It is only a question of trust

I've arrived today morning in Samarkand. It is even more beautiful than last year, since the northern wall of the Registan has been restored. The Damas minibus let me just at the corner of the Registan, as if I would have left it the day before. I have a strange feeling to be back home, as in Osh. I found the Bahodir B & B, the ice cream and my habits. Bahodir is still as nice as last year and his B & B has grown.

The four last days, I was in the Fan Mountains, South of Penjikent, in the North Western part of Tajikistan. The valley has been strongly affected by the flood of last spring, but the landscape is just amazingly beautiful and the people just so hospitable. Example:

I was walking down from the village of Artush (last village before my trek in the "great lake" ) at 12 am, since no bus was scheduled until 3 pm. The first 4 wheels car I have met stopped and proposed my a seat. My legs hurted me so much that they answered YES without asking for a price. Half a hour later, we were down the valley, at an other village. The driver let me at one road crossing, refusing the money I gave him.

I was waiting since 2 minutes at this crossing when an old men came to me with grappes. He just gave them to me and left. 30 seconds later, a second man came, now with biscuit. And left. After half an hour, a minibus came: the driver gave me the front seat and he drove to Penjikent. Once arrived in Penjikent, he drove until my hotel and as I wanted to pay, he refused and said, it would be for the "swiss-penjikenti" friendship. He left me with some grappes....

That's the picture I will keep from Tajikistan.