This journey takes us along the Grand Trunk Road, which stretches across the entire Indian subcontinent. We begin in the mangrove forests of the Bay of Bengal, moving on to Kolkata for the colourful festival Durga Puja. Further stops along the way include a Roman Catholic Church, a very important Buddhist stupa, a visit to the Bodhi Tree and the holiest Hindu place in India, the Ganges.
The Central Asian Pamir Highway has many surprises in store for its travellers. Our journey will take us some 1,300 kilometres, beginning in Tajikistan, then down the River Panj along the border with Afghanistan and on to Kyrgyzstan. At 4,000 metres we meet young people en route to China, at 5,000 metres we camp with nomads. In Kyrgyzstan we happen upon an incredible park dedicated to important thinkers, scientists and religious tolerance. This is a journey for the eye as well as for the mind!
The impressive desert and mountainous areas of Iran and Uzbekistan are a traveller’s dream destination. In the desert city of Yazd we encounter places and traditions of the Persian Zoroastrian religion. In Kerman we get intimate impressions of a family’s preparations for the New Year’s celebration Nowruz. Then it’s on to bigger adventures: snowy mountains, incredible heights, salt deserts and finally the incredible desert scenery of Kalout. Our way is also paved by the fascinating and open people we meet: a camel breeder, women who share their stories of peasant life, a Sufi Master and herbalist who lets us in on the secrets of his trade and religious practice.