Thankfully,
it wasn't by these soldiers or their guns. Around these parts you need a
special permit to travel which should be obtained in Dushanbe and there
are many passport checkpoints along the way. These guys were sitting at
a tiny desk with a notebook which they scrawled who knows what
information off our passports and kindly had their picture taken with
us. I think they bored or wanted to show off their guns, which were a
bit frightening by the way, but nice guys.
As
we continued down the road different views and secrets started to
reveal themselves. Above is a shot of the Panj river dividing the two
countries, Tajikistan and Afghanistan along with a view of the Hindu
Kush found in Pakistan. Seeing the snow-capped mountains of the Hindu
Kush was also impressive and I knew would continue to become more real
as we inched closer along. At this point we weren't far from Ishkashim,
but considering it wasn't our final stop for the evening we still had
some distance to cover. Once we arrived my guide, Teo negotiated with a
gentleman (I think he may have known from a previous trip) for a ride
into Vrang, a village in the Wakhan. The driver agreed and told us he
would get us to Vrang in good time as he had to turn right back for a
wedding. Even speeding along he was nice enough to make stops at points
of interest so we could take photos.
Above
the hill there was a fort which was manned by two men from what I could
tell and so I opted to take a shot of the road from which we'd driven.
The sun was still high, but wouldn't be for long. When we left the fort
we later stopped at a shrine for which I haven't the name and sincerely
apologize. It was explained to my by my guide Teo that there is little
written history on the Pamirs and their people, but the further you go
and the more you speak with them you learn of all these fascinating and
far out tales on deities, supernatural like things, the
Aga Khan,
and even the high-times when Communism was in place. It was hard
separating what was true from what could possibly be considered false,
but the Pamiris
also known as Ismaili's
were quite serious with their stories and far-fetched sounding tales.
Who was I to question their beliefs? Without knowledge of the language I
could not tell you the exact words from any one man, woman or child I
crossed paths with, but will recount to the best of my ability that of
what my guide could translate to me.
Upon
entering this shrine a local elderly gent appeared with and more than
willingly told us the story of this place. My translator and guide
followed as best he could, but even he got lost in the man's tale.
Whether it was the language (there are several different languages used
throughout the Pamirs) or just odd points that he couldn't piece
together I'm not certain, but what I am certain is this: this shrine
like most reflects the Prophet Muhammad and his family members including
Fatima. Every Pamiri home and most structures or shrines have pillars
or something to reflect the five pillars of Islam. This all gets
confusing for me and requires extensive research, but allow me to
continue with the few things this Tajik fellow managed to say.
For instance these ram's horns are
Muhammad
and there was a time that when you blow on the horns the soldiers would
come. We couldn't understand whether the man was saying past or
present, but it seemed really bizarre.
When
we took off from the shrine we really took off. There were little
scenic stops other my guide needing to deliver some photos to families
from previous trips, but that was about it. We arrived at a home where
we would be taken in by one of the nicest families on the planet. With a
goodnight's rest we planned to set off again in the morning. This time
we would go up the mountain on a 2-3 hours hike.
On day two when we woke my guide managed to deliver all that he had
promised including some really intense unexpected mountain hiking. Sure
he'd warned me to fill up as I'd need as much fuel for the mountain
hike, but it was far more difficult than I imagined. Our first stop up
the mountain was at this Buddhist stupa. Little history is recorded on
the stupa, but it is surrounded by caves that served as cells for the
monks. Atop of the stupa rests a stone which if you ask anyone from the
village about they'll tell you almost immediately that it has the
footprint of Buddha on the stone.
Further
up the mountain there are small forts which see very few tourists and
which very few tourists see because of the difficulty of the climb.
While the air quality was amazing the climb in altitude was a slight
challenge for me and I had to stop for short breaks more than I thought I
would. As you could imagine I was thrilled to make it to points of
interest like this years and years old signal fort. Ashes some thousands
of years old can still be found around the fort I believe. In any case
this made for a good break and photo opportunity.
