Timor Lorosae, Timor Leste , East Timor , Istocni Timor or Timor Timur is one country. Small, and fare away from everything ...
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old well known, almost hippy route .. kabul - delhi - agra - goa - kerala - hospet - hampi - jaipur ..
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Nuristan, north-east part of Afghanistan .. Paroon Valley is not easy to find on the map, it is bordering Pakistan, without any roads connecting it with outside world. Only way to reach is on foot or by helicopter . Amazing landscapes, between mountains, it is pure untouched nature. Place where I arrived not knowing much but left with thought I want to know more about it ..
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Ceremony on mountain Babulo near Viqueqe in east part of Timor Leste, 22 November 2003. Although Timorese are mainly Catholics, animist beliefs still exist and are syncretized with Catholicism. Babulo, the sacred mountain is linked with its ancestors. At the ceremony people from two villages walk to the mountain and perform rituals of animal sacrifices (water buffalo, pigs). This ceremony is believed to secure ancestral blessing for the success of the upcoming planting season. The ritual lasts for the whole night where chants are performed, and animals are sacrificed and prepared for food. Next day the leftover rice and meat is brought back to villagers. Animist ceremonies were banned during Indonesian occupation (1975-1999) and this ceremony was the first one that took place since then. I was invited by the award-winning freelance journalist, Max Stahl, together with few other ‘white’ people to attend this interesting ceremony... so I took few images ..
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Bamyan is on 2500m altitude,ancient city in Central Highlands of Afghanistan, hindukush mountains, famous about more than 1000 years old two Buddha statues destroyed in front of TV cameras by Taliban in 2001. The statues were destroyed during few days with artillery ,tanks and forcing locals to dig the holes and place explosive. Local people called Hazare means '1000' and refers to 1000 Mongol soldiers left in that area... actually they look like Mongols .. You can fly with helicopter as I did or drive from Kabul for more than 10 hours ... Band-a Amir means Dam of Amir. It is located 4 hours off-road drive (when there is no snow) from Bamyan on altitude of 3000+ meters. It has five lakes and it is cool , dry and very sunny . I have been on short 5 days visit and these are some of the images I did...
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