Wednesday 27 August 2014

A New Beginning

Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan


Flying into Dushanbe I was full of mixed emotions. Leaving behind a group of great friends was hard but I was also excited to meet my new entourage. To take my mind off all this Turkish Airlines decided they would lose 1 of my bags containing my tent, sleeping mat and a pillow. Fortunately for me there were some spare items on the truck which I have been able to utilise. The company I have joined with is Madventure and they had already started in London approximately 2 months before and the trip continues through Central Asia, into South East Asia and finishes in Sydney.


One of the many valleys we wound our way through

Fresh mountain water mixing with the Oxus river
 

Now Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are not exactly tourist meccas but they do have their drawcards. Over 50% of Tajikistan is over 3000m and contains the Pamir Hwy, an old route through the mountains which once formed part of the Silk Road and had visitors such as Marco Polo and Alexander the Great. Being the adventurous type we decided to skip the start of the Pamir Hwy and go scouting for future trips through the Wakhan Valley which follows the Afghanistan border which is split by the ancient Oxus river. The scenery was stunning with 7000m peaks visible over the border in Pakistan but our luck ran out ¾ of the way down the valley when we hit a hairpin bend our truck could not get around. Admitting defeat we drove back to Khorog, losing 2 days in the process. On the way back we heard gunfire over the border in Afghanistan but could not see anything so we weren't sure whether it was a gunfight or just training.


A damaged bridge we had to wait at while they re-welded it

Scenic bush camping

Typical Pamir Hwy scene

My first Yak sighting

The view from the highest pass; 4655m


At the last pass of 4282m we came to the Kyrgyzstan border up in the mountains. After negotiating our way through and making my last passport swap we drove down with a couple of Ukrainian hitch-hikers whom we dropped in Osh a couple of days later. The roads in Kyrgyzstan immediately improved and there were some magnificent descents like the picture below. We spent half a day in Osh and grabbed supplies then continued on, climbing and descending our way towards Lake Song Kol. Just before we arrived however we noticed a group of villagers on horseback all gathered around and stopped for a look. Here we had the great fortune of being able to watch them play a game of Ulak Tartysh, a sport played on horseback similar to polo, except instead of a ball they struggle over a decapitated goats body which they are trying to pick and throw onto opposing mounds of dirt at either end of the field. It is quite a rough sport with the men grappling over the goat and ramming their horses into each other. One of our group, Kate, who is a rider at home jumped on a horse and got into the thick of it and helped score a goal for the blue team.


One of the many great drives down into a valley

Common rural dwellings in Kyrgyzstan

Locals playing Ulak Tartysh


Kate in the thick of it

Shepherds herding their Yaks

Mr Ed at Lake Song Kol


We made it to Lake Song Kol the next day where we finally got to enjoy a day free of driving. With a full day off and no signs of civilization apart from distant yurts we were able to really relax, breath the mountain air and explore the area, whether it be by foot or by horse. We had organised to stay in a yurt on our 2nd night which was much more comfortable and warmer then our tents and it also kept you safe from the many roaming cows, donkeys, goats and horses who had a unhealthy attraction to our tents. Refreshed and revitalized we made our way up to the capital Bishkek where we are currently staying for 3 nights. 5 of our group are returning home from here, leaving just a cosy 15 on a truck that can fit 40. From here we are to enter Tibet but we are delaying this as much as we can as the Chinese require you to buy permits that stipulate which way you are going to travel and an exact itinerary however this does not suit us at the moment as the road we need to enter Nepal on has been blocked by a landslide and is not due to open until mid September. We are not sure which way we are likely to be going and I will be absolutely gutted if we miss Nepal but the show must go on.





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Thursday 14 August 2014

Many Partings

Finishing the Oasis Overland Trans Africa!


Well due to the fact our Truck was still delayed in Sudan our hand was forced, and instead of going through the scenic Western Desert towards Cairo we headed to the Rea Sea coast and stayed 2 nights in Harghada. Now one would probably consider 2 nights in a resort town a good trade off but to put it bluntly, Harghada is a bit of a hole. Egypt loves their all-inclusive hotels and for miles either side of the town were retreats and resorts as far as the eye could see. Despite the pretty picture I'm painting the city was not attractive and just didn't seem to have any soul like Aswan and Luxor. Catering to the European and Richer Cairo locals, Harghada was a dirtier, rougher around the edges version of Surfers Paradise.

