Tajikistan: Images from the Roof of the World
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Welcome to the last installment of our photos from Central Asia. Yes, the umbilical cord with the former Soviet Union has finally been cut. We have exchanged Cyrillic letters for Mandarin characters and statues of Lenin for Mao. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we leave you with images from Tajikistan.
We spent most of our time in Tajikistan in the Pamirs, a remote and mountainous region in the southeastern part of the country between the Kyrgyz and Afghan borders. Our visit appeared well-timed, as the autumn landscape revealed itself in astonishing layers. And as rumored, the Pamiri people were both fascinating and welcoming. After a spectacular and terrifying flight that caused us to find numerous religions while in the air, we ended our Tajik sojourn in the capital city of Dushanbe.
Click on any of the following links to get started:
High Desert Desolation
Skirting Afghanistan in the Wakhan Valley
Last Days in the Pamirs - Ishkashim to Khorog
Eating Our Way Through Dushanbe
This concludes our photos from Central Asia. We are not quite finished with the region yet, however. To confuse our readers even more, we’ll continue to post written reflections of our time in Central Asia as we make our way through China.
November 13th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
When can we see photos of Dan’s new haircut?!
November 14th, 2007 at 7:00 pm
Ben, the real question: What do I get in return for posting a photo of my new do? Quid pro quo, you know.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Dan… very nice site! Beautiful photography and great layout. I have not had time to read a lot of the content, but I will check in regularly and follow along. What a trip!
November 16th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Quid pro quo, huh? OK–if you post a photo displaying your new haircut, I’ll give you back all those Michael Bolton CDs you left at my house that time.
November 17th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Paul, great to hear from you. Glad you like the site - thanks for the comment and the compliments. We’ll look forward to seeing you on the site again.
November 17th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Ben: ah yes, those CDs. Don’t forget that you took them down from the bookcase and put them in the drawer to conceal them from your Thursday night Dungeons and Dragons group.
November 18th, 2007 at 12:53 am
Dan and Audrey - the photos are fantastic, and I love the map locator feature! (or whatever it’s called…) Having fun following your journeys, and bragging about you and your site to all of my friends. Makes me feel like a schlub sitting home though. I need to get on a plane…
November 19th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
nice trip.. thanks for sharing the photos..
November 19th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
Hi Suzanne - we don’t think you’re a schlub (though we do like the word). Thanks for the props on the geotagged photos and Google Map. And thanks for publicizing us. If you get on a plane, tell us where and maybe we can meet! Happy Turkey Day…wish we could join you.
November 19th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Ah Zhee: Thanks! We’ll look forward to seeing you on the site…and on Flickr.
January 5th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
You were curious about the young girl with the shaved head. I don’t know about the rest of Central Asia, though I assume the reason is the same, but in Tajikistan they do this so that the girl’s hair will grow in thicker–long thick hair being a desired mark of beauty. Don’t know if it works or not, but almost all young girls have this done to them.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:11 pm
S J, I would have never guessed that the reason for shaving a girl’s head was so that the hair grows back thicker. Thank you for sharing!
If you have any other insights into Tajikistan or the rest of the region, please continue to post them. We enjoy learning more about a place even after we’ve left.