Law of the nomad
I was traveling through the Hunza Valley in Pakistan one night when it was getting too late to continue, my Jeep driver pulled into the next town and wanted to stop for the night.
We ended up staying at the biggest piece of shit hotel I have ever ever stayed, it was seriously filthy, I didn’t want lay down or touch a thing.
As I signed in, I checked the guest register to see who else had passed through, low and behold, an Australian couple a month eariler!
Then I had a closer look and realized someone had just screwed the dates up. They were here right now!
A couple of door knocks later, and thats how I met Steele and Amber.
Me in that shitful hotel. Gupis, Pakistan.
There’s people who travel, and then there’s people who travel.
That evening in hotel shit was over a year ago now, since then, Steele and Amber have crossed over land from Pakistan, through Iran, the Caucasus’s, up through the Balkans and into Europe.
We were even both in Iraq at the exact same time but didnt know it.
Similar to my trip your thinking?
Before Pakistan, they had traveled a previous 6 months overland from Indonesia, and right now have ventured to far West Europe, and heading South through Africa.
So it was awesome to catch an email from them saying they would be intown for a few days!
Life threating illnesses, bus rides from hell, which are the best antibiotics? what happened to him? did you get to that place? how did you survive this? keep in touch with home? remember when the killed the goat in the backyard?
We talked shit for days. It was great.
Amongst their musical talents, Steele happens to be quite the sketch artist, Amber flicked me his book and I took a few snaps.
Below are some of my favorites.
All the best guys.
Hunza Sheppard, Pakistan
Gilgit Kebab Man, Pakistan
Iraqi Men
Street Types, Iran
Family Picnic, Iran
Business Men, Iran
Chai Wallah, India
Riding Trains, India
the common Drunk, Georgia
Nerde Players, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan Caviar..
Baku Oil-Field, Azerbaijan
Street Folk, Armenia
Steele, S/P
Leave Me Here.. 
The sketches are great! I haven’t cheked in for few, does this mean (gulp) the trip is ……..? I can’t even bear to say it. It’s been amazing. Thanks for everything! Keep my name for what’s next
good times ahead!
Ceslie Rossi
Fantastic pictures. They are worth money.
Tell them thank you for sharing.
I agree.
These pictures are amazing. Really good work!
Your first line had me hooked, and the drawings are fantastic. What a great post!
Interesting …
Great drawings!! What an experience you have had!!
Wow, your pictures tell some great stories. How and why did you pick those particular places for travel? I would hazard a guess that they aren’t on many of our “must see before dying” travel lists.
Wow, to travel the globe like that! Amazing!
Awesome drawings! What a talent! Thanks for sharing! Really!!
That is so fucking rad!
Did you guys find Osama yet?
I loved the common drunk sketch!
-Wineguider
I love the juxtaposition between such serious settings and yet almost cartoonish features and caricatures. Beautiful work! 🙂
Aw shucks. I’m sorry you had to stay at such a crappy hotel in Hunza
But hey, you’d never have run into that Australian couple otherwise, and we would never have gotten to see these cool drawings! So it’s all good….right? Especially since it got you FP’d!!
Jolly good show I say!
I like the “Street Folk, Armenia” photo with the watermelons on one side and the saggy breasts on the other. I don’t know if it was on purpose or if it was meant to be humorous, but I laughed.
Crystal
great sketches…loved the street types sketch esp.
LOL, I think that the trains in India are WAY more crowded than portrayed in that sketch. Well, that’s okay, artists’ lee way , lol spelling?
I enjoyed the drawings, it forces my brain to think differently about other countries.
Congratulations on being on Freshly Pressed! Thank you for sharing those wonderful sketches of everyday life. It’s always great to meet interesting people in our travels and share stories of our adventures. All the best as you continue to explore the world.
Hey these are such great drawings
Really amazing drawings. I love the vibrant colors!
Amazing! Great post.
I admire the ability of the few to travel like true wanderers. I tell myself that if I just didn’t have the kid, or the car, or the rent, I would love to pick up and let the wind take me.
But I do have the kid, and the car, and the rent. They keep me safe in my bubble, temporarily at rest.
Happy to see you happy, nomad.
And Steele’s sketches are beautiful. Snaps!
Wow! That would be really great just packing up and traveling! It looks like you had a really great time. Thanks for sharing those drawings with everyone.
Tyler F. Long
Dunwoody Norcross GA
this is great. i wish i could travel more. problem i have is with the visa. its annoying to have to apply for visas everytime i travel. nice pictures by the way, love the woman withtwo melons!! i think it was hilarious! 🙂
Those sketches are stunning, I wish I had that kind of talent. Your trip sounds amazing, but it must have been good to meet some like-minded people. Travel can be quite lonely.
I know someone who makes sketches/drawings/portraits of his travel around asia. must be the trend now. very creative!
You’re on my blogroll for a reason my man. Amazing stuff, love your shit show stories!!
What a great story! And love the sketches as well 😉 Congrats on Freshly Pressed, LB
It is interesting,I want to travel,but I have no money!
myselfugg
I love your sketch. It closely showed the real thing, and in a very cool way! Keep it up! 🙂
The sketches are really awesome. As someone above said, they are a bit cartoonish, but they “tell” a better story than a picture. They have somewhat a photojournalistic function.
Wow great Pictures…….
I live in Armenia, and I love the sketch of the Armenian ‘street folk’. I love meeting you travelers on your way through the caucusus. I hope you enjoyed it!!
I couchsurfed a family of four who went by land for the last 2 and a half years around the globe. Their toddler was three, when I met them. The older son 13. – Wow. I thought, traveling lots myself with my own kids. There are people that travel. And there are people that travel.
Nice post and awesome drawings.
cool stuff. second last pic of sketches, the woman holding melons makes me think that she’s jealous of the other ‘woman’.
i love the sketches… cool
These are awesome sketches–waaaaay better than I could ever manage!
Great blog!
wtf
Love the pictures. Feel your pain with the nasty hotel. I’ve woken up with more lizards in my bed in Middle Eastern hotels than you could ever imagine.
And your sketches are so cool.
Hi just happened to come across your blog. I absolutely love Steele’s Chaiwallah illustration. I recently started my interiors business and would love to try and incorporate Steele’s chailwallah illustration in a range of interiors products if possible. Can you put us in touch?
Thanks,
Anita
Legendary post, I enjoy this spectacular site,I found you along freshly pressed!
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I’m loving the sketches!
-Sydrah
Hi there, I was stumbling across your page and recognised Steele and Amber, I met them in Zimbabwe and it was a pleasure also. I regret not getting their email address. I travelled through Africa for a year and that was halfway through my trip. Would love to contact them.
Steele and Amber are great, I’ll forward them your details.