Nick at the Giza Pyramids

Pyramid of Khafre

Our East Coast group

 
Leaving Harghada behind we drove to our final destination Cairo, unfortunately not in the comfort of Nala our overland truck, but a mini-bus with a maniac driver who sat on 110km p/h the whole way and did not like the concept of only using 1 lane. We made it to our hotel in the afternoon after a few stops by the confused driver who was asking locals where our hotel might be and settled into what was probably our classiest hotel of the trip. If the power didn't go out 4-5 times per day (which wasn't their fault), I may not have even left my room. Our time in Cairo included the must see items, the Giza Pyramids and the Cairo Museum. The touts were not as bad as I had heard and although there was a few tourists around I was still able to get some good shots and walk around without too much trouble. By the end of the day I was exhausted and probably suffering sunstroke but we had our final dinner of the tour to celebrate reaching the end.



 
 
From Cairo it was time to start saying goodbyes, 1 in particular a lot harder than the others. 10 of us had done the entire trip together and everyone on the truck is now like family. Living together and so close to each other every day for that long could be hard at times but I know the minute I am away from them I will miss them all.  For 9 of us however the journey continued for a little longer as we decided that a relaxing time at Dahab would be in order before everyone went home, or in my case before I joined my next overland trip in Tajikistan. Dahab was awesome, nothing more needs to be said. Its as relaxed as Ozzy Osbourne after a giant spliff, the restaurants that hug the waterline hang over the water and are covered in cushions so you can just wilt the day away drinking and eating to your hearts content. We did manage to make our way down to the Blue Hole, a famous diving site which is basically just a big hole right on the shore. It is 100m deep and every year divers die here as depths and time can be a bit deceptive down there. Not being trained in diving and not wanting to die just quite yet I opted for snorkelling instead.


Luke getting some goodbye lovin'


Its not goodbye, but cya later
 
The Blue Hole, Dahab

 


 
The final goodbyes came sooner than I wanted. I left the final members of our group in the late evening of my 30th birthday after celebrating the night before. A silent taxi ride breezed me down to Sharm El Sheikh where my 24 hour flight day took me up to Cairo>Istanbul>Dushanbe. Here I have met up with my new group that will be taking me on my final leg of my trip and driving me home to Australia. Hopefully all my luggage can turn up before we leave Dushanbe at 8 tomorrow morning.

Friday 1 August 2014

The life and times of a bustling traveler in a tourist dead country

Crossing the Nubian desert


Leaving Khartoum we followed the currents of the Nile until we reached the Meroe Pyramids of Northern Sudan. Built between 800-280BC they are nowhere near the size and definitely not as well known as their Egyptian counterparts but they were magnificent to see in such a desolate setting. We had the entire site to ourselves, not only for the time we spent walking around but the whole night also as we camped right next to them hoping to get some good photos in the cool of the morning. Mother nature had another idea however and threw up one hell of a sandstorm, covering everything in a fine sand that was able to get into places I didn't even know air could get.

Meroe Pyramids

There ol' chap, over yonder



The sandstorm from the back of the truck

Washing off in the Nile
 
Driving out of the sandstorm we stopped for a quick dip in the Nile, not staying in for long as there are still crocodiles south of Aswan which are apparently almost as large as the saltys we get back at home. The risk of being eaten alive by a croc was very much at the back of our minds however as it was a consistent 40° every day and combined with the sand from the night before it was an easy decision.
We left the line of the Nile as it bent its way west and decided to leave the road and cut across the desert for 300km, following the dead straight line of the railway, making our way towards Wadi Halfa. The first day and a half we made good progress but after lunch on the 2nd day we started to get bogged. Again and again and again. A couple of hours later we decided to retrace our steps back to where we had lunch, getting bogged again and again and again. The rest of the day was sand-matting, lugging six 20-25kg sheets of metal along next to the truck in 40° heat, driving no more than 100km for the whole day. The next morning was more successful and after sand-matting for the first couple of hours back towards a remote rail station outpost we rediscovered the "road" and reached Wadi Halfa and civilization by lunch.


