July 20th, 2019


We went to Norek today, which was about 90 minutes outside of the city past Romit going south. It was a lake with a resort, like we went to at Varzob and Romit. There were two pools and some sports fields. Some students played soccer with two guys whose parents worked at the German embassy. I read my book (I finished Cities of the Plain, and now I feel silly about what I said at the end of All The Pretty Horses and John Grady not dying). We mostly swam in the pool, but most of us did jump in the lake. The water was freezing. The lake was very larger and surrounded by these high mountains.
            The drive there was probably the most beautiful scenery we have seen in Tajikistan. We drove through a long tunnel filled with cars passing wildly and on a road that halfway up a mountain ridgeline, with the scrub and cows (and few a few goats) wandering above us and this huge valley spread below with rolling fields reaching up towards another row of mountains in the distance. I will post pictures as soon as I return. Passing through rural life was very cool as well. We passed a guy riding a donkey on the side of the highway. It was very Tajik. In the village/town of Norek cows wandered the streets as well.
            Played more Injustice with my host sister. Does anyone know if video game names are italicized?

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