The Colours of the Fann Mountains, a photo from Sughd, West

Photographer's Note

In the note to my last post I wrote about my return journey to the border town of Eshkashim. The following day I left Afghanistan. I was unwell but I also felt very sad, knowing it was unlikely I would ever visit again. It was the end of my stay in Afghanistan, but not the end of the trip.

Once back in Tajikistan I phoned Tolek (https://www.trekearth.com/workshops/1577438/photo220113.htm) only to find out he was on his way to a hospital in Dushanbe so I simply turned out in his house, said hello to his wife Gul (https://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Tajikistan/East/Kuhistoni_Badakhshon//photo1577438.htm) and reclaimed my old room for one night. I had some soup for dinner, then spent the whole night in the bathroom, regretting I had shared my medication with an Afghan woman. The following morning I got in a shared taxi (https://www.trekearth.com/workshops/1577354/photo220089.htm) to Dushanbe.

I had 3 full days left to travel in Tajikistan before my flight back home. I had made no arrangements, in case something stopped me in Afghanistan or in eastern Tajikistan. As I was still a bit weak I decided I would spend the remaining time in the Fann Mountains, staying in the same spot and enjoying the nature and solitude. I caught the first available shared taxi to the lake Iskandarkul and checked in the first guesthouse I saw by the water’s edge.

In October, that turquoise lake, one of the major attractions of western Tajikistan, was surrounded with trees painted in autumn colours and completely devoid of holiday-makers that flock there in the summer months. Paradise.

I was also hoping I would spend the evenings in a warm room, enjoying a book and a good night sleep but that wasn’t to be. The owner of the guesthouse, quiet and working in the convenience shop-cum-bar on the ground floor of the house during the day, in the evenings turned into a landlady from hell. She sat in her bar, drinking with the men who worked for the company maintaining electricity pylons nearby and rented rooms in the same guesthouse. Late at night, she would knock on my door, several times, screaming “dievooshkah!” (which means “girl” in Russian) and asking if she could borrow various items from my room (such as my blow heater, the only heating in the room where the temperature without it fell below 10 Celsius) or if I had whatever it was she was after (e.g. pain killers for one of the men’s headache). I didn’t really get much sleep during my visit at Iskandarkul.

But with the landscape so amazingly beautiful and my digestive system on the mend, it felt like a minor annoyance and I managed a few wonderful walks enjoying the sunny weather and marveling at the colours of the Fann Mountains.

Please have a look at the two images in WS. I found it really difficult to choose which of these three to use as the main upload.

holmertz, Fis2, PaulVDV, worldcitizen, ricardomattos, pajaran, ikeharel, COSTANTINO, Royaldevon, jhm, alvaraalto, GyurMaster, lucasgalodoido, ChrisJ has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

holmertz (93580) 2021-01-23 11:57

Hello Kasia,
Somehow this photo reminds me of the one from northern Sweden, even if it's just for the reflections. The scenery as such is quite different. But sleeping in the rental car and in that awful guesthouse must have disturbed your nights equally much. Maybe it's even the blue and yellow that makes me think of Sweden. It's a beautiful photo in any case, and the light on the yellow trees is fantastic. The sunrise reflections are just as great, although less colourful, and in the evening the lake has a marvellous blue tone.
Best wishes,
Gert

Fis2 (156714) 2021-01-23 12:16

Czesc Kasiu!
Znakomity jesienny widok.
Super kadr i kompozycja.
Znakomite kolory i swiatlo.
Podoba mi sie odbicie w wodzie.
Dobra robota.
Milej niedzieli.
Krzysztof

PaulVDV (55509) 2021-01-23 12:49

Hello Kasia,
All three pictures show stunning nature of a country of which relatively little is known.
A small preference is given to the second photo in the WS.
What wonderful reflections and what a beautifully symmetrical photo.
On the other hand, the blue of the lake water in your main picture is very special and the contrast with the golden tones of the foliage so attractive.
However, your story is one of suffering in order to enjoy beauty. I hope you have been able to enjoy your walks.
I'm certainly very curious to see more of this beautiful country.
Best regards, Paul

lousat (130577) 2021-01-23 12:59

Ciao Kasia,even if the pension where you stayed was not the best, the fact of not having to go around but being able to enjoy the place without problems is certainly a positive thing, considering your health conditions. And the photos are crazy, what colors and what peace, the WS with reflections is absolutely fantastic. Thank you for showing us these truly unknown places! Have a nice Sunday and thanks,Luciano

Silvio1953 (206971) 2021-01-23 13:48

Ciao Kasia, fascinating landscape with fantastic reflections, wonderful autumnal colors, excellent clarity and splendid light, very well done, my friend, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

worldcitizen (14458) 2021-01-23 13:52

Hello Kasia,
The colors here are beautiful, and the reflections are nice, too. As always, I also enjoyed reading your interesting note. One day you should create a travel book with your photos and stories. :-) Take care!

ricardomattos (15512) 2021-01-23 14:08

Hello Kasia,

As fotos são lindas . Esta principal foi uma boa escolha pois as árvores amarelas e seus reflexos enriqueceram muito a beleza desta composição. Os reflexos no lago ao amanhecer no WS ficaram incríveis. Lindos . As fotos ganham um valor sem preço quando lemos a sua nota. Que aventura!

