Pamir Highway II

Kalaikhum – Khorog: 272 km, 6 hours

In Kalaikhum I discovered the pace of independent travel on the Pamir Highway: instead of one night here, I spent three, waiting for a ride onward to Khorog. Unexpectedly, I maneuvered a ride with a group of foreign diplomats in their armored Land Cruiser. This was a terrific way to travel, and I soaked it up. Nor did I hesitate to leverage the captive attention of English speakers knowledgeable in Tajikistan’s current affairs. During the six-hour drive, I learned more about Tajikistan than I likely will during the remainder of my month-long visit, and therein illustrates the scarcity of intelligence while at the mercy of a language barrier.