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Samarkand & Tunnel of Terror!

PHOTOS: If you want to see the photo’s full-size, click the photo, it isolates to a new page and click it once again.  Use browser’s “back” to return to blog.
CURRENT LOCATION:  Upper right corner is my Delorme inReach Explorer satellite tracks provided by SPOTwalla.  When activated, it provides a real time track of my travels.  The tab “All-Star Motorcycle Circus & E” opens for more options.  “Adjustments” enables the viewer to select more days of the tracks.

The tracks are archived back to my arrival in Heidelberg, April 16.

Use the zoom slider on the left to open up the map to see our entire route. The two tabs in the upper right “Map/Satellite” switches the map illustration with satellite photos.

GlobeRiders has it’s own BLOG “Silk Road Adventure 2015 LiveJournal!”  There is a complete description of the excursion, rider bios, updates of the ride, and an active satellite location link.
Apologies!  I’m now only a couple days behind. There was very poor internet or no internet past Ashkhabad.  Samarkand & Khujan, Tajikistan.  I’m now in Dushanbe, Tajikistan trying to catch up.

Day 29 – Sun, 31 May – Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Bibi Khanum Mosque

Bibi Khanum Mosque

I think I'm so strange looking that people ask to have a photo with me. Of course I respond "only if I can take a photo of you too!".

This is one of the oldest mosques in Samarkand. All Silk Road caravans stopped at this most before entering the city.

Chorsu Domed Market

Ladies selling bread dough at the Chorsu Domed Market.

Every family makes their own special bread.

Bread!

Samarkand The Registan Square

Samarkand Registan Square -

Very curious and friendly boys.

This Madrassah (school) was the building on the left.

Gur-Emir Mausoleum Tamerlane

Mausoleum for Tamerlane and family.

Ornate archway to Tamerlane's Mausoleum.

Tamerlane

Tamerlane's stone is the black marble.

Day 30 – Mon 01, June – Tajikistan Border Crossing
Border crossing are now just another days ride.  They are typically short mileage days.  No one can predict what kind of delays can happen.  Sometime an important piece of paper is lost.

Plus the fact there are 18 riders and 2 staff to clear.

Day 31 – Tue 02, June

301 km (187 miles) Khujand to Dushanbe

Today is the first mountain passes day.
We just arrived in in Dushanbe, Tanikistan after negotiating the 5km infamous Anzob Tunnel, aka “the tunnel of terror!” It’s a 2-lane, no lights, water raining from ceiling, huge potholes and patches and no ventilation, exhaust fumes are overpowering.  The lane on our side is blocked every ~100-200 meters (single lane for both directions) with broken down vehicles, tunnel scaffolding, & equipment.  Among the potholes, patches, the original road’s steel rebar lay exposed clanging as we ride over them. Traffic is helter-skelter sometime coming at you from both lanes.  Average speed was 15-25 mph.

The Strompasourus takes a tunnel nap!

We’re in stop-n-go, bumper-to-bumper traffic in the tunnel.  I rode into a 5-6″ deep water filled pothole.  The front wheel drops in and climbs out the other side.  When the rear drop in, the engine stalls and my foot is over the 6” deep pothole.  I’m at a dead stop, with nowhere to put my foot, the Strompasours slowly leans to the right and over it goes.  I step off standing.  Luckily there were 2 construction workers 5 meters away!  I was up and riding in 30 seconds.  No harm-no foul!  Fellow GlobeRider Joe Hutt comes to my rescues and helps light the road and blocking traffic from behind.

I was the only SilkRoad rider to take a tunnel nap!
The Serena Hotel is a 5 star.  Great rooms, food, comforts.  This is to prepare us for the next 5 days.  No internet!
Now the riding gets interesting.  We have 359 km (223 miles) to Kalaikhumb.  There is one high pass and several stretches of gravel roads.

4 comments to Samarkand & Tunnel of Terror!

  • Pete Springer

    Good stuff, Dean, thanks for taking us along.

  • Brother Tom

    We drove “Adolf Hitler’s” pass today from Bolsterlang, Germany into Austria before heading into Switzerland on our way to St. Moritz. Lots of windy roads through Alpine passes with motos everywhere. Luckily none took a nap around us. Tom

  • chuck hickey

    sure —- you are so interesting that the ladies want to take a picture with you. You realize, of course, that you are being reverse “stalked”. At one of the boarder crossings there is going to be a picture of you hanging on the wall ….. with the lady not in it. With a reward amount in Rials — like 4 bazillion. which is about 75 cents american. You will be held hostage in lieu of the reward money because the rest of the crew couldn’t come up with the 3 quarters to buy you out of hock.

    Nice knowing you Deano…… I’ve got a dollar for bail if you need it. Actually — maybe I’ll just send you a letter with an extra stamp. You could probably buy a car with it.

  • Kirby Rivest

    Thanks so much! really enjoying your interesting posts :)

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