Welcome To The Jungle

Well, make that a garden.  But it has some areas that need mowing!

There is a large botanical garden in Dushanbe and as fate would have it, we actually live just a few blocks away from there. 

We have had a couple of opportunities to stroll through the gardens and take in the many splendors that the Dushanbe Botanical Gardens have to offer.  

The gardens are a prime location for weddings to take place and on our last visit, the weather was great and there were tons of couples getting married.

Here's a few photos of that last visit:

Reflecting/lily ponds greet you inside the gates. 

View looking back toward the gates. 

There's a very large hot-house in the middle. They grow and sell plants here as well. 

Some of the plants for sale. 

Large banana plants. Weirdly, banana plants grow all over the place in Dushanbe. 

Not the typical climate I'd expect them in. 

Looks like the ivy needs some trimming back. See, I SAID it was a jungle!

Odd, giant, card-files stuffed into a little-used room at the end. 

Liked the lines and angles in this shot. 

Reminds me a little of the Eiffel Tower.

Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana...

Leaves are starting to fall. Winter must be coming soon :(

Nice lamp posts...

So THIS is why our power goes out all the time, they're wasting it during the day!

Looking over the edge to the never-opened nuclear power plant & the mountains around the city. 

Big Ferris Wheel at the amusement park. Firuza tells a really funny story about barf raining down on her while locked into a ride :)

Liked the light on this little guy. 

Brides, Grooms, Photographers, and broken dreams everywhere.

Just kidding...or am I?

Sadly, as this couple strolled through the gardens being filmed & photographed, 

they didn't even talk to each other. 

When we saw them later, she wouldn't even look up & neither looked very happy. 

Arranged marriages are still a reality in this part of the world & we figure this might be one. 

Unlike this couple who looked happy & excited!  

The ones in the foreground, not the couple behind them.  

Like I said, the gardens are a popular wedding locale. 

Limos, Bimmers, Mercedes, Oh My!  Cars waiting outside to take the newlyweds on a random drive through the city while a car with a cameraman hanging out the window follows them around.