The Pamir Highway – Khorog to Langar
A couple of days resting in Khorog had been very welcome and helped me to get ready to move on – or so I thought. The first few hours back on The Pamir Highway, from Khorog to Langar, went well; the scenery was as stunning as ever.
The Wakhan Corridor
We headed towards Ishkashim, the main border crossing in the area leading to the town of the same name in Afghanistan. It is the point where Tajikistan meets the beginning of The Wakhan Corridor. It is a remote region in Afghanistan which until recently managed to live life free from the control and demands of the Taliban. The Wakhan Corridor has a narrow stretch of border with China. The Taliban joined the China Belt Road Forum in October 2023, and there has long been mention of the building of a trade road from China to Kabul through The Wakhan Corridor.
Yamchun Fortress
The Yamchun Fortress lies at just over 3000 metres above sea level on the road from Ishkashim to Langar, and dates back to the third century BC. The fortress ruins with the amazing snowy-mountain backdrop is a breathtaking site, even when you feel as ill as I did then.
Hospitality and Kindness
The Bibi Fatima Hot Springs are a short ride from the Yamchun Fortress. I was very much worse for wear at that point; it was probably a urinary infection brought on by the food poisoning the night before we left Dushanbe. What I was carrying in my first aid kit wasn’t strong enough, and we were far from a hospital or pharmacy. It’s one of the hazards of travelling off the beaten track; it was by no means the first time I had been ill somewhere remote and without medical access, and it probably won’t be the last.
I took the opportunity to crash out at a nearby guesthouse. A Tajikistani woman who was staying there took me under her wing. After I had slept a little in the lounge, she kindly arranged for the guesthouse to make me some soup. Once I had perked up a little, she sent me off with a man from the guesthouse to a nearby outdoor spring to bathe in the mineral waters while he thrashed my back with a bushel of herbs. It certainly got me back on my feet and ready to continue.
Vrang Buddhist Stupas
The ancient Buddhist stupa at Vrang is simple and unlike any others I have seen. The simplicity and ruggedness suit the surroundings. From there it was a short drive to Langar. I was ready to sleep.
