DRIVING the ROOF OF THE WORLD! - TAJIKISTAN 🇹🇯 - Australia to Scotland by road - Episode 70

With a few incredible days of camping by Karakul Lake under our belts, we continued 130km south to Murghab, a village of 4000 people which sits at 3,650m above sea level.

We planned to stock up on a few essentials such as bread, eggs, and fruit if possible, as well as stopping by the parks office to pick up a pass for the Zorkylsky Nature Refuge. Upon arriving at said office we found a very empty building. We asked around though were unable to find its new location as it potentially wasn’t open yet! With some local advice to continue on and try and ask for permission at the military checkpoint to enter, that became the new plan and worst case scenario, we’d just continue down the Wakhan.

We hit the local markets with another traveller, Ollie, who we met at Guesthouse Erali where we camped the night before. Ollie had cycled here from the UK and was heading to India, so naturally we had a lot of stories to swap! Again we were left feeling like we needed to step it up a notch and do a cycle tour!

The markets themselves were only small and the stalls mainly comprised of shipping containers; we popped out heads into each checking out what was for sale. Just before leaving we walked past the “butcher shop” and noticed a huge object with horns sitting on the floor. Walking inside I was quite surprised to find a yak’s head staring straight back at me! Apparently it is a delicacy and makes a nice soup?! In places as remote and desolate as Murghab, nothing seems to go to waste.

One last thing to do before heading out was to fill up the water tank. We found the local spring and using our 10L bottle we bought back at the start of Kyrgyzstan we made a few trips back to the car to top it up.

It was another 160km to the military checkpoint in Khargush where we hoped to enter the Zorkylsky Nature Refuge. We explained to the officers the parks office situation in Murghab though unfortunately after much deliberation we would not be able to pass. Not because the friendly men did not necessarily want to let us through, the decision was simply above them.

Plan B it would have to be then, and we begun our journey down towards the Wakhan Valley following the border with Afghanistan. After about an hour or so we found a great spot by the river to set up camp. With clear skies, zero light pollution, and mountains framing up in every direction, the sky that night felt as if it was a blanket full of stars covering us with no spaces left to spare.

As always, thanks for joining us on the adventure! In the next one we meet some locals, both Tajik and Afghan, and continue our way down the Wakhan Valley.

Jolie and Mark

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