07
Yamchun
1 day
We hitch a ride to Namadgut to see the view over the Wakhan valley from the fort. Then we have to find a ride to our guesthouse for the night. After not too long we are picked up by a border guard who already has two other tourists in his car. The border guard drops us off at the village along the lane.
A friendly farmer offers us a free place to sleep in his house but we opt to go to our planned guesthouse at Hakim's. An exhausting walk up to the village brings us into the idyllic garden of Hakim and his family. His ever good-humoured grandson is the star and pride of the family. "You have obviously been to Bibi Fatima", Jasper jokes. The hot springs a little higher up the mountain are said to be beneficial for fertility.
Akim enjoys talking about his life. He misses the USSR. "Back then, you could fly to Moscow for 5 euros. And a doctor could just be a doctor, a teacher could just be a teacher, .... Now we also have to provide our own food to make ends meet."
We hike for one hour and a half to the famous hotsprings. The women's area is a beautiful natural rock but because of the radon it contains, we keep our visit short.
We sleep on mattresses on the floor in a charming, bright little room. Spring blossoms and fresh laundry are our view.