It has been one year since my last post. I’ve visited 10 more countries and have seen a lot of things. I would like to tell you about people’s life and I’m gonna make a series of posts «How people live». Like it, comment it and share it. Let’s start.
Pamir is the highest place on post-Soviet Union territory. Most of the highlands are located at an altitude of 4000 meters and above. Nothing grows up here and nothing survives, except rare travelers and those are killed by wolves living here sometimes.
According to local people a couple of years ago wolves killed a foreign cyclist. Locals found only a shoe and a bicycle. Let's walk through one of the few villages in the mountain steppe.
This is Karakul village which is located on the shore of the lake with the same name. The largest lake in Pamir.
About 500 people are living in this village. This is about 70 families. Despite the fact that the village is on Tajikistan territory most of the population of the village are Kyrgyz people. In Sovit Union the village was on the Kyrgys territory, but then the border was shifted and the village became Tajik.
This July day no one was on the street, because of the cold weather and strong wind. The temperature was about 10 degrees and the wind got to the bones through the body. In winter the temperature can drop down to -40 degrees.
There is nothing here that could attract people to live here. Local people survive as they can. Electricity is really really rare and here is no central water system. Let's go into one of the houses and see how people live in one of the most interesting places in the world.
It is a living room guests sleep right on the floor. Kids are posing for the camera.
Here’s almost no furniture and it is not needed, because everyone is sleeping on the floor. At the corner you can see a heap of mattresses and blankets for guests.
It is the kitchen people cook here. Cooking is only on gas which is brought from the district center.
It's the bathroom. A bucket inside needs to be taken out and drained sometimes. Here they wash hands, dishes and everything. Here is no bathroom. People use one of few saunas in the village.
One of the rooms. Owners of the house live here.
Ibrahim is a young gangster who will kick ass of any guest.
Parents of Ibrahim have a small business hosting travelers here. Earnings are not big but it is enough to live here.
Let's walk around the village and see how people live here. These are ovens mostly people cook bread here. Normally people place it on the street.
Houses are whitewashed, because it is the cheapest way to keep it in a good condition.
Houses are built from shit and sticks clay, because here is nothing else.
These houses are enough warm, but short-lived. Clay dries up and falls apart.
This is how lazy people build fences.
And this is how hard-working people build fences. But it doesn’t mean it’s good the first one looks stronger.
Locals collect water here for drink and domestic use. You need to pump a lever to get water.
People here don’t waste time they train at the sport ground.
Here’s even a cafeteria.
And here’s only one shop in the village. There is absolutely nothing to buy except Snickers and Coca-Cola.
The local mosque. The mosque almost doesn’t differ from the basic house. Two towers says about the religiosity of the place.
Karakul village is located on the shore of Karakul Lake, but the village doesn’t become more attractive. Let's walk to a lake.
The shore of a lake reveals completely unbeleaveable landscape to the traveler. And it is very cold here, but you wouldn’t like to leave this place because of amazing view.
Looks like another planet.
This lake is salty and very cold, so people don’t swim or fish here.
Nothing grows up here, so here are no gardens. Animals also can not survive, here is nothing to eat.
Doors are small to save heat inside the house.
Incredible view. You can not see anything like this anywhere in the world.
People do small businesses here selling Chinese goods, or work in Kyrgyzstan or Russia in winter time. Some families have mountain yaks and I will tell you about these people in the next post.
There is abandoned Soviet military base on the side of the village.
An abandoned checkpoint which breathes the spirit of the Soviet Union time. Here you will feel like on the time machine. Welcome to the past.
The road was also built in Soviet Union and hasn’t been repaired. It's an amazing feeling to be here. Cars go here with the frequency one car in two hours.
I could never live here, but I really want to come back. Here are such powerful vibes that you can not find somewhere else.
Thanks for reading it. Stay tuned!