Stage 99: From Angren to Kokand

The stage today was a tough one. I had planned to make it to Kokand. But to do that, I had to cross a pass at an altitude of 2200m. There was also some headwind, but I took it easy. After all, the sun was shining and I could enjoy the view of the mountains, which still had some snow on them. The first 30 kilometers were relatively flat, then came the pass with about 1000 meters of elevation gain. Along the way, I was cheered on by locals, either through energetic honking or gifts of bread and fruit. A truck driver even wanted to give me a ride and it was hard to turn him down. For him, it was incomprehensible why anyone would do this voluntarily. But for me, it was a test for the mountains that await me in Kyrgyzstan.

Finally, when I reached the top, I was faced with a tunnel controlled by the military. I was told that I couldn't just continue like the cars. I was asked to download a translation app and two of my bags were checked. But after that, everything was relaxed and the soldiers were more curious than intrusive. But I still had a lot ahead of me and I wanted to continue. Right after that, there was another tunnel, again with officers. But they had apparently been in contact with the first ones because after a short phone call, they gave me the green light to continue. The descent was rapid with lots of adrenaline while overtaking the trucks. After a fast descent, I still had to cover 30 kilometers to Kokand. After a total of 125 kilometers, I set out to find accommodation in the city. All the hotels on Booking.com were overpriced and the hostels I checked out seemed closed. As it was getting dark, I found a hotel that offered me a very good price. I didn't feel like moving anymore, so I went straight to relaxation mode.

The next day, I took a break and had plenty of time to explore the city. Kokand has the Khudayar Khan Palace to offer, as it was the capital of the Khanate of the same name, which had its heyday in the 19th century. The palace now houses a small museum. In addition, Kokand has a beautiful Friday Mosque, a theater, and a university. But that's about it for now, and I was able to prepare for the next leg of my journey in peace.