Tajikistan

Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan. Exploring the ruins of one of the westernmost ancient Buddhist temples in Asia. This is deep into Muslim territory today and I don't think there are even enough Buddhists here to fill up this tiny temple.

Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan. Looking across the Panj River into Afghanistan. To us it seemed like we were looking right into Mordor. The Old Silk Road route that we were following ran for a few hundred miles along this river, which serves as the Tajik/Afghan border. But it would be a tough border to cross, with raging, freezing whitewater along most of the way.

Above: many bikers take on the Silk Road route. It's very scenic high-desert country but it was a long and painful enough journey by car; I'm not sure I'd want to tackle the steep mountains or the long/hot/dry/dusty potholed roads by bike. And just before our trip began several American and European bikers were killed in a terrorist attack just a few hundred miles down this same road. Because of that incident we were surprised to see so many bikers still taking this route.

Right: one of the main highways between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. You could take a nap here before the next car comes along.

Silk Road, Tajikistan. We're so used to crowded roads in modern society that it's a real novelty when you find long stretches of empty highway. But in this part of the world empty roads are the norm - in the country and in the city.

Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan. The little bit of press that this part the world usually gets (at least in the US) is generally not good. That may be mostly due to Afghanistan being right next door. But the people here were among the more friendly, helpful, and photogenic of anywhere I've ever been.

Above: A local herder/merchant and his best friend. Right: Sporting their finest wear. Most locals loved to pose for pictures and practice their English on us.

Below: The next Vladimir Putin? There's something about this kid's sneering expression...

The beautiful Wakhan Valley. A few months before we did this trip Paul Salopek (from National Geographic) walked down this valley during his famous trek around the world; the resulting article was in an issue of Nat Geo waiting for me when I got home. Talk about a sense of deja vu - some of the the photos in that issue could've been taken right off of this page!

High Desert, Tajikistan. All this desolation has a certain kind of beauty. Or maybe it's the delirium of being up at around 13,000 feet. It's memorable scenery but I wouldn't want to live here. Or even visit here in the winter, when it gets down to around 30 below with gale-force winds. These are some tough people that live up here year-round. And good at handling boredom.

Wakhan Valley, Tajikistan. We had serious thoughts about finding a place where we could cross the Panj River and set foot in Afghanistan. Just 'cuz it's right there! But it turns out this border is pretty secure because crossing this mess would be suicide. Or at the very least, an ice-cold thrashing.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Dropping in on the lives of the locals ...

Left: A portrait of a portrait. Family is everything in this traditional society.

Right: It was August, which we found out was wedding season. Couples were getting hitched everywhere!

Political heroes & villains are relative; they change by location and by time.

Top left: some of their bad guys make our bad guys seem like angels. Mao and Stalin killed their own by the tens of millions. And they're still admired by many in their own countries today!

Top right: It was funny to come back here with Trump in office. They love him! Back when Obama was prez -not so much.

Bottom left: Old Soviet medals, when politics literally controlled your life.

Bottom right: My plan if all this new "cooperation" between east and west doesn't work out.

Dushanbe, Tajikistan. It's good to be king (or Prez, in this case). Just one of a few palaces the President's son has at his disposal. This one is mostly rented out for weddings and other large events. Pricey, I'll bet.