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HFF from an incongruity

In the top LH corner of this picture is a fence, in front of which is this impressive collection of aging Vespas with Spanish number plates. But this is at Murghab on the Pamir Highway at 4300meters altitude in Tajikistan. It is 2-300 km in either direction to any other town , and the brutal winters up here (to-70°c) close the road for months. I was mystified to see these so far from home in such incongruous setting., I later found they live there, still with Spanish plates and are used by locals. How? Why?
The next day in the middle of nowhere along this road we saw one like this braving the treacherous high altitude road, cheerfully carrying a local with a large fur hat and rifle. It was the only traffic we saw for an hour!
Fabulous Friday to you, and a weekend filled with what brings you joy and happiness.
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26 comments

Günter Klaus said:

Da erzählst du auch gleich eine sehr schöne Geschichte zu deiner Aufnahme liebe Diana,pass gut auf dich auf :))

Wünsche noch einen schönen Nachmittag,liebe Grüße Güni :))
5 weeks ago ( translate )

Malik Raoulda said:

Un remarquable et excellent partage..C'est toujours avec grand plaisir qu'on rencontre des touristes visitant de lointains pays en Vespas ou en motos.
Bonne et agréable journée paisible.
5 weeks ago ( translate )

Nouchetdu38 said:

Vespas that have made a very long journey!!!!! Surprising and unusual!!!!
HFF and kind regards****
5 weeks ago

Keith Burton said:

These old Vespa scooters look a bit battered but that is to be expected given how far from home they are. I notice one has an Australian flag on it. and judging by the number of stickers, they've all been around a bit!

A delightful capture Diana..!!
5 weeks ago

Nicole Merdrignac said:

Photo très originale et surprenante . Bonne soirée. HFF. Nicole .
5 weeks ago

William Sutherland said:

Superb shot!

Admired in: www.ipernity.com/group/tolerance
5 weeks ago ( translate )

J. Gafarot said:

Wonderful story for everybody !
Thank you Diana; I feel a bit ashamed, in my villge my Lambretta was something...
Anyway we only live twice He said, James, yes Bond...
5 weeks ago

Dimas Sequeira said:

Stunning find! I suppose they were on a long trip around the world, and the riders were stranded there for some reason (climate? pandemic?), having to return to Spain in a faster way. Have they sold their Vespas to locals or just offered them to pay for hospitality? Who knows? The closest plate is from the early 2000's - a global national kind of plate. All the others are older provincial plates, mostly of the 20th century: M from Madrid, B from Barcelona and SE from Seville.
There are always bold adventurers for this kind of expeditions. At this moment a Portuguese cyclist is making a world tour, having been recently in Iran and Pakistan, bound to eastern Asia!
HFF, Diana!
5 weeks ago

Diana Australis replied to Dimas Sequeira:

Thanks for your sharp eyed observations Dimas. Their back story is indeed a mystery, but yes, people do adventure in many ways. On this Pamir Highway, which is one of the last high adventure travels in Asia, and which is a ‘ highway ‘ in name only, we saw quite a number of cyclist adventurers. It climbs to 4500 m and winds through isolated wilderness on the Roof of the World. For hundreds of km. With only 3 settlements along the way. Cyclists camp in the freezing cold. It is much more challenging than Pakistan/China’s high altitude Karakoram Highway, where there are also quite a number of foreign cyclists.
The Vespa were a really incongruous sight!
Have a lovely weekend…and keep well and safe!
5 weeks ago

Annemarie said:

what a story behind this Diana
Thanks for sharing!!!!!!
5 weeks ago

Gabi Lombardo said:

a very strange find indeed!!!
5 weeks ago ( translate )

Christa1004 said:

This sight of the Spanish Vespas lined up on the side of a road in Tajikistan is truly incredible, but what strikes me most is the -70°C you mentioned for the winters! HFF Diana.
5 weeks ago

David Slater (Spodde… said:

Certainly a long way from home Diana. HFF and happy weekend.
5 weeks ago

Jaap van 't Veen said:

Nicely captured.
hFF
5 weeks ago ( translate )

Xata said:

Maybe some Spanish ended their trip there and left the Vespas to the locals, who knows!
An amazing find and love the story you tell us so well.
Big hugs from Algarve, receiving some rain now.
HFF Diana
5 weeks ago