When a boy is born the family plant twelve poplar trees close together. Those trees are then harvested when he marries to be used in the building of a new home.]]>
Througout late summer the roofs are laid out with apricots drying in the fierce sun]]>
The final light of day is just striking the highest peak in the Fan Mountains, Chimtarga]]>
Walking through the small town of Istaravshan I came across these two men, who seemed more interested in catching up with gossip than selling the melons they had before them.]]>
A hugely impressive monument. One of those ikonic places that you may of heard of, but are still wowed by its sheer scale and grandeur.]]>
This is the bus that collected me from the mountains. Not your ususal country run around and as uncomfortable as it looked.]]>
Shooting a waterfall I was aware of this young girl watching from the trees. Slowly she edged closer until she was looking over my shoulder. Young she may have been, but she had the nerve to ask me to take her picture.]]>
People go up into the hills to graze their sheep on the high pasture. They live in rudimentary shelters and the women often have to walk long distances to bring back the water.]]>
In former times traders use to come through Samrkand.This part of Rejistan Square was used to house those traders and their horses or camels]]>
A pot of Shurpo, or Tajik vegeatble soup cooking on an open fire.]]>
Passes I go over in Nepal, Tibet or India are normally festooned with prayer flags, stones and offerings. This pass was blessed with a beaten-up digger, a lent over power line and a full-up toilet.]]>
The fan mountains are charcterised by azure blue lakes, high glacial walls, alpine meadows and clear streams. Very beautiful and little visited.]]>
Shooting through from the caravanserai I waited until a pigeon alighted onto a shelf to add a touch of interest to the sky area.]]>
Came across this young lad swimming in the Kulikalon Lakes. He was using these bottles as a flotation device, but rather than help they seemed to tip him upside down every time he tried to swim.]]>
Waited until just before the moon was to crest the ridge to fire off this 30 second exposure.]]>
These two young girls had been near our previous nights campsite and set off with us when we started walking. Without me asking they stepped in front of my camera when I stopped to shoot the opposite peaks.]]>
I was continually amazed by the peoples happiness to have their photographs made.]]>
I was a little wary about shooting this guard at first: the place wasn't officially open and he wasn't supposed to be asleep. I need not have worried though as he carried on snoring even after a noisy group of school children ambled past.]]>
Leaving Tajikistan this is the last building you come across. None too impressive and I had to pay a $20 'thankyou' to be allowed to leave before they went off to lunch for a couple of hours.]]>
This is one of the famous "Seven Lakes", as touristy as it gets in the Fan Mountains.]]>
In summer a lot of the hillsides are covered by grazing goats and sheep. As it had been a dry summer the hills were bare and unyielding forcing a lot of the herders to move further down the valley.]]>
This proud man was out and about wearing his Chopra, the national costume worn by many.]]>
It was august and people were out in the fields bringing in apples, pears, apricots and the ubiquitous melon.]]>
Not one I would have liked to have driven over, but the locals seemed more than happy.]]>