to "bus stall campsite": perfect campsite and lots of company
“You say hello and I’ll say goodbye.” Rachel says to Patrick. He answers with “Isn’t that a Beatles song?” The hello, hello what is your name, continues being called to us, mostly by children and it’s difficult sometimes to respond to all. It’s fantastic that children in Tajikistan study English in school. The older people still speak Russian and Tajik languages.
The day starts with a climb out of Kalaikhum, then a police checkpoint. We will be following the Panj River all the way to Khorog and looking across to Afghanistan, a “stone’s throw away”. After 15kms there is a village then nothing for the next 15kms. At 29kms we met four cyclists we had heard about on the pass from James, a cyclist we met in Nepal a month ago. Women on Wheels UK https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/womenonwheels2 are three English girls (two are twins) raising funds for Doctors of the World, started their journey in Thailand. A friend, Pete(nicknamed Lucky Pete by other cyclists) joined them for the Pamir Highway. This was a good connection, they told us about a camp site 31kms away. We continued on and into village a kilometer away, then 7kms on a café, and at 43kms from Kalaikhum the last village until 55kms.
At 61kms on the right is a bus stall and on the left a steep road going to an abandoned building. Pushing bikes up we find the perfect camping spot. A nice flat area surrounded by a low brick wall. Water is a few hundred meters away. Just as we are finishing dinner, a motorcyclist comes up the road and asks if his group could join us. “There are 4 motorbikes with 6 people” Then said the magic words, “We have beer”. Soon they are all setting up tents and we find out they are from Romania.
Just before dark, Will, Jo, and Raphael show up.
Another a police checkpoint. A battered chair and an improvised table with a grumpy guy taking down our information.
The campsite we were told about by the English girls. We are joined by a group of seven Romanian bikers and not much later by Jo, Will and Raphael who also ran into the girls and were told we would probably be here. A nice site under shade trees with water nearby.
