Letters to the Editor

• Well worth the trip

  [Read the article: Destination: Afghanistan]
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  You don't have to be an adventure traveller to see Afghanistan. During the 2.5 years my wife and I worked there, a tour group brought senior citizens from the SF Bay area in to see the country. The last group, which came through here (Dubai) just a couple weeks ago, had a spry lady in her 90s.

  My recommendations - the principal attraction for me is Bamiyan and the Central Highlands which are largely undeveloped and stunningly gorgeous. The mountains surrounding the small wild-west town will leave you speechless. Bamiyan is also the site of the erstwhile Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban in 2000. Even without the figures there, the site is awe-inspiring. You can still take a guide up into the grottos and see what's left, which is worthwhile. Also sad. I recommend the Roof of Bamiyan hotel (which does not have a web site, alas) which is run by a colorful world traveler named Sher who enjoys English-speaking guests. There is also a state-run hotel which is very Soviet in character, not as pleasing and the food is appalling but the staff are very friendly and attentive as if they can't believe that foreign tourists are really willing to come, and they don't want to leave you alone lest you vanish.

  Adjacent to the airstrip that sits on a high plateau above the town is Shahr-i-Golgola, the 'city of screams' which was wiped out by Tamerlane. It was being cleared of mines when I was last there, but even if you can't get in there's plenty to see by walking around it. Other former strongholds now reclaimed by the mountains are a short drive out of town; you can rent a driver for the day and its all worth seeing. A good day trip is to the elevated lake of Band-i-Amir; you have to go when the road is in service, though, which is late-late spring to late fall before the snows come and make it impassable.

  There are periodic flights to Bamiyan from Kabul; if you are visiting friends who work for NGOs there they might be able to arrange a flight on the Airserv-PacTec humanitarian service as a guest; you can also rent a van and driver and take a very scenic drive there, but it's a day long drive and a bit taxing.

  Herat is accessible by regular flights, and you should not miss it. The famous minarets are adjoined by a UNESCO restoration project where the staff are very friendly. The city is very calm, overall. Visit the large central mosque (ask someone to take you in, and be courteous), and shop for some Herat glassworks in the adjacent shops. They can use the cash! Mazar-i-Sharif to the north of Kabul is worth a day trip or an overnight, the mosque there is also worth seeing and the drive up from Kabul through the tunnel is very nice. If you can arrange an overnight trip to the Panjshir Valley, it would also be worthwhile. Best if you take a Panjshiri friend, since access to the valley is occasionally blocked by militias.

  If you're travelling around early March, you can ask people in Kabul about how safe Jalalabad is ... there is an orange blossom festival which is definitely worthwhile. Alas, Jalalabad has been mostly unsafe or at least unpleasant for tourists for the last couple years; for other areas such as Kandahar and surrounding provinces, you will probably not want to go unless you have a friend there who can show you around. It's not as unsafe as western media make it sound, but you aren't going to get that much out of it if you don't have a friendly guide and can easily find yourself in a difficult situation.

  Kabul is filled with attractions such as the Bagh-i-Bala gardens (next to the Intercontinental ... worth going to see just to see the mountains surrounding it, but avoid the food in the Intercon at all costs) overlooking the city, the terraced Bagh-i-Babur Shah gardens built in the 15th century by the first ruler of the Mughal dynasty when the capital was still in Kabul; Pashtunistan Square, Darulaman Palace (if they let you in, which is hit and miss), the blue mosque, the tomb of Nadir Shah overlooking the city, the old city walls, the summer-lush sector of the city where Ahmad Zahir, the 'Afghan Elvis' is buried; Karga Lake, north of the city, and a hundred other places closeby; Kabul also has the infrastructure to host tourists with a few dozen guesthouses, hotels, Afghan restaurants that don't serve alcohol and expat places that do. But it also has some of the worst traffic on the planet, its share of the worst drivers, and too many people - in its current form the city was designed for 500k, but an estimated 3.5 million live there now.

  My suggestion would be to spend a couple days in Kabul getting acclimated, take one or more side/day trips and possibly the overnight to Mazar, then get on a plane to Herat for two or three days, then go to Bamiyan