After
the signal fort we climbed some more to this old ancient fort. With the
stunning views behind the fort of the valley it was clear on why any
man would build a post at this particular part of the mountain.
My
guide Teo, who has the eye sight of a hawk, spotted these folks coming
back with their sheep, donkey, and cows from a recent few days trip when
they take the cattle to feed and what have you. He suggested we meet
them along the way. I was pretty timid considering the teeny-tiny path
you have to take to reach them and I wasn't the most trusting of the
mountain terrain. Hey, I'm from Florida, but without much tooth-pulling I
took off along the path. I was hoping to make new friends and surely I
did.
The
mountain men joked as they watched me clumsily walk carefully along the
path. They said if I could ride a donkey I could get out much faster,
but I think sitting atop of a donkey would have freaked me out more
though it was a rather charming little guy.
Which one of these doesn't belong?
Almost
everyone you meet along the way will happily invite you to their place
for tea and other Tajik delights and while you shouldn't refuse the
invitation or chance to check out a Pamiri home it gets tough when you
have two, three, or four families asking you over. Whatever the case you
should at least accept one offer. I had the chance to stay at two. One
in Vrang and the other in Yamchun.
On our third day before we had to take off later that day my guide and I
went up to the Bibi Fatima mineral hot springs. I was told it would be
sinning not to go and naturally I did not wish to sin so I followed
along once more. The full name is the
Ostoni Bibi Fotimai Zakhro hot spring which literally means
'holy site of the sleeves of Bibi Fatima.' The
story behind the hot springs is that it is believed to improve female
fertility. After finding this out, I then knew why it was such a big
deal (especially if your a woman) to make a trip to the hot springs. To
sum my trip to Bibi Fatima up it was here I think I found heaven on
Earth. Having taken bird baths over the last couple of days and with
sore muscles from my mountain climbs the hot water splashing down from
the falls in the cave felt like a dreamland. I only wished I could have
stayed there forever. Will it increase my fertility or any other visitor
for that matter? Who knows, but it certainly felt great!
While
I haven't any photos from the hot springs interior I leave you with
these shots of signs from Yamchun and one of the Bibi Fatima exterior.
From here I began my departure away from Yamchun, Vrang and the Wakhan
Corridor to return to Khorog where there were some hidden gems as well.
Overall, the Wakhan has too many hidden gems to name and so much history
that it makes writing about them very difficult. My only hope: should
this be a desired travel destination for someone that it has helped in
terms of what to do and if it wasn't that it has inspired you to go.
Stay tuned for more.
Getting
to Tajikistan can be difficult depending on your schedule and flight
plan. I went from Tampa-JFK-Istanbul-Dushanbe, on Delta then
Turkish Air (approx. $1,900 USD) which I highly suggest flying Turkish Air into the country rather than
Tajik Air
which has can be fickle at times. However, Tajik Air flies through
Munich, Moscow and St. Petersburg to name a few international cities of
interest. Check their website for flight times and departure cities.
Once in Tajikistan you can either fly into Khorog ($60 USD) to start
your Pamir journey or you can take the 15-18 hour drive from Dushanbe
down ($30 USD). I went by flight down with Tajik Air and drove back up.
The ride is bumpy, long and filled with terrifying close calls with the
mountain edge. If you can stomach it or on a tight budget go for the
drive.
When planning a trip down to the Pamirs more than money
you'll need time. You can get by on $30 USD for 10 days according to my
guide if you have the time. Most of the cost goes towards transportation
and accommodation is typically provided by a friendly stranger or two
along your path. For more detailed information on visiting Pamirs I
suggest heading to this
Pamirs website first. They've got tons of background details, panorama photos of the region, as well as this
page of links to help you in your travel planning.
Lonely Planet has only a wee-bit of information, but you may find a nugget of useful information somewhere. The
Great Game Travel
Company has great information and can provide you with a guide as well.
I'm told their schedules are pretty strict and it might be better to go
with a local should you speak some Tajik or Russian.
(All photos taken by Adrienne Wilson unless pictured in them where they were then taken by my guide Teo Kaye or a villager who had some decent photo skills.)