Blog

Discover the stories behind my photographs, captured around the world in magnificent landscapes and foreign cultures

Morning Tea

 

Hello out there,

I probably had actually the same look on my face, as I was browsing through the guidebook preparing for my trip and stumbled over a page listing “Meeting the People” as a highlight in Iran. But already on the first day of my journey, this statement was confirmed after several locals invited me for a glass of tea or even for visit in their homes. Accepting these invitations I did not regret one time, since this way I got to know the country much better than any other and it actually surprised me how open-minded the people were. To give just one example of this hospitality, I would like to show you today a photo taken in the Kurdish mountains, near the Iraqi border.

I was hiking early in the morning to the top of a mountain near the city of Paveh, when I came across these two shepherds preparing a small bonfire for their morning tea. They instantly invited me with a kind gesture to join them for breakfast. Of course, they did not speak any English at all, but somehow we understood each other. So as the water was heating up inside their worn out teapot, they unpacked all kinds of delicacies and insisted, that I would try them all. And as soon as the tea was ready, they offered me one of their glasses and shared the other one. This whole gesture really me feel very welcome.

Afterward, I indicated, that I would like to take a photo of them. They agreed, but instantly put on a very strict facial expression, which actually does not represent how warm-hearted I got to know them. Nevertheless, I was very happy about this experience and to capture this moment.