I left the hostel in Khujand to take a marshrutka to bus terminal, then a shared taxi (20 TJS) for 2 hours to Iafara. Many taxi drivers tried to trick me hire taxi directly to Osh for 700-1200 TJS, but I followed the plan to use a shared taxi for 10 TSJ to clear the border to Batken. A seat in a shared taxi from Batken to Osh takes 5 hours and costs 1000 Kyrgyz Som(4 passengers), while a marshrutka cost only 307 KY Som yet crowded. But my fellow passages gave me a great suggestion: share taxi directly to Bishkek without stoping Osh at 2000 KY som. The TJ family adopted me all the way from Batken to Bishkek, they took me to change SIM cards, change TJS to KYS, have lunch, shop around, and got in the van at 4 pm which finally arrived 12 noon the next day in Bishkek. 22 hrs in the Van but the views during day lights were amazing!
By the way, Uzbek exclaves are no more a problem, Kyrgyzstan has built good new roads around them.
I was exhausted when the van dropped us at the west bus terminal, yet I used the last bit of energy to walk with my bags 1.4 miles to the hostel. I was thirty and totally dehydrated. But I love this hostel and happily reunited with cyclist Elias who I met in Osh 2 weeks ago. I will just chill out and relax today.
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