We have made the exit. And now we have to go ahead. Assalamu Alaikum Everyone.
Welcome back to the channel from Faizabad, Badakhshan, Afghanistan. Today is our last day in Afghanistan. And it's time to say goodbye to Afghanistan. And to go to our new destination, our new country.
We have spent 11 days in Afghanistan. We had a great time. I will tell you about it in detail in the ride. But today's plan is that we will ride from here to Kunduz.
Sher Khan after Kunduz. Afghanistan and Tajikistan are the borders there. We will cross the border and reach Dushanbe, Insha Allah. So this ride will be about 450 to 500 km. It's mostly asphalt. The navigation is telling me that this ride will take about 8 to 9 hours.
I don't know how long it will take to cross the border. But it will definitely take us at least 2 to 3 hours. The riders from Afghanistan say that it will take 2 to 2.25 hours.
I have packed my stuff. It's very hot here. You can see that I am sweating.
Let's start the ride, in the name of Allah. Bismillah... In the name of Allah Prayer for the journey Thank you. May Allah bless us with a good day.
We have a great time. And we have a great border crossing. The ride to the border from here is quite long. It's almost 9 am here.
I hope to reach the border by 1.30 pm. I have been told that the border is open from 9 am to 11 am. And then from 2 pm to 4 pm. 9 to 11 slot was not possible.
That's why I planned to cross the border between 2 to 4 pm. And then we will reach Dushanbe. I was expecting that the weather in Faizabad would be better.
But it's very hot here. We have mobile phone coverage here. But as soon as we leave, the internet will disappear. However phone calls can be made in some areas. Although we may start receiving signals in Kunduz or some other area.
It's a long journey from here. If the Taliban don't stop us on the way, we will reach there soon. Once we leave the city behind, we can go rather fast.
I reached late last night and woke up early in the morning. But I was too tired to have the energy to start the ride at 7 or 8 in the morning. I wanted to relax and have a cup of tea. Then I thought that it's gonna be a long day anyway. So, what's the rush.
The condition of Afghani currency notes is mostly very bad. They need to be handled extra carefully. We are passing through Kishm right now. We have covered about 100 km. The starting areas were full of mountains.
But then it started to get green. The land became flatter. The agriculture is increasing. The driving here is just crazy.
We have reached Takhar province. We have left Badakhshan behind. The main city here is Taloqan. I am a little tired. Let's take a short break.
Let's see what's around here. I can see mangoes. Let's stop here.
We are about 150 km away from the border. It might take 2.5 hours to cover 60 km in an hour. It's almost 11.50 am here. We did the last journey at a good speed. Faisal is making lunch for us.
He knows Urdu. He has lived in Karachi and Saudi Arabia. He came here 3 years ago.
He is making chicken for us. I thought to have a meal before we leave. Let's see how the next journey goes. I hope I reach there on time.
I don't want to be late and miss the border. Do you have a GPS? Yes, I have a GPS. He is testing my helmet. I told him not to do it but he didn't listen.
Faisal has made a very nice chicken for us. I used to make this in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia? Yes. That's what I used to do in Makkah.
This is Faisal. You lived in Sohrab Goth in Karachi? Yes, in Sohrab Goth. I have also lived in Saudi Arabia for 40 years.
I was in Makkah. I speak Saraiki as well as Punjabi. Wow. You speak Saraiki as well. But I don't. I do. Where did you learn Saraiki? I learned it in Saudi Arabia. I used to go to Embassy school of Pakistan.
Learned it there. I have an ID card in Pakistan. I was in Pakistan. My father and grandfather were in Pakistan. During the Russian war.
I went to Karachi. Then I went to Saudi Arabia from Karachi. The motorcycle can fall down. He was trying to get a photograph. No, it's from Germany. The flag you mean? It's Palestine.
Thank you. This is Suleimani tea. Okay, Faisal. Thank you very much. Allah Hafiz. Faisal was a very nice guy. And my experience so far in Afghanistan has been amazing.
I have met some really wonderful people. And especially those who have come from Pakistan. They have shown me great respect wherever I meet them.
