Tashkorgan

The wind whipped the tent throughout the night and we slept fitfully. The only comfort was that this was a tailwind and if it kept up into the morning, this combined with the downhill would make riding really easy.

When we woke the wind was still blowing and it was still a tailwind. It had also started to rain so we packed all the gear from inside the tent and lastly collapsed the tent itself. We skipped breakfast and got going.

The rain was steady but before long we had descended low enough to be out of the worst of it. After 30 kms we stopped to make breakfast, sheltering in the lee of a livestock pen (mud brick 4 walls). As usual we cooked up yet another delicious meal of tea and instant noodles.

It was still early and quite cool so we pushed on quickly to cover as much ground as we could while the conditions were favourable. We continued descending into a narrowing river valley and before long we were approaching a long line of large mountains. To us there appeared to be only 2 ways the road could go, left to follow the river into a gorge or right and up over the mountains (the latter being the least favoured option naturally).

As we were pondering what the morning had in store for us 2 cyclists appeared riding in the opposite direction. We all stopped for a chat and to exchange information about the road and conditions in the directions we had just come from. The cyclists, Itor and Maria, were from Spain (Itor was actually Basque) and had recently come through from Pakistan. Itor had been cycling on his own before meeting Maria and had started his trip in Malaysia. In the past 18 months he had covered and impressive 21,000 kms.

The news Itor and Maria had for us was good, the road up ahead curved left then dropped quickly into the river gorge and from then on it was an easy downhill into Tashkorgan. The news we had for them was less exciting but they took it well and set off smiling.

By lunchtime we were in Tashkorgan, the western border of China and the gateway through to Pakistan. This had been an important area and trading route since the days of Marco Polo and even today it still has many shops run by and for traders from Pakistan and Tajikstan. It is also only 30 kms from Afghanistan and a relative stones throw from Kashmir.