Following the road in southern direction from Khorog we entered the Wakhan Valley. Still on the right-hand side was Afghanistan. We could see Afghan people walking with their donkeys along the little trail. The Hindu Kush and its 6000 m summits appeared. We stopped in Ishkashim where people can cross the Pyanj river to the Afghan Saturday market without holding an Afghan visa. I still didn't feel good. Altynbek dropped the others at the Afghan market and took me to a homestay where I could rest. Some hours later the others came back from the market. The Afghan market wasn't really interesting as far as the offered goods are concerned. A lot of stuff was for sale: carpets, clothes, shoes, soap, sweets ... nothing useful except for the soft Chinese toilet paper for myself (the toilet paper on the Tajik side was rather like wallpaper)! However the people on the market were interesting. The Afghans in their typical dresses could be easily recognized. Everybody was very friendly and many people were very fond of being photographed. Have a look at the pictures!
We stopped at several old Silk Road fortresses (the Kakaha is still in used by Tajik border guards), visited several shrines and Buddha's stupa. During these days we couldn't take any shower. The homestays did not have any. To wash ourselves we went to one of the hot springs in the Wakhan Valley where local people go for a bath. The water in the cave was so hot that a 10-minute bath was more than enough. Interestingly enough the entry fee varied from tourist to tourist. While we had to pay 10 Somoni we heard from others that they paid 5 Somoni. Did we look so much dirtier?
In Langar on Monday morning, 2.8.2010, we set off very early and climbed 500 m with the help of a local guide to see some petroglyphs. The 500 m climb was tiring. We passed the 3000 m level. Every step became more and more difficult. The view on the Hindu Kush range was spectacular. We could see the Afghan mountains as well as the ones in Pakistan just behind the Afghan ones. Actually we did shoot more photographs of Afghanistan instead of Tajikistan that week.We continued and left the Wakhan valley behind us. The road led over a 4300 m Khargush Pass and joined the Pamir Highway. The Khargush Pass was quite a disappointment. We expected a great view but there was nothing to see. That night we stayed at a homestay in Bulunkul. At an altitude of more than 3500 m we envied the locals playing volleyball. Though altitude sickness wasn't a problem for us, we did feel the high altitude.
