After Langar the road wound up into the mountain pass. The Pamir River was far below, and many parts of the road were washed away by the ice melts or maybe landslides. The mountain scenery grew more desolate, but still in the rear we could see the snow covered peaks. Breathtaking! Parts of the road were tarred, but there were still heaps of potholes and rough edges.

As we approached Bulunkul, the isolation of this small community became apparent. The lake was beautiful, but also mosquito infested, so no one was about. The settlement was away from the lake and consisted of a number of mud brick houses. I was still feeling sick, so slept the afternoon away while Lionel went wandering about. There were lots of children out running around and laughing; the owners have three young daughters who kept coming into our room unannounced to get something and to have a sticky beak. It’s hard to imagine what the people would do here to make a living…there wasn’t much evidence of gardens…

This morning the lake reflected the mountains magnificently, so a quick photo and back into the car. On the way to Murghab we stopped to visit Daniyar’s sister in law, who lived in a yurt village. Once again we were overwhelmed by the hospitality of the people, who prepared bread, biscuits, yak butter, yogurt and the delicious cream. (There were also lots of chocolates on the plate, which the boys grabbed as soon as we left!) I asked about school, but no they don’t go. Another surprise was the baby in the cradle. I thought it was a small covered chest, but then the boys started rocking it. When we lifted the cover there was the baby, swaddled and sound asleep!