The things that we see in the media or here and there. I mean I have met some people here who misbehaved or did some minor thing. But that's hardly 1%. The rest 99% are very kind, friendly and hospitable people. They respect me a lot. Faisal was one of those. He was very happy to see me.
He said that he was rather happy that I am visiting his province Takhar. I told him I have to go today. Gradullay running out of time.
This stop here has made me very happy. The way this man received me, the respect he gave me. The last moments in a country. You can say that this is what stays in your mind.
When you are leaving the country. I had a very good time here. The food was very good. Let's make sure to reach our destination by 2.30 pm. It's 12.15 pm here. Welcome back to Kunduz.
We are back in the city traffic now. The plan is to get out of here as soon as possible. It's almost 2.45 pm. The border is still 50-55 km from here. I had to turn on the navigation.
Because I was sort of lost. Assalam Alekum. Thank you very much Nasir.
Okay. Allah Hafiz. Nasir has lived in Pakistan for 25 years. He says that he was born there. Most of the people working here have recently come from Pakistan. I don't know if they are gonna stop us here or not.
Nobody asked us to stop so we kept going. We have reached Sher Khan. I hope that from here, we will know what to do. If Afghanistan side takes less time, then everything will be done on time. I don't have much idea of the place.
But it's possible that we are still far away. The entry process in Afghanistan was rather swift. Only the immigration office put an entry stamp. That's it. It's very difficult for Afghani locals to go to Tajikistan. It's very difficult to get a visa. That's why I don't think there will be much rush here.
Many Afghans go to Pakistan. That's why it was more crowded back there. As you can see, there is not much trading happening here.
This is a small village of Sher Khan. It's the main bazaar. I don't have any idea of this location. It's not even written here. If it is, then I don't even understand what it means.
This border is in a pretty bad shape. These are the shops. It looks like this border has been closed for a long time. That's why the businesses are closed here. Although border towns are very lively. Okay. Thank you.
We were going the wrong way. I was following them because I thought they were going there as well. Towards the border.
Everything is closed. All the businesses are closed. I think we are there now. Okay. We are on the wrong side. Let's see where the immigration office is.
Assalam Alekum. Immigration is here? Assalam Alekum brother. Where is the immigration? Immigration? I'm on a motorcycle. Road pass? Yes. They need to check the road pass.
They will do it here. This is the road pass that we got from Peshawar. Let's go. They have put an exit on our road pass. Now we have to go straight.
We need to check your luggage. Okay. You can check anything. Assalam Alekum. Wa Alekum Salam
Dollars? I made a mistake. He asked me in Urdu. And I replied. After that they started searching through my stuff. Sorry? Pakistan. What? Pakistan. Where are you from? I have noticed one thing.
I have to say this, whether I like it or not. Whenever I have spoken Urdu with officials, I have faced trouble. They have said something extra. This guy was sitting inside. First, he said everything is fine.
He said, Urdu. I said, yes. Then he said... I think we have to go here. We have to search.
Overall, I didn't like it. But what can we do? We have to accept it. Now we have come to passport control. I have not spoken Urdu here.
Only German. Assalam Alekum Bye, Afghanistan. See you next time.
Now we are going to Sher Khan Bridge. Straight ahead. Actually, they did not check anything. They stamped my passport.
They saw the name of my city, Nankana Sahib. And that I am from Pakistan. Everyone knew Urdu.
We had a little chat in Urdu. Then they wanted to check my luggage again. I called the previous guy. He told him that he had already checked the luggage. It was fine. He did not make a big issue.
So now, welcome to... I am not welcome yet. I don't know how the Tajikistan border crossing will be. One side is done. Alhamdulillah. It took us about half an hour.
Here are the Tajikistan border people. Assalam Alekum. They greeted me with a smile. Now let's see where we have to go. You stay here, Rangeeli (the motorcycle).
I will go and complete my paperwork. These are the motorcycle documents in my file. Let's take off the helmet. Don't want to make them angry. So, officially welcome to Tajikistan.
This is our second border crossing of this tour. It was a chill atmosphere on this side. There was a woman inside. Two men.
One took my passport. And I think he completed the work in 10-12 minutes. Then he gave me a custom document. He took $20 from me for that document.
