Tajikistan Pt6 Khorag ... Nearly!

Suliyah ... The precocious young lady who invited us to stay for the night ...
NB. The credit for this photograph goes to my travel partner Bjorn http://www.panomoto.com/

Khorag ... Nearly!

It was getting towards the end of the 2nd day's travelling out of Dushanbe, destination Khorag. We had maybe an hour of good daylight left and I found myself pulling over absolutely bloody exhausted. I really did feel all-in and the thought of another hour, or who knows how-long with these roads. Another 2 hours ... or more perhaps? Then comes the ride-around, hunt-around for a hotel. I was looking at my map with the brain churning these thoughts over, when someone called out in what sounded rather good English. “Hello ... Would you like to come and stay?” I looked across to the other side of the road and could see a young girl, beaming smile and very direct gaze. “Well ... Helloooo” I called back, in a Terry Thomas accent.

Bjorn showing Suliyah some recent photographs

Maybe it was because she was a young girl? Maybe it was because I was so tired? But I already knew I would accept her offer. In walking over she then pointed and said that her Uncle was just along the way, and went on to ask if I'd like to meet him, to which I said “yes ... “

Hmza

His name was Hmza, and he repeated the young girls offer to stay with them, which both Bjorn and I both accepted. After slithering our way along the muddy track which led from the road, we pulled up into their grounds and in front of their humble dwelling. It was there that we met Hmza's wife and the young girls Aunt, Pevista. We found the young girls name was Sulhiya and that Hmza as her Aunt and Uncle, were acting Mother and Father to her.

Pevista

This was the Bacev family as it was, because it turns out her parents were in Russia with her Father working over there to earn and send money back. It never did become clear, but I got the distinct impression that her parents hadn't been back in a long time. I speculated that perhaps people sometimes never came back from Russia after they went there for 'work'. For reason's unknown to me I took a shine to this outgoing young lady and found myself unable to resist taking the mick out of her as she ordered everybody, including me 'n Bjorn around. I couldn't help but speculate even further that in a few short years or maybe sooner (she was only 14), she'd be bossing a husband around, as well as likely to be thinking about starting a family of her own.

The Bacev Family

It quickly became obvious that these people had very little, but in accepting us into their home it was evident they were prepared to give us everything that they had. This was Central Asian hospitality at it's very best, and it was a most humbling experience I can tell you. We'd barely settled cross-legged onto the dining platform, when we were presented with a freshly prepared tomato salad, then another made from sliced cucumber. Some biscuits appeared, a plate full of bread, honey, followed by a request for us to take tea. It went on ... some rice soon made an appearance. Noodles and broth, as a bowl of Lakman ... Delicious! We were given a huge bag of white'ish coloured berries that had dried to hardness. They were sweet and I guessed that they may have been mulberries? Whatever ... In short we had a blow-out of banquet proportions and I for one thoroughly enjoyed myself that evening. Even though we felt we were raiding whatever food and drink they had, they were clearly revelling in having us to stay, so found the grace to let it just happen.

Darkness came and a small bottle of vodka appeared, which didn't last long as everyone was in good spirits. So I asked if there was anywhere nearby we could buy some drinks to repay them in some small part, to which Hmza leapt up like he'd been stung on the arse and announced he was going to the shops ... It looked very much like we'd said the right thing, as the glint in his eyes said he was keen to get some more alcohol. Bungin' him a wedge of Somani (Tajik' currency) asked him to pick up some cold beers too. We were gonna party this night!

And so we did ... Bjorn got his lap-top out and showed numerous things that he thought may have been of interest. In particular was 'Mondo Enduro' a vaguely amateurish film production with a lot of fans in the biking world. Whether it was a bike'ish thing, or more likely the fact that one part was filmed in the Pamirs, but they were all rapt as this played through. And as the evening wore on, we were getting rather drunk into the bargain.

The evening got late and the question of our accommodation eventually came up. Again, we were to just let things happen and it was suggested we could kip on the dining platform. It was a warm night and looked forward to sleeping under the stars, and with the added warmth of the alcohol I really didn't need my sleeping bag. It was found that the silk-liner was to suffice for most of that night. Alcohol was still buzzing in my brain, and as I watched with increasingly heavy eyelids the moon appeared and glinted it's silvery way through the nearby trees. Eventually in watching this magical scene my eyes closed and drifted off into a pleasant dreamless sleep.

In waking next morning, came to with mono-vision. I'd gone blind in one eye. Oh no ... wood alcohol! I've been made partially blind by the bloody vodka. Funny I think, 'cos it looked like it was a kosher brand, and not some dodgy local home-brew. Wait a minute, I can see some light out of my blind eye. It's watery ... but can make something out. I concentrate harder and shut my good-eye. Yes, it's milky and watery, but can see. Hallelujah! I'm not completely blinded in that eye and so there's some hope. Maybe if I give it a rub or some rapid blinking will clear things further? But when I try to do this I can't blink! What's going on I think to myself? And in feeling my eyelid, it suddenly comes to me what's happened. What's happened is; that I was bitten during the night. A mozzy or some other bug had 'got' me right on the eyelid while I was asleep and it had swollen the tightly shut. There was some little concern for a while that I wouldn't be able to ride with one eye, but an hour or so and the swelling had reduced
enough for me to see okay.

Me first thing in the morning after being bitten by the Marvin Hagler Bug.

NB. A couple of days later in Khorag, we met with a German traveller who had one swollen eye-lid that was nearly glued shut too. In his case he seems to think he had been bitten by some insect that had come scurrying out of the pillow. If true, then maybe I should christen it the Marvin Hagler bug, as it leaves you looking like you've just done 10 rounds in the boxing ring against him!

A review of the map showed we only had a short section of the Pamir Highway to negotiate before Khorag. After a couple of days of tough road conditions this was a welcome thought. Taking the contact details of this most hospitable of Tajik' families, said our goodbyes to them and headed East ... Khorag, gateway to the Pamirs ... Hide away your treasure and lock up ya daughters, 'cos here we come!