Crossing the Nubian desert

Sunrise after a long day sand-matting

Playing on a handcar we came across

Our last bush camp just outside Wadi Halfa

Wadi Halfa was where we temporarily said goodbye to our truck as we all hopped on the ferry, disguised as a sardine can, crossing Lake Nasser to Aswan. The truck would be going on a separate journey on a barge and would hopefully be joining us a few days later. The ferry ride didn't start too well when we discovered that the 1 room we had booked to store all our luggage came with a hidden surprise. Another passenger. We had booked a single bed, not the entire room so someone had to sit in the room to keep an eye on our gear. To makes matters even better we had booked a male room so the females were not allowed in there at all. 570 people squeezed onto the boat and we set up shade with a tarp we had bought and took over a quiet corner. Card games and backgammon kept us busy, the slop was as good as it looked and sleeping on the deck with every inch of space taken up was not the best sleep I've ever had but definitely a memorable one. With not a single pirate sighting we pulled into port at Aswan and took our first step into our last country, Egypt.


Philae Temple from the water

Philae Temple

Nefertari's Temple

Abu Simbel


The unfinished Obelisk


After driving through Sudan for the last week it was a welcome relief to arrive in a tourist centric country with all the facilities we had been craving. It was even nicer to discover that all the attractions were empty of tourists for a few reasons; it was the middle of summer, it was the end of Ramadan, and Egypt is a bit of a basketcase at the moment. Due to the truck still being in Sudan we stayed in a hotel, full with air con and a pool. Immediately after a long deserved shower most of us hit McDonalds and had the afternoon off before putting on our tourist pants the next morning. Aswan Dam, Philae Temple and a papyrus shop were on the agenda day 1 and a bus convoy down to Abu Simbel on day 2 was one of those days where you can't actually believe you're standing in front of such a famous monument.
We left Aswan via felucca the next day and had the pleasure of sailing down the Nile for 2 nights towards Luxor. In much better circumstances than our prior ferry ride we drank, ate, played cards, listened to music, swam and had a dress up party all as we drifted down the river. After the heat of Sudan and the frantic pace of Aswan it was nice to be stuck on a boat where we could do nothing but relax.


Our felucca parked up for the night

 
Kom Ombo Temple

We hopped off the felucca at Kom Ombo Temple and had a quick look around before catching a mini bus to Luxor as our truck had not yet appeared. Stuck in a hotel with air con and pool again for 4 nights was more than I could cope with so I kept myself busy visiting all the sites I could around Luxor. Karnak Temple & Luxor Temple were amazing and the recent discovery of a ancient road linking the 2 was interesting to see despite it being in excavation hiatus due to the 2011 rebellion.


Karnak Temple

Karnak Temple

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple

Ancient road linking Karnak & Luxor Temples

The next morning I crawled out of bed at 4 to go on my first ever hot air balloon ride. A beautiful sunrise over the Nile and breathtaking views of the Valley of the Kings was enough to keep me content for a week but why stop there when you can land and go visit the Valley of the Kings on the ground as well. All the praise for the Valley is well deserved, the colour of the paintings on the walls after thousands of years was impressive but surprisingly the best painting I saw all day was probably in a workers tomb at a nearby site. All this along with visiting Hatshepsut's Temple in heat like I've never experienced before made for thirsty work so a few drinks along with our buffet that evening was well deserved.


Hopping on our balloon in the morning

West bank of Luxor

Sunrise over the Nile

The edge of the "greenzone" around the Nile


Hatshepsut's Temple

We now find ourselves on the Red Sea Coast in Harghada as our truck has still not made it across Lake Nasser. Unfortunately for us we reached Wadi Halfa just before the end of Ramadan which leads into Eid, a 4 day celebration and holiday for Muslims. This meant that no one felt like working during Ramadan when we arrived because it was hot and they couldn't eat all day, and then with Eid being a holiday they were even more reluctant to work. With Eid now over we have word that the truck is being loaded today or tomorrow and will soon be in Egypt. Our fingers are crossed it makes it to Cairo before we finish as we are all desperate to have 1 last drive in the beast of a truck that has driven us right around this African continent.





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