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
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 the company of a pretty American girl I met on the flight to Kabul from … Continue reading
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
Kabul – The capital city, and the chief trading city of Afghanistan is one of the oldest cities in Southern and Central Asia. It is situated on the Kabul River and is about 1800 meters above sea level. The view from the top floor of the Spinzar Hotel where we stayed. It was nice to … Continue reading
The extremely interesting Buddhist stupa at Samangan is known locally as Takht-i-Rustam (Rustam’s Throne). Rustam, the hero of Firdausi’s great epic the Shahnama (Book of Kings), written in Ghazni c. 1010 A.D., married the beauteous daughter of the King of Samangan, Tahmina. He celebrated the event, so says local legend, by drinking wine from the … Continue reading
Next time you’re in Kabul, Afghanistan, one place I strongly suggest checking out (if you have not already done so) is the OMAR Mine Museum. OMAR is an acronym for Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation. Now, if you go by what the OMAR home page says or by what you might find online, … Continue reading
Many people seem to have the impression that Afghanistan consists of nothing more than sterile deserts. A drive through the Salang Pass will go a long way in dispelling that image. Along the way, the Hindu Kush mountains (through which the Salang Tunnel passes) I was reminded of everything from the Italian Alps to the … Continue reading
The Velvet Rocket 