After departing Bamiyan, we headed up north to Pul-i-Kumri… Arriving in Pul-i-Kumri , where else could we spend the night but where “respectable guests” stay? Unfortunately, the guests were far more respectable than the hotel: The street in front of the hotel, as usual, was filled with men trying to sell all manner of goods … Continue reading »
Filed under Afghanistan …
Bamiyan – Part 4 (Departure)
On the morning of our departure, we had to pay a bribe “environmental fee” to get out of town, but then almost immediately came across the rock slide pictured below. Now, there is another road out of Bamiyan and it is actually shorter than the road we were on. However, no one takes the shorter … Continue reading »
Bamiyan – Part 3 And The Road To Band-I-Mir (or Band-e Amir)
It takes several rough hours on a dirt track to reach Afghanistan’s first National Park from Bamiyan, but the beauty and solitude in just getting there is worth crossing the world for. Band-I-Mir has been described as “the Grand Canyon flooded with deep sapphire lakes, bluer than the cloudless sky, with sheer golden cliffs plunging … Continue reading »
Bamiyan – Part 2
As we arrived in Bamiyan in the afternoon, we decided to walk across the valley (a short walk) to where the giant Buddhas (now only niches) had been. I thought this was an interesting alleyway. Bamiyan became a front line between the Taliban and Northern Alliance in 2001/2 and the modern town was almost destroyed. … Continue reading »
Bamiyan – Part 1 (Bamiyan is also known as Bamyan & Bamian)
Bamiyan Became notorious in 2001 after the Taliban essentially destroyed Afghanistan’s premier historical tourist site… Bamiyan is a fairly isolated central mountain province in central Afghanistan and the town lies in a fertile valley that is only 15 km long and 3 km wide. The views are incredible. The background to this surprising place is … Continue reading »
Kabul, Afghanistan – Part 3: Death and Departure
This is my favorite Kabul photo series. I think perhaps because it was a day of such extremes. A fierce wind was hammering the capital. Fighting was raging blocks away from where I was. I was all alone. I missed Tiffany. A dusty view of ‘TV tower hill’… On a nearby hill is an Olympic-size … Continue reading »
Kabul, Afghanistan – Part 2 (Featuring Kabul Airport, Chicken Street, Forward & More)
A view of the mountains around the city from Babur’s Gardens: Security contractors driving through the city. We were stuck in traffic next to them for a while and had a good conversation with them as they were funny as hell: The only shopping mall in Afghanistan. The new shopping mall, with escalators in a … Continue reading »
