Over the Sheep Dung Pass

After a week of having it rough, but wonderful, we've returned to civilization safe and sound. I'll leave the day-by-day description to my diary and personal memories and rather attempt to deliver the essence of the voyage in a series of interviews:

THE PLAYERS
Mr. Mir Alom, 72, driver par excellence
Let's call him the bear. He has his 30-year old jeep under control and always carries a handful of spare screws, dirty rags and assortment of wires to fix things literally 'on the fly'. We were glad to hear that he has given up on the vodka - his trusted glove-box companion while being a gasoline truck driver for 40 years...

Best memory of the trip: Coming home to Khorog

Worst memory of the trip: Having to name every single village on the 600km-long drive!

Typical conversation between Mir Alom and Mitushoh while driving:
Mitushoh: Chiz? (What?)
Mir Alom: ---
Mitushoh (louder): In chiz? (What's this?)
Mir Alom (grunts)
Mitushoh: In chiz ast? (What is this?)
Mir Alom (grunts, looks over): huh?
Mitushoh: Kishloq... (Village...)
Mir Alom (grunts, nods): hummmh
Mitushoh (louder, leaning over): In kishloq namo chiz? (What's the name of this village?)
Mir Alom (mumbles something)
Mitushoh: Chiz?
...

What made this trip special: Not a single flat tire!

Ilukshoh, 2.5, aspiring engineer
Easily distinguishable from other dirty snotty-nosed kids by his screams when lifted up and cuddled by an enthralled Tajik woman. Other audio clues: The sound of rocks splashing into water at any nearby irrigation channel, river, lake or puddle.

Best memory of the trip: A different woman in every village

Worst memory of the trip: The day we ran out of candies

What made this trip special: All going to bed at the same time and falling asleep between Mama and Papa in the tent.

Mitushoh, 36, über-excited tour guide
Likes to confuse locals by dressing like a tourist (sun hat, camera, hiking boots), then breaking out in Wakhi slang (local dialect) on approach.

Best memory of the trip: Helping the Tajik border guards look for Afghan infiltrators from their high-tech watch-tower.
Worst memory of the trip: "Every time I took off my shoes"

What made this trip special: Pork sausage and beer.

Marigul, 34, mitigating factor
The quiet shadow, the glue that makes the pieces stick, the calm in the storm...

Best memory of the trip: A moment all to myself in Langar. Time to let thoughts fly, to romaticise about the fresh mountain air and the wind rustling in the treetops, while hearing Iluka's and Matthieu's screams of joy in the distance. Somewhere far, far away...and of course: Taking a dip in Bibi Fatima's womb!

Worst memory of the trip: "Kaka" in Bulungkul or how Iluka chose the worst moment to shit his pants... No visuals can describe the desperation felt, when standing in the middle of a dusty village with no water in sight.

What made this trip special: a hike and a picnic at 4444m as a family.