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Skirting Afghanistan in the Wakhan Valley
Autumn graced our travels along the Wakhan Valley (Langar to Ishkashim) in Tajikistan's Pamir Mountain region.
The journey took us along the Pyanj River, the natural border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan, and featured layered landscapes and the remarkable Pamiri people.
Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
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Earning Their Keep
Donkeys earn their keep in Tajikistan's Wakhan Valley.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Long Walk Home
Donkeys carry firewood and hay on their way home to Langhar in Tajikistan's Wakhan Valley. ..On the other side of the river is Afghanistan and in the distance, Pakistan's Hindu Kush mountains.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Stealing Some Breakfast
This cat was caught in the act of trying to steal breakfast from the sleeping/dining area of the Pamiri house where we stayed in Langar, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Spooky Still Life
Notice the Perestoika USSR clock. ..Taken in Langar, Tajikistan. Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Revering the Aga Khan
The religion of the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan is Ismailism, a breakaway sect of Shia Islam. Their revered leader is the Aga Khan; you'll see a photo of him in every Pamiri home. In addition to being a spiritual leader, the Aga Khan has invested and donated vast amounts of money in the region (both Tajikistan and Afghanistan).Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Pamiri Hospitality
We visited a traditional Pamiri home in the village of Langar, Tajikistan and were welcomed with fresh, homemade bread and warm milk literally straight from the cow (we saw her outside when we first walked in). The man seated was our host the previous night. He (and his children) have light hair and blue eyes, a visual surprise for us. We asked his roots and were told that Pamiris with lighter features are descended from Macedonians who settled in the area under Alexander the Great (300 BC). If true, those are some strong genes!Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Backyard View
The view from the yard of the Pamiri House we visited in Langar, Tajikistan. Though the locals take it for granted, we were blown away by the layered landscape and how the autumn leaves play off the snow-capped mountains in the background. It's all about perspectives. Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Preparing for Winter
Farmers get ready for winter in the Wakhan Valley village of Langar, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Pamiri Shrine
The horns of Marco Polo sheep mark the site of a holy place or oston (shrine) in Langar, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Water Run
These young women carry water from a spring back to their homes...Almost nowhere in the Pamirs could you find running water. Fortunately, the Wakhan Valley had many mountain springs so you never had far to look...Taken in Langar, Tajikistan. Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Newlywed
This woman greeted us in English, which surprised us, and then invited us into her home in Langar, Tajikistan. She had studied English for two years in Khorog and then became a teacher in the village school in Langar, but had to stop working when she got married. She was eager to practice her English and seemed excited to have engagement with someone outside her family.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Changing Seasons
Taken in Langar, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
A New Ishak
A baby donkey (Ishak, in Russian) is furry, hay-covered, and awkward. ..Donkeys are a prominent feature of Tajikistan's Wakhan Valley landscape...Taken in Langar, Tajikistan. Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Informal Guides
These kids led us around the shrine and Buddhist caves in the village of Vrang, Tajikistan. The girls spoke a little English, more Russian, better Tajik and fluent Wakhan languages. Not bad for 9 years old.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Autumn Rust
An abandoned bus seems to fit in with the reds and yellows of the changing autumn leaves in the Wakhan Valley village of Vrang, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Tea Time
Vrang, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
The Face of Autumn
Taken in the Wakhan Valley village of Vrang, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Looking Into Afghanistan
Along the Wakhan Valley in Tajikistan in the Pamir Mountains. We followed the Pyanj River with Afghanistan on one side and Tajikistan on the other. The views into Afghanistan and the Hindu Kush of Pakistan were stunning.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
A Beautiful Defense
The ruins of the 12th-century Yamchun Fort against a beautiful backdrop of the Pamir Mountains. Another kilometer up the road, you'll find the delightful Bibi Fatima hot springs. The first dose of hot water we'd had in days. Taken in Tajikistan's Wakhan Valley.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Guarding Against Afghanistan
According to our guidebook, this fort - Khakha Qala - dates back to the 3rd century BC. Currently, it serves as the home to a handful of Tajik soldiers guarding the border with Afghanistan. We were met with a soldier carrying an AK-47 and a stern What do you want?! in Russian. After showing our documents and giving some cigarettes, they gave us a tour and allowed us to walk around and peek across the river into Afghanistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
A New Perspective
A kitty takes a nap between Dan's feet at the Pamiri house where we stayed overnight in Namadgut, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Pamiris at Home
This family in the village of Namadgut, Tajikistan took us in for the night. The mother had five daughters and one son. We suspect she continued to have children until a son was born.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Keeping Order in the Fields
A Pamiri woman attempts to keep her donkey and cows in order in the drying autumn fields of the Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
Autumn Poplars
Everyone told us we should have visited the Pamir Region of Tajikistan in the summer. But how can you beat views like this? ..Although a bit cold in the evenings, we were glad we visited in early October so that we could enjoy the Wakhan Valley in its multicolored, layered beauty.Read more about our adventures in the Pamirs.
