Across the roof of the world

Day 62 - 64

I wake in the morning to a beautiful day with clear skies. I stroll down to the lake shore to have a look and take photos. The lake is bright blue, surrounded by mountains. Breakfast is more jam and bread, the amount of bread that 7 cyclists can eat is astonishing. We are Hungry Cyclists. 

I have a tail wind for the first 30km and they pass by quickly. In the afternoon the weather tuns again and it starts snowing. I am quick to put on my rain gear this time. It soon passes and after some terrible washboard road I arrive at the bottom of the pass. My campsite is at an altitude of 4260m. There are snow capped mountains close by. I prepare for a cold night. 

In the morning the tent and ground is covered in frost. My water bottles are full of ice. Although I didn't have a great sleep it wasn't too bad. The sun hits the tent at 7.30 and it is another beautiful day with clear skies. 

I head up hill, over the highest pass of the pamir, Ak-Baital, 4655m. I make it too the top in a couple of hours, after a lot of pushing my bike and huffing and puffing. I have a mild headache from the altitude but no other issues. At the top someone offers me a lift to Murghab, no thanks, I would rather ride down the hill. 

I head over the pass, into the head wind and down hill. The blue sky sticks around all day and I push onto Murghab, the thought of a warm bed and a beer keeping me going. 

I have a rest day in murghab.  It is all happening at the local school. The kids are in their best outfits for the first school day of the year.  In the morning I walk down to the bazaar. It is an alleyway of shipping containers. To my distress I can not find oats. What will I eat for breakfast? I buy some rice, buckwheat, a few veges and some chocolate bars. 

Some cycle tourists turn up at the guesthouse I am staying at and blog writing gets put on hold. We head to the hotel down the road for lunch and a beer. We all have to order two meals each. At 3600m the beer goes to my head quickly. A walk around town following rumours of internet proves fruitless. We do find the tourist information office, which is closed until June 1, 2015. I am on the edge of the season. The afternoon is spent eating melon and drinking tea, chatting with travellers. That evening we grab a few bottle of beer to drink with dinner. 

30/8 Karakol - before Ak-Baital pass: rode 51km, ODO 1755km

31/8 before Ak-Baital pass - Murghab: rode 82km, ODO 1837km