Today we left our hotel and arrived at the bus station to negotiate a ride to Penjikent. Now we were happy to pay for a whole car, rather than just a seat, as it was a four or five hour drive. We had no interpreter, just a driver who was in touch with the lovely Lotifah back at the hotel. So this guy is saying shared taxi and trying to shove our bags in the boot…there wasn’t enough room and there was already a woman and baby in the small car, so I’m not sure where we were going to fit! So we said no thankyou!
A number of phone calls later and we have a car to ourselves, with sufficient room and a four hour drive with Tajik music playing nicely in the background. Much better. The mountains were spectacular, so bare and yet along the river there are many green patches of crops, fruit trees and grass.

The driver was in a hurry! I was trying to take pics as we sped along, but without much success. The number of times he overtook on a crest or curve had me holding onto my seat. The mountain road was in a fair condition, but lots of cracks and potholes. Crews were repairing what looked like landslides, but it was hard to tell. Anyway we arrived in good time and in one piece, so that was a bonus!

Waterfall refrigerator

Very stark

Old railway carriages pop up everywhere

Not much room to get around them

Run off from the mountains

Not sure what they were selling

Zeravshan River down below