The 5000 Project

The final checkpoint was the actual kyrgyzstan border, we were finally free from china…

…and in really thick snow….

the plastic bags gave way and I could not move my feet with the fear of frostbite though the thin fabric of my useless sneakers
I used my sleeping bag cover for one foot, and the sturdy plastic bag that I used for my dirty clothes for my other shoe – it provided enough protection to walk the 100mtrs to the local ‘magazine’ (shop) in fetch of adequate footwear.

To my shocked surprise the shop was selling proper high boots with wool underlay for $12 a pair. I immediately purchased the shoes with only a slight barter. The shoes are amazing, comfortable and they never seem to feel the real cold of the outside world. incredible.

Some locals guided us to a caravan concreted to the ground (the same as every building in the so called ‘town’) the family there offered to let us stay in their supplied bunks for $1.50 a night – we quickly accepted.

I made a snowman in the thick snow, then instinctively decided to throw snowballs at my companion. He was less than impressed, considering he has grown up in snow in Czech republic, he was not swayed in the way of childish snow activities.

Each day we were fed by the family for a $2 fee per meal and we questioned (with the help of my companion’s russian that he learnt in highschool) the truckers for information, the pass was closed due to the newly elected government not paying anyone to plow the road.

Each day it snowed, except for the third day… which greeted us with sun and blue skies. We hiked a hill and were struck in silence for a good half hour, starring at the surrounding scenery. Mountains and snow from every angle, with the sun shining down, breathtaking. If I was a religious man, I would have been bowing to the god(s).

We befriended a trucker (with the help of vodka) who guaranteed that we would leave on the 4th day, however when we were all set, in the truck, to head on the way – the officials spoke and denied passage due to a recent avalanche fall restricting traffic. We spent the final night in a different caravan, awake at 8am then next morning to the call of the driver to my newly purchased sim card; and headed west, through the cold outback wasteland.

only 1hr into the journey and a truck coming the opposite direction with a heavy trailer started to slide, due to the dangerous speed that he was driving, the trailer slid off-course towards us; we reversed until it came to a halt. There was much cursing that proceeded, until the offending driver managed to gain control and clear the road. Quite a nervous start.

another uneventful hour passed until we came across another truck that was bogged in the middle of the road, the other drivers; behind and ahead, were digging holes in the side of the road and throwing dirt in the middle of the road with their shovels – in order to grit the road to help with grip for when the truck is back on track. We waited a half hour before the road was clear once more.

The next obstacle was the first kyrgy checkpoint, a tiny little poorly-attempted camouflaged caravan, they checked out passports. They asked if we had any cigarettes, we said no. They then asked if we have $50USD, we said no. They settled with $4 (200SOM) after we pretended that is all we had.

3hrs past… simply incredible mountains and snow… we passed a few turned trucks that seemed like they had been there a while, until we came across a recent one, we stopped and helped them out. Tajikistan drivers with afghani helpers were carting goods from the recently felled truck, we stood in line to help out down the single file makeshift path through snow and ice – within the still thick falling snow. A few hours later, we noticed our driver was doing no work, simply waiting in his truck for his trucker buddies to catch up to him. Another hour passed and he set himself up in his bunk bed in the truck, we decided to try hailing for a car with the thought that we could be in the truck all night. A car arrived with two seats spare, we thanked the truck driver and switched to the faster option.

The rest of the journey was more mild, with the standard awe of the beautiful landscape. We arrived in osh and paid $25 each for the car journey. Osh was a city of gypsy’s and russians, where people only seemed happy when they’re drunk on vodka. We were definitely out of china.