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Philip Game | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> 1974, a year on the road - Part II, Overland across Asia tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

1974, a year on the road - Part II, Overland across Asia

It's a labour of love to scan and retouch those old Kodachromes...

Some time during my second year at university, a chance conversation over the family dinner table planted the seed of what we now call a gap year.

In February 1974, aged 21, I landed in a rather wintry Rome and set out hitch-hiking back and forth across Europe. See Part I.

By early September I was moving steadily eastwards by bus and by train, overland across Asia on the so-called Hippie Trail to Kathmandu, then as far as Bangkok then home. Almost all (not quite) of my colour slides made it home (via various Kodak labs) before I did, just short of the new year. In this gallery I have cheated (a little) by including one or two images from later travels, e.g. in India and Nepal.


* * *

Read more about my experiences in Afghanistan. Here is the second episode... or read about the adventures of earlier overlanders. Facebook now also boasts a group dedicated to 'Asia Overland' tragics sharing memories and fading photos from as far back as the 1960s.










Asia begins here... the Blue Mosque at Istanbul, Turkiye, 1974
Asia begins here... the Blue Mosque at Istanbul, Turkiye, 1974		 Street market in Beyazit, Istanbul
Street market in Beyazit, Istanbul		 Valens Aqueduct, Istanbul
Valens Aqueduct, Istanbul
14th-century Ulu Camii or Great Mosque of Bursa, first capital of the Ottoman Empire
14th-century Ulu Camii or Great Mosque of Bursa, first capital of the Ottoman Empire		 Ancient city of Ephesus on the Aegean coast of Turkiye
Ancient city of Ephesus on the Aegean coast of Turkiye		 Seljuk citadel at Alanya on the southern coast of Turkiye
Seljuk citadel at Alanya on the southern coast of Turkiye
Early Christian frescoes in a cave church, Cappadocia, central Turkiye
Early Christian frescoes in a cave church, Cappadocia, central Turkiye		 Christian chapels and cells carved from soft volcanic rock at Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkiye
Christian chapels and cells carved from soft volcanic rock at Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkiye		 Rock pinnacles near Zelve, Cappadocia, central Turkiye
Rock pinnacles near Zelve, Cappadocia, central Turkiye
On the road through eastern Turkiye, bound for Tehran, the Iranian capital
On the road through eastern Turkiye, bound for Tehran, the Iranian capital		 Back lanes of Isfahan, Iran
Back lanes of Isfahan, Iran		 Mural inside the 17th century Ali Qapu Palace, Isfahan, Iran
Mural inside the 17th century Ali Qapu Palace, Isfahan, Iran
Bas-reliefs at the Achaemenid Persian capital of Persepolis, Iran
Bas-reliefs at the Achaemenid Persian capital of Persepolis, Iran		 Bas-relief of a lion attacking a bull at the Achaemenid Persian capital of Persepolis
Bas-relief of a lion attacking a bull at the Achaemenid Persian capital of Persepolis		 Bas-relief of bearers bringing tribute to the emperor Darius at the Achaemenid Persian capital of Persepolis
Bas-relief of bearers bringing tribute to the emperor Darius at the Achaemenid Persian capital of Persepolis
Streets of Herat, Afghanistan
Streets of Herat, Afghanistan		 Bakery in Herat, Afghanistan: how much has survived?
Bakery in Herat, Afghanistan: how much has survived?		 The Citadel, Herat, Afghanistan
The Citadel, Herat, Afghanistan
The Great Mosque, Herat, Afghanistan
The Great Mosque, Herat, Afghanistan		 Ancient towers outside Herat, Afghanistan
Ancient towers outside Herat, Afghanistan		 Chaikana or traditional tea shop, Kandahar, Afghanistan
Chaikana or traditional tea shop, Kandahar, Afghanistan
Standing Buddha carved into a cliff face at Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 1974
Standing Buddha carved into a cliff face at Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 1974		 View from the ear of the giant Buddha, Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 1974
View from the ear of the giant Buddha, Bamiyan, Afghanistan, 1974		 Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan
Band i Amir mineral lakes, Afghanistan
Band i Amir mineral lakes, Afghanistan		 Band i Amir mineral lakes in remote central Afghanistan
Band i Amir mineral lakes in remote central Afghanistan		 Kabul, the Afghan capital. The 1920s mosque is still a landmark today.
Kabul, the Afghan capital. The 1920s mosque is still a landmark today.
Printed Afghan cotton wall hanging (1974)
Printed Afghan cotton wall hanging (1974)		 Formidable dentist in Peshawar, Pakistan
Formidable dentist in Peshawar, Pakistan		 Pomegranate juice vendor, Peshawar, Pakistan
Pomegranate juice vendor, Peshawar, Pakistan
Audience Hall, Lahore Fort, Pakistan
Audience Hall, Lahore Fort, Pakistan		 Badshahi Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan
Badshahi Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan		 Golden Temple of the Sikhs, Amritsar, India
Golden Temple of the Sikhs, Amritsar, India
Bus station at Mandi, gateway to the Kulu Valley in northern India
Bus station at Mandi, gateway to the Kulu Valley in northern India		 On the road: tea shop at Qazigund in the Vale of Kashmir
On the road: tea shop at Qazigund in the Vale of Kashmir		 Early morning on the Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Early morning on the Dal Lake, Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Jhelum River in Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Jhelum River in Srinagar, Kashmir, India		 Eid al Fitr congregation at a mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Eid al Fitr congregation at a mosque in Srinagar, Kashmir, India		 Dussehra Hindu festival procession, Kulu, India
