour more, I could reach a better viewpoint, somewhat closer to the Kaznok Pass and the snow covered peaks … but anyway, it is a beautiful morning walk (almost no photos, the light conditions are very bad, too much contrast). It is a long way down to the main road: there is a steep 200m climb to leave Iskanderkul, and the road is bad enough to be obliged to drive rather slowly, even downhill. We expect a thunderstorm during most of the descent but never get more than a few drops. It is late when we reach the main road, we have just enough time for the few kilometers to Takfon where we quit the main road leading to the tunnel ... and to chat with some cyclists coming down from the Anzob Pass.
|
| |
|
Over the quiet Anzob pass to Dushanbe (August 15-17, 2012) 61 Images
Our next goal is crossing the Anzob pass, and from there we can almost “glide” down to Dushanbe. The Anzob Tunnel is open for traffic since 2006, and whatever you may read (it’s called death tunnel by some, and apparently in quite bad shape), the pass is abandoned and all traffic goes through the tunnel --- and there is a lot of traffic, exactly as over the Shakriston. Even mid-august, we find the pass blocked by a smallish snow field, and nobody even bothered to dig the snow away. These are perfect conditions for us.
Here is the map of our 3 last days .
Day 1: From Takfon to just below the Anzob Pass
We are at 1800m and the pass at almost 3400m, we plan for two days --- we carry around 20kg and the road is unpaved all the way long. The day starts by a pleasant ride along the Yagnob valley. First, we pass through rough gorges, then the valley opens, and there are villages and large green spots, we get our best abricots and finally reach the Anzob village. Everyone seems busy with haying --- using either the mules or old Kamaz or both … and of course we get an invitation to share a quick haying lunch. Here, we quit the Yagnob valley, and the real climb starts (so far we have gained only 300m).
We plan a siesta a bit outside Anzob, and I climb ahead, stop at a nice place … and fall asleep. Two hours later, no Monique. This will be tough to catch up … but I give it a try, for sure she waits somewhere. We never climbed so fast, Monique continues and hates me because I don’t wait --- same for me, except that getting higher, I ask myself whether she’s really in front … anyway there is nowhere a place to camp, only steep grass covered slopes and a few Kamaz carrying hay. Finally, a single (long) hairpin bend to go for the pass … and suddenly, I see the red T-shirt, we are safe. Indeed, the only possible campground is at the level of the turn, a 150m below the pass. I am so tired.
Day 2: Over the Anzob Pass (3367m) to Varzob
We are much higher up than expected and not in a hurry … but the sun rises early. and we get the visit of the shepherd … looking for some entertainment. The nice blue sky gets populated with small and then bigger clouds already in the morning. The pass is flat and green, and there is a “guardian” living up here; his job is calling once per hour to Dushanbe to transmit the data of the weather station. He also shows us proudly his touring skis … and we complete the collection with a headlamp … and of course we get tea, fresh bread …
The descent is pleasant, the road rather good, but there are also some very bad places. The flora is totally different on this south side, the grass much higher, and there are these amazing giant fennels I have never seen before.
After 20km, we join again the main road … and the trucks; at least the road is perfect, and we do not need too much time for the 35 km to Varzob, a resort very popular with people from Dushanbe who come to this place to escape the heat. We are lucky, it gets crowded only for the weekend.
Day 3: Finally arriving in Dushanbe
Only 20km left for Dushanbe, and we are not in a hurry to suffocate in the heat … but it gets hot also in Varzob, we are down to 1200m, only 200m higher than Dushanbe. The most remarkable place on our road is the Cement Factory at the entry of Dushanbe, more particularly, the “picture wall”, more than 1km of pictures on tiles showing "the best of Tajikistan". Our guide book doesn’t mention it, but it’s really worth a detour. In Dushanbe, we stay at the “Adventure Inn”, the meeting place of cyclists and other travelers, and we meet again some of the cyclists met earlier … and many more waiting for the Pamir to open again. A pleasant place.
|
| |
|
Dushanbe for Aid-al-Fitr (August 18-20, 2012) 38 Images
At our arrival in Dushanbe, we are surprised to see suddenly so many Islamic headscarves. In Uzbekistan there were none, it seems it’s not very well considered there (something like that), and in the North of Tajikistan, on the countryside, of course, all women have long dresses and many wear a headscarf, but tied in the neck like everywhere on earth on the countryside. Also, on the countryside, not many fast for Ramadan.
And we arrive in Dushanbe just for the festivities for the end of Ramadan. Which means that on our last day in Dushanbe almost everything is closed and we bring home barely any souvenirs … but it’s of course a great opportunity to learn a bit about the local habits and customs for this occasion. Early in the morning, plenty of kids pass by the guesthouse asking for sweets … and we laugh and think “this we know as well”. Later, we bike down Rudaki (the main avenue of the city), and we are stopped by two policemen who offer us boiled eggs and explain that this is a local habit. And then of course, everyone is dressed up, strolling along Rudaki, and particularly in the beautiful Rudaki Park. The local fast-food, desperately empty the day before, is full of youngsters coming here in groups of girls or guys for the first lunch since a month.
It’s our last day. We spend the evening in the guesthouse with all the bikers who have still many months to go, and by midnight – the pieces of cardboard we could find to kind of pack up our bikes well fixed on the panniers – we leave for the airport, where another adventure waits for us …
|
| |