Best regards

Ricardo

ifege (33561) 2021-01-23 20:56

Hi Kasia
What a supremely beautiful place to spend time recovering. (I have had such problems in India and Uzbekistan).
A superb photo of the lake and autumn colour and reflections.
And thanks for your great photos from Afghanistan - a spot not many get to visit these days.
cheers
Ian

COSTANTINO (104983) 2021-01-23 22:43

Hello dear kasia and have a nice day
original version
this photo is an excellent
piece of art in vivid
color tones drawing
our attention
the contrast is unique
with the golden tones
regards
costantino

jemaflor (136248) 2021-01-23 23:21

Hi Kasia,
So lovely landscape with these colors, great photo well managed, nice rendering for colors with this sunlight well captured, photogenic too with water reflections, tfs.

emka (153352) 2021-01-23 23:53

cześć Kasiu, Kolor wody i jesienny las przypominają mi Jiuzhaigo w Chinach. Fantastyczne odbicia na głównym zdjęciu, majestatyczne góry w warsztatach. Dramatyczne zakończenie Twojej podróży przez te kłopoty zdrowotne. Ja nie wożę ze sobą lekarstw, bo żadnych nie biorę na co dzień, ale zawsze mam duży zapas nifuroksazydu na wszelki wypadek. Nie mogłaś spać, ale za to jakie miałaś fantastyczne spacery.
Z Afganistanu nad to jezioro jest daleka droga, ponad 800 kilometrów. Były marszrutki na takiej długiej trasie? Jak sobie poradziłaś z koniecznymi postojami??

Stamtąd do Uzbekistanu, na przykład do Sharcrisabz to już rzut beretem. Chciałabym pojechać do Tadżykistanu i Kirgistanu, ale covid na razie uniemożliwia wszelkie plany.

Pozdrawiam serdecznie

MAłgorzata

Royaldevon (76700) 2021-01-24 2:45

Hello Kasia,

Your notes read like a 19th century explorer!
What adventures you have lived through!

Besides having engaging notes to tell, you have also taken some remarkable photographs.
The colours in this main shot are amazing, as the golds and oranges of the trees, are reflected in the jade coloured water, with the steep, rigid mountain slopes as a b/g.

At sunrise, the symmetry takes over, whilst sunset allows the mountains to reveal their magnificence.

Thank you for sharing these,
Bev :-)
What is it like in London with lockdown? The situation seems fraught!

jhm (203955) 2021-01-24 6:11

Hello Kasia,

We get a nice nature picture with yellow clours and splendid reflections.
Nice composition with a nice background
Lovely perspective and depth image
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John

Tue (82990) 2021-01-24 10:34

Hello Kasia,
A fantastic view of the sunlit autumn colours of the trees on the other side of the motionless water, which reflects the trees so well in the blue surface. Very well capture with superb clarity.
Lars

abmdsudi (89395) 2021-01-25 6:16

Hi Kasia
Three enchanting Autumn captures, not tired of them especially I loved those bright golden colour of the foliage and contrast produced against the gorgeous turquoise water and darker backdrop. Appetizing scenes up to the minute of what is going on in nature.....
Congrats
Best regards

alvaraalto (42410) 2021-01-26 3:56

Hello Kasia,
Three beautiful photos of this spectacular landscape. Two with a sublime reflection in the smooth water.
Personally, I had chosen Altered Image # 2 as the main photo. Such a beautiful composition with a special distribution between light and dark.
Too bad you can't favourite workshop photos.
Excellent presentation
Have a nice day, groet Rob

vjmite (5242) 2021-02-01 19:53

Hi Kasia,
A stunning photo with fabulous colours. The golden leaves complement the blue water perfectly. The dark hill behind helps accentuate the autumn colours. Your story is a classic travel tale. Something to laugh about later, but some things were not very enjoyable at the time.
Vince

GyurMaster (21739) 2021-02-03 12:02

Hello Kasia,

How I missed this gem? It shows some beautiful reflections! Your note is rather interesting as well. It made me remember Gert's book, in which men are knocking on the door of the couple and they are scrared.

Best Wishes,
Gy.

lucasgalodoido (27084) 2021-02-04 8:52

Olá Kasia,
outra interessante imagem colorida dessa região, e impressiona bastante mesmo essa tonalidade azul da água. Nunca vi por aqui no Brasil. Belas imagens complementares no WS também.
Parabéns e Abraço,
Lucas

mkamionka (62232) 2021-02-07 1:59

Czesc Kasia,
prawie jak Lake District! Tylko woda w innym odcieniu zieleni:)
Wspaniale krajobrazy. Dla takich miejsc warto podejmowac wyrzeczenia. Jesien oczywiscie sprzyja tutaj jak najbardziej. Te zolte liscie tworza zaskakujaca warstwe w centrum kadru. Piszesz ze nie moglas sie zdecydowac na glowne zdjecie: trzeba bylo z nich wszystkich zrobic glowne zdjecia: w workshopie zbyt czesto zdjecia pozostaja niezauwazane.
Nieziemskie kolory, bardzo ciekawie sie czyta Twoja przygode choc nie do konca zazdorszcze niektorych aspektow podrozy...
Pozdrawiam serdecznie,
M

ChrisJ (161098) 2021-02-13 1:25

Hello Kasia,

A fantastic reflection with wonderful warm cold colour contrasts between the yelloe leaves and the turquoise water, & good sharpness. Tfs!