Dussehra Hindu festival procession, Kulu, India
Lost city of Fatehpur Sikri, outside Agra, 1974
Lost city of Fatehpur Sikri, outside Agra, 1974		 Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds at Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds at Jaipur, Rajasthan, India		 Hindu sadhu or holy man, India, 1974
Hindu sadhu or holy man, India, 1974
Delhi, India. The Jame Masjid or Friday Mosque
Delhi, India. The Jame Masjid or Friday Mosque		 Women pray at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Sufi Shrine, Delhi, India
Women pray at the Hazrat Nizamuddin Sufi Shrine, Delhi, India		 Inside the Jama Masjid or central mosque, Old Delhi
Inside the Jama Masjid or central mosque, Old Delhi
One landmark that remains eternal... the Taj Mahal, Agra, India
One landmark that remains eternal... the Taj Mahal, Agra, India		 Hindu temple sculptures of Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India
Hindu temple sculptures of Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India		 Pilgrim on the steps of a Ghat, Varanasi
Pilgrim on the steps of a Ghat, Varanasi
The Ghats on the Ganges, Varanasi, India
The Ghats on the Ganges, Varanasi, India		 Sarnath, northern India, site of the Buddha's first sermon, 1974
Sarnath, northern India, site of the Buddha's first sermon, 1974		 Himalayan valleys en route from India to Kathmandu, Nepal
Himalayan valleys en route from India to Kathmandu, Nepal
Women bathing in the Bagmati at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu - 1974
Women bathing in the Bagmati at Pashupatinath, Kathmandu - 1974		 Swayambunath Stupa, outside Kathmandu
Swayambunath Stupa, outside Kathmandu		 Street market, Kathmandu
Street market, Kathmandu
Street scene in Basantapur area, Kathmandu
Street scene in Basantapur area, Kathmandu		 Worshippers at the shrine of Kal Bhairab, Kathmandu
Worshippers at the shrine of Kal Bhairab, Kathmandu		 Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in 1974
Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in 1974
Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in 1974
Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal in 1974		 Peacock window, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu Valley
Peacock window, Bhaktapur, Kathmandu Valley		 Dhulikhel, a town in the Kathmandu Valley, 1974
Dhulikhel, a town in the Kathmandu Valley, 1974
Himalayan ranges seen from Nagarkot in the Kathmandu Valley
Himalayan ranges seen from Nagarkot in the Kathmandu Valley		 Airport bazaar at Pokhara, Nepal, the starting point for many trekking routes
Airport bazaar at Pokhara, Nepal, the starting point for many trekking routes		 Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) in the Annapurna Massif, seen from the Mardi Khola Valley, Nepal
Machhapuchhre (Fishtail) in the Annapurna Massif, seen from the Mardi Khola Valley, Nepal
Gurung villlagers at Ghandruk on the Annapurna Trail, Nepal
Gurung villlagers at Ghandruk on the Annapurna Trail, Nepal		 Shwe Dagon, the city pagoda of Rangoon (Yangon)
Shwe Dagon, the city pagoda of Rangoon (Yangon)		 Young Burmese woman wearing thanaka paste mask
Young Burmese woman wearing thanaka paste mask
The bus from Pagan to Thazi, in central Burma
The bus from Pagan to Thazi, in central Burma 		Ancient temples beside the Irrawaddy at Pagan, Burma before the 1975 earthquake
Ancient temples beside the Irrawaddy at Pagan, Burma before the 1975 earthquake		 Produce market at Pagan in northern Burma
Produce market at Pagan in northern Burma
Ananda Temple (1061 CE) at Pagan, Burma (Myanmar) before the 1975 earthquake
Ananda Temple (1061 CE) at Pagan, Burma (Myanmar) before the 1975 earthquake		 Local transport, Kyaukpadaung, central Burma
Local transport, Kyaukpadaung, central Burma		 Buddhist monks at Lamphun, northern Thailand
Buddhist monks at Lamphun, northern Thailand
Footbridge at Thaton on the Maekok River, northern Thailand, 1974
Footbridge at Thaton on the Maekok River, northern Thailand, 1974		 Village of the hilltribe Muser people, N. Thailand
Village of the hilltribe Muser people, N. Thailand		 Early morning in a Lisu tribal minority village, northern Thailand, 1974
Early morning in a Lisu tribal minority village, northern Thailand, 1974
Two worlds collide... an encounter with Akha hilltribe people, northern Thailand
Two worlds collide... an encounter with Akha hilltribe people, northern Thailand		 Fertility shrine or spirit gate at an Akha hamlet, northern Thailand
Fertility shrine or spirit gate at an Akha hamlet, northern Thailand		 Akha tribal people in the hills north of Chiang Mai, Thailand
Akha tribal people in the hills north of Chiang Mai, Thailand
Akha tribal people in the hills north of Chiang Mai, Thailand
Akha tribal people in the hills north of Chiang Mai, Thailand		 Akha tribal people, Thailand
Akha tribal people, Thailand		 Akha people entertain their visitors, northern Thailand
Akha people entertain their visitors, northern Thailand
Royal Palace on the Mekong at Luang Prabang, Laos
Royal Palace on the Mekong at Luang Prabang, Laos		 View of Luang Prabang, then royal capital of Laos, 1974
View of Luang Prabang, then royal capital of Laos, 1974		 Wat May, Luang Prabang, Laos, with a Royalist soldier on guard
Wat May, Luang Prabang, Laos, with a Royalist soldier on guard
Vientiane: Phra That Luang, the Lao national shrine
Vientiane: Phra That Luang, the Lao national shrine		 Khmer temple at Phimai, Northeast Thailand
Khmer temple at Phimai, Northeast Thailand		 Wat Arun, Temple of the Dawn, beside the Chao Phraya, Bangkok
Wat Arun, Temple of the Dawn, beside the Chao Phraya, Bangkok
Golden Buddha at Wat Traimitr in Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand
Golden Buddha at Wat Traimitr in Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand

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