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of the history on clear display amongst the city streets and back lanes . There ’ s little wonder that the RMT team chose Samarkand as the first day off the bikes , a chance to explore this wonderous , ancient centre with its Registan square bound by religious buildings that outshine almost any the world over . So significant is Samarkand that UNESCO placed the entire city on its World Heritage List .
Leaving Samarkand , the RMT lead expedition takes on the second border crossing as we enter Tajikistan and look for our entry to the Pamir Highway . The border announces a noticeably clear change , the language , peoples , and culture all hugely different to that of surrounding countries . The Tajik people take their heritage from the Middle East , the Tajik language itself a derivative of Persian . The country feels different and is different .
Our route takes us to Dushanbe , the capital of the nation , and possibly our last stop before we start the ‘ real ’ adventure ; regional roads , rural living , and the Afghan border . We are now heading south-east and into the higher altitudes .
Climbing the mountains presents its own issues , something that the RMT crew are well aware of , and while not forcing riders to adhere they suggest a number of preventative measures are taken to combat possible altitude sickness and the
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