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  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
The Ambulance with the Donor Heart rushes towards the Fortis Hospital in Mumbai for a heart Transplant Operation.Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
The Ambulance with the Donor Heart rushes towards the Fortis Hospital in Mumbai for a heart Transplant Operation.Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
As the Donor Heart arrives at Mumbai Airport from Surat the doctors transfer the deep frozen heart from the Airport ambulance to Fortis Ambulance Outside airport.<br />
Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
The Ambulance with the Donor Heart rushes towards the Fortis Hospital in Mumbai for a heart Transplant Operation.Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
As the Donor Heart arrives at Mumbai Airport from Surat the doctors transfer the deep frozen heart from the Airport ambulance to Fortis Ambulance Outside airport.<br />
Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
As the Donor Heart arrives at Mumbai Airport from Surat the doctors transfer the deep frozen heart from the Airport ambulance to Fortis Ambulance Outside airport.<br />
Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
As the Donor Heart arrives at Mumbai Airport from Surat the doctors transfer the deep frozen heart from the Airport ambulance to Fortis Ambulance Outside airport.<br />
Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
The Donor Heart arrives at Mumbai Airport from Surat.<br />
Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
As the Donor Heart arrives at Mumbai Airport from Surat the doctors transfer the deep frozen heart from the Airport ambulance to Fortis Ambulance Outside airport.<br />
Mumbai Police Officers form a 'green corridor' - a traffic management system for quick transport-  outside the Mumbai airport to enable the Doctors from Fortis Hospital to transport the Donor Heart which was arriving from Surat ( a town 300 kilometers away) by special flight for Heart Transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
Dr. Vijay Agarwal was the transplant surgeon for Sweden Fernandes. 16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai is recovering in a specially made isolation chamber at her home, so that she does not contract any infections. She is required to stay for another year in Isolation till full recovery.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
Dr. Vijay Agarwal was the transplant surgeon for Sweden Fernandes. 16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai is recovering in a specially made isolation chamber at her home, so that she does not contract any infections. She is required to stay for another year in Isolation till full recovery.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
Dr. Vijay Agarwal was the transplant surgeon for Sweden Fernandes. 16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai is recovering in a specially made isolation chamber at her home, so that she does not contract any infections. She is required to stay for another year in Isolation till full recovery.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai is recovering in a specially made isolation chamber at her home, so that she does not contract any infections. She is required to stay for another year in Isolation till full recovery.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • 24 May 2016 , Mumabi airport - INDIA:]<br />
<br />
Doctors overcome heavy traffic & Transport Donor Heart Across cities in India for Heart Transplant in under 4 hours.<br />
<br />
16 year old, Sweden Fernandes , who under went a successful heart transplant Operation at Fortis Hospital in Mumbai is recovering in a specially made isolation chamber at her home, so that she does not contract any infections. She is required to stay for another year in Isolation till full recovery.<br />
©Exclusivepix Media
    ExPix_Doctors_overcome_traffic_Trans...JPG
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS64.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS61.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS60.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS57.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS56.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS52.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS44.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS43.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS37.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS33.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS30.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS18.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS16.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS13.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS06.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS01.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS65.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS63.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS62.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS59.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS58.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS54.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS53.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS55.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS51.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS50.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS49.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS48.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS45.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS47.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS42.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS41.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS40.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS39.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS38.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS36.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS35.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS34.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS32.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS31.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS28.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS29.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS27.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS26.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS25.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS24.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS23.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS21.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS20.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS19.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS17.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS10.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS11.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS09.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS07.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS05.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS04.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS02.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS03.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS46.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS22.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS15.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS14.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS12.jpg
  • AFGHANISTAN WITHOUT TALIBANS<br />
<br />
There is a region in Afghanistan where the Talibans have never really been able to impose their rule. Wedged between Tajikistan and Pakistan, the Afghan Pamir is an area of precarious peace.<br />
Promoted by the Afghan government to try and attract tourists in search of adventure, it is also the gateway to the Wakhan Corridor that Marco Polo used in the 13th century and it is where the legendary nomads have lived isolated from the rest of the world at an altitude of 4,500 meters, with the only company of their yaks.<br />
<br />
For safety reasons, the border can only be crossed from Tajikistan. The Panj river separates the two states. It is 2pm and loud honking is necessary to draw the attention of the Afghan border guards busy playing volleyball.<br />
In the entrance of the border post, there is a portrait of Salah Abdeslam, the terrorist involved in the Paris attacks on 13 November 2015. The border guard mimes cuffed hands to convey to me that he was captured. Next to him, a poster displays all the presidents of Afghanistan. I recognize the current one, Ashraf Ghani, as well as his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, and on a blurry black and white picture reminiscent of a « Wanted dead or alive» poster, Mullah Omar!<br />
<br />
My passport is scanned and then mailed to Kabul to be checked against the database. “Security," the border guard tells me. But the Internet connection is down. “We’ll check on your way back,” he says, annoyed, before handing me my visa number 339.<br />
<br />
A few kilometers and potholes later, I arrive in Ishkashim, the largest village in the region, which boils down to two dusty roads lined with stalls. A Toyota pickup truck full of armed soldiers patrols at high speed. I see my first pakols, the famous hat immortalized by General Massoud, and surprise, women walking while all wearing blue burqas.<br />
The population of Pamir is predominantly Ismaili, a branch of Shia Islam that follows the precepts of the Aga Khan, but the market is controlled by con
    ExPix_AFGHANISTAN_WITHOUT_TALIBANS08.jpg
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