I’m a bit ahead of the planned schedule, mainly, because I did all what I had planned for Bishkek and could see a reason why I should stay longer. The receptionist gave me the advice to arrange an overnight stop in Toktogul, between Bishkek and Osh, close to the big hydro power reservoir. Booked a recommended guesthouse and oof I went on Monday morning. It took a while to get out of Bishkek, and I think I never had to stop at so many red traffic lights, like on the way out of Bishkek, until the city faded away and the big steppe opens up again with the mountains in the backdrop. Then Google directed me to a wonderful short meandering on a small but good road through the landscape of small villages and settlements, plantations, wheat and corn fields until I joined the M41, what is the official name of the commonly known Pamir Highway even if the Pamir still some three days drive away. The M41 was a bit more busy with trucks, minibuses and cars. Came across a group of maybe 10 dusty looking dirt bike riders, looking at each other with some interest. Suddenly a toll station with nobody in the booth again. After some time the gate opened and I moved on wondering what happened and will happen. What will happen, became quickly clear when steep switchbacks started going up the morning mountains with all the trucks coming to an almost Stillstand and everyone else is overtaking as best (or much) as the power of the engines allowed. After maybe 20 minutes a tunnel opening came up and swallowed everything for the next 3,500 meters with some dom lights giving some hints where the middle strip could be. When I come out on the other side, I was greeted with a fantastic view in an endless wide valley deep (and steep) below and the rain started. Put the rain jacket on and started rolling down the mountains in long serpentines until I reached the valley when all was dry and warm again, but not for long. The steppe valley was dotted with yurts and some very small settlements with the road going straight through to the other end where the next mountain pass was waiting. Great views, stunning landscape and free roaming livestock crossing the road as it works best for them. Saw a number of cadavers on the road side telling a grim story. And then the wind started rolling down from the mountains on the right side and while it was strong it was constant and not in gushes like in China. However, the sky got darker and darker and I could see some showers coming down ahead and I stopped again to add a thermal layer to the gear and user the first time my Parka I packed especially for those situations and changed also the first time to the warm waterproof gloves as my finger had been wet and cold from the rain. Turned out it all worked as planned and with the help of the grip heater the fingers got warm after a while and the boots proved again to be absolutely water proof as the rest of my cocoon. I passed another high pass (both are over 3100 meters) and another over 3000 meter long and narrow tunnel, this time with no lights at all for the extra entertainment. The rain stayed for a while until it ended shortly before my destination, where everything was dry and warm again.
The guesthouse was nice and I met another Indonesian couple from Bali traveling in a Hilux to Germany. Turned out, they are also in contact with the other two Indonesians, with whom I entered and exited China and with whom I agreed to drive the Pamir Highway together to give all of us as much power to help each other when needed on that special stretch over 700 km.
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