Travellive 5 - 2018

Every morning we woke up to
a magical setting, and were
overjoyed with a profound
gratitude for life.
114
TRAVELLIVE
DREAMY
FORBIDDEN LAND
As soon as we arrived in Dushanbe,
the capital of Tajikistan, we headed
to the OVIR (Migration Police)
office to apply for our visa permit.
Just a week before we left, we
were told the Pamirs had been
closed to tourists due to rockfalls.
Fortunately, the problem had been
managed, and we received our visas
the next day before hitting the road.
Most of the roads we cycled
on in Uzbekistan were flat
and easy to travel, but the ones
in Tajikistan had many slopes
that were not only high but also
long. Despite the challenge, we
reached our milestone of 10,000
km, a remarkable figure that
reminded us that we had only
departed Paris nine months ago.
From inexperienced beginner
cyclists, we have now become
seasoned warriors.
We woke up early in the morning
when the air was still breezy and
only a few vehicles could be spotted
on the streets. Everyone was
exceptionally warm toward us. One
day, we were given a huge melon by
a driver from a melon pickup truck
before he happily drove away.
During our first days, we cycled
along the scenic Panj River that
borders Afghanistan, a country
we had long wanted to visit where
the beauty of the land and the
hospitality of the people have
became legendary. The feeling is
hard to describe when we were
just a river away from the "dreamy
forbidden land".
We chose an incredibly beautiful
location to camp with majestic
mountains surrounding us. The hot
climate caused the ground to crack,
but below it ran a mellow stream.
It was difficult for us to get down,
but in the end we managed to bathe
ourselves in the cool water, and
washed away all the sweat and hard
work of the day.
On another day, we set up a tent
right next to the Panj River.
On the other side of the
river, a group of Afghan women
dressed in long skirts were seen
laughing and washing their clothes,
while local shepherds made their
way back home with their cattles,
taking the dust up in the air. We
also spotted young men with their
heads wrapped and jackets flying
in the wind on Cross motorcycles
raised their hands to wave at us.
Life there seems peaceful, but no
doubt Afghanistan is one of the
most dangerous place in the world.
FULL OF SWEAT
TRAVELERS ON TWO
WHEELS
From the river, we headed toward
the villages to experience the
locals' daily life. Small kids with
bare feet and sunburnt faces but
sparkling eyes stood cheering us
on and clapped their little hands
for us sweat-drenched travelers
on two wheels. Seeing us must