8895 kms traveled so far
54/200 kids sponsored. Send a rural child in India to school by making tax deductible donations at http://happyharriet.co

After last night’s dinner of almost-cooked rice and fitful sleep on rock strewn mountain side, we started the hellish cliff-side drive on low-friction washboard + dirt roads. Hit plenty of rocks and potholes every second and were generally miserable and tense because the gears were popping out with all the shaking, the engine was constantly in high revs (because of low power and uphill climbs) and was now making extra low-frequency rumbles. The nearest human was 1 day away and the nearest decent mechanic was probably 4 days away. Forget about parts! The high altitude was giving us headaches and the car was skidding on dirt like it does on ice! The only “cars” we saw once in a few hours were 4x4s with at least 300 hp. After several hours on these roads on a 58hp, 15yr old, front-wheel drive car with 6″ clearance, I guess I am now officially qualified to be an off-road driver. In case my employer decides to fire me, I am employable as a driver in the Pamirs! 

The silver lining was 20 or so double-humped (Bactrian) camels we saw! In the middle of nowhere! We didn’t expect to see them until Mongolia, but here they were, happily grazing away!

When we finally hit the highway, we felt like Harry and Ron after defeating the troll in the first Harry Potter movie. Naively attempted and conquered something much beyond our abilities. At the same time, we also felt like Prof. McGonagall who looks at Harry and Ron and says “five points will be awarded…to each of you….for sheer dumb luck!”
After a couple of hours on the tar road (which we would’ve taken if we hadn’t gone down to Wakhan valley! Doh!), we reached a town called Murghab where they served us boiled cabbage and potatoes. Tasted like manna from heaven. Then we drove off another 5hrs on not-so-great roads, crossed the border, reached a tiny town called Sary-tash at 9:30pm and promptly got Harriet stuck in slush! Ditched the car, hiked up to a hostel, and fell asleep with 2 days worth of dirt caked-on.