Remote and Rugged Tajikistan

The poorest of all the ‘Stans’ due mainly to very little natural resources and a corrupt government does not help. The spectacular landscapes, friendly and generous people made it the most enjoyable ‘Stan’. The rugged 7000m mountains, borders with China and Afghanistan means the country is very remote.

The roads are so horrific that the 550km on the major east-west M41 highway took me 14 hours. The M41 has Chinese trucks going up and down its length, which does not do the road any good, but the main problem is the mountains. Constant rock slides and floods wash the bridges away. The road is full of pot and corrugations and in many spots it is one lane wide. It is specular too drive on the edge of the mountain with hundreds of meters drop down and with no barriers.

I arrived in the capital, Dushanbae, at 11pm and could not find the hotel. A man and his son tried to help me but the Lonely Planet map was no help to them! They offered their spare room to me, exhausted and covered in mud, I accepted. Their gate opened up to a large courtyard, with veggie patch, and massive house, these guys were wealthy for Tajik standards (average salary is US$30/week). Showered and fed, I found the hotel the next day in the back of a US embassy security 4WD.

I spent the week, in Dushanbae, fixing the protection plate on the bottom of the bike, which was ripped off from the bad roads and did alot of beer drinking with Irish lads.