And it is valid for a month. German passport does not require a visa. Just the entry stamp but no fee. That's it.
Now we will go out of the border. Hopefully we are on the right path. I have checked that Dushanbe is about 180 km from here. The place where I have to go is Green House hostel. I have booked a hostel here as well. My Afghani SIM card was still working.
But we did not get a good room there. But at least I have booked a room. Because I had to stay at that place. Let's see how our next adventure goes.
If we take a stop somewhere, I will tell you a little bit about our journey in Afghanistan. Is someone sitting here? Can't see anyone. But someone has to be here. They might check my passport. Thanks Let's go. We have finally entered.
To be honest, I have faced such border anxiety after a long time. In the Middle East, there were some borders like Iraq, Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel. I used to face anxiety there. However the ones in the Gulf were really smooth. I did not face so many issues. I felt the similar situation in Afghanistan to some extent.
But they made it very fast. There has been a lot of change after crossing the border. Not only the style of buildings have changed, but also the people. You will see a lot of people in western clothes. There was a lot of Shalwar Kameez back there. And you get a Soviet feel here.
I have never visited the Russian states before. I have only seen them in movies. Or I have visited East Europe a little bit. Apart from that, there was no opportunity to exchange money at the border. Exchange to Tajikistan currency I mean. Or to buy a SIM card.
And there was nothing on the way. You saw a village on the side of Afghanistan. You can do everything there.
But there is nothing on this side. I should have exchanged some currency there. I have found a peaceful place on the side of the road.
I can stand here and rest. Let me clear one thing. I am neither a Taliban supporter, nor am I against them. I am a simple traveler. And whatever you have seen, these were my honest opinions and views. I do not give opinions about any place.
I just share my experience. Secondly, Afghanistan is so safe for the first time in 40 years. A person can travel in the morning, noon and evening.
If you watch my videos, I have traveled at night and during the day. I have traveled in every corner of the country. And there was no issue. It was not safe during the last government.
I think the Taliban used to attack. Now they are in the government themselves. They have arrested thieves and robbers. People are very friendly. They are very nice people.
They are hardworking and very polite. This was my experience. Let's leave for Dushanbe now. Look at the taxis here. I think this is BYD. Chinese company.
All are electric cars. I have only seen this type of taxis so far. It looks like a nice city. It is a place to relax and roam around.
I think this is the city center. Or at least you can say that it is a commercial center. There are a lot of activities going on here.
And we have almost reached. I think that's the place. Green House Dushanbe.
Well, I made a little space like this. Let's try. After checking in at the hostel and getting a little fresh, we went out for a walk around the city. To see the colors of the city. And to eat some good food.
All the overlanders, motorcyclists or backpackers. On motorcycle or even their camper vans, this hostel is very famous among them. And most people come here and stay overnight.
That's why I came here. And it was almost full. They didn't have a room available.
I don't like staying in the hostel or dorm. Because when you have had a long traveling day... Or someone is snoring at night, it gets very difficult to sleep.
But the bed is very clean. People are also good here. So we will spend the night somehow. I have booked another room that will be available tomorrow. I paid $7 for this bed tonight.
And I think the whole room is $22. So you can see $7 is very cheap. So we have a lot of money to eat here heartily.
What else can we do here? Let's just get rid of our tiredness. Let's see what we get to eat here. I like the city nonetheless. After so many days, we have pizza today. I was passing by here and I felt like eating pizza.
We have eaten a lot of pulao and kebabs in the last 10-12 days. But that experience is equally unique. Eating local food and experiencing the culture wherever you go.
The overall experience of Afghanistan was very good. The food was also very good, no doubt. But after eating the same kind of food every day, you feel like trying something new. That's why I ordered pizza. Don't know the price yet.
I just wanted to eat as I was quite hungry. Let's eat it comfortably. I hope you liked my vlog. If you liked it, don't forget to Like, Subscribe and Share. In the coming days, we will explore some areas of Tajikistan.
Followed by Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Remember in your prayers. Don't forget to Like, Subscribe and Share.
Allah Hafiz
2024-10-08 17:35