Author: Anja
-
Escorted, Delayed, Delivered—Pakistan Part 2
A van sneaked up the mountain right behind us. We were slow, and the road was wide with ample space to overtake, but instead, the van kept creeping uphill right behind us. Thomas, cycling behind me, confirmed my suspicion: a police van. After quite a while, the van overtook us and gestured for us to…
-
Hunza Valley—Holidays in Pakistan
After weeks of pushing and ensuring we were not “too late” to get over the high passes, we are finally here in Pakistan. All the high passes are behind us. We are still over 2,500 meters, but from here, it’s only downhill—at least on average. Hunza Valley, the northernmost mountain valley of Pakistan, is a…
-
Flying through China
Today, I am not actually cycling. In my imagination, we are flying up Muztagh Ata (7,509 m)—through the clouds, along the crevasses, deep into the core of the mountain, over the endless plains, and through the deep valleys. How beautiful it all looks from up here! And I can feel everything—the rough rocks, the mountain,…
-
The Wakhan Valley and Our Highest Pass(es)
Good thing we’d left our emotional hiccups and unreasonable fears behind, because the real challenge hadn’t even started. But first, we still enjoyed a few comparably “lazy” days through the Wakhan valley, with Afghan markets, hot springs, bumpy and sandy roads, and mild, sunny, but short days. The extreme beauty and ruggedness of the landscape…
-
The Beginning of the Pamirs
If you thought that was it, that my last post was enough of an emotional roller coaster, you (and I) were wrong. I thought that, after making it through the first stage (over the Anzob Pass to Dushanbe) and overcoming one major emotional struggle (my irrational fears), things would get easier from here. And, at…
-
Tajikistan—Up into the Mountains
“Welcome to our country, miss.” With these words and the friendliest smile of any border police officer I had encountered so far, I got my passport back with the entry stamp to Tajikistan. Everyone greeted us warmly from the side of the road, and children came running into the middle of the road from the…
-
Uzbekistan
Time to slow down—not in terms of distance, but in the impressions to take in.After traveling for so long, a kind of saturation had set in. An impressive building started to feel like just another impressive building, a stunning ceiling like just another ceiling. Even a welcoming smile or a friendly invitation could blur into…
-
Turkmenistan
“Closed!”, “Delete!”, “Show picture! Delete!” Crossing the border from Iran to Turkmenistan truly catapulted us into a completely different world. The contrast couldn’t have been more striking. The cities in Iran were crowded, with small streets lined with even smaller shops. Almost everyone wanted to take pictures with us (with very few exceptions) or offer…
-
Iran – The Center and East
Unlike the mountainous, cooler regions of the northwest, central Iran boasts a different character—its landscapes are arid, and the cities are filled with stunning examples of Persian architecture. From the intricate tilework of Isfahan’s mosques to the wind-catching towers and adobe buildings of Yazd, we were immersed in centuries-old craftsmanship that showcases the country’s rich…
-
Iran – The Northwest
We were cycling downhill on a gravel road, and the headscarf I wore under my helmet was blowing in the wind. In the morning, we dressed appropriately—long pants and long, loose shirt—and I added a headscarf on the bridge after officially leaving Armenia and before entering Iran. We had crossed the border into Iran around…