Home at last

We've made it to Khorog! Not by helicopter as hoped (it got cancelled again!), but by the more scenic option (or is it...?) via a crazy pot-holed, blasted-into-the mountains, 5 meters wide, non-secured sheer drop off into the Panj river, winding M-41, better known as 'The Pamir Highway'. We drove all day and night and 17 hrs later we had made it. At last!

Iluka: Indien ist das Land der Bagger und Tadjikistan ist das Land unserer Träume.

We've already settled into our apartment, which has running water except between 11am and 5pm, which is a great deal apparently, a room for us, a room for Iluka, a cozy kitchen and of course Tanja, our German housemate. Actually, we have invaded her house, but since we are sharing the rent ($400/month) all is good. Plus, she's the tourism coordinator at MSDSP, the Tajik branch of the Aga Khan Foundation (job opportunity hello!!). Actually, we get along great and Iluka starts his days asking: "Where is the Tanja?"

Oh, and one important minor detail: We have Wifi in the house, which is pretty much unheard of in Khorog. This doesn't mean we always manage to connect or even that the connection, once established, is stronger than your old 56K modem dial-up connection, but since you are reading this, here's proof it works at least once in a while.

Iluka: "I have already 2 friend here: Faharuddin is my neighbor and he can climb trees and pick unripe apricots, which taste sour but interesting. He comes by my home every day to pick me up to play downstairs with the other kids or we just hang out at home where mama gives us yoghurt and biscuits. My other friend is Alisho. He's 4 and helps me to get up onto the rocking horses on the playground.

Talking about playground: This place is an absolute paradise for children. 2 minutes walk from the house is a park, which has recently been landscaped by the Aga Khan Foundation. It's a poplar tree shaded, grassy paradise with an adventure playground, which can challenge most playgrounds in Europe for aestetics and style. There are wooden benches and rocks and boulders, narrow stone pathways, little hills to roll down from and flower beds.

Iluka: "There's even a beach and a pool where I can play and throw rocks all day long."

In the center of the park is a big 'pool', an artificial lake, which is 'sunken' into the landscape, walled in on three sides by a stonewall and with a sandy, pebbled 'beach' leading down to the water. The lake is being filled in summer with water from the river. Summer in Khorog has just started...

To sum things up: We are on 2100metres, surrounded by snowcapped mountains in a lush and fertile valley. People are laid back and friendly. There's butter, bread and beer! And if this place wasn't so damn difficult to get to, we'd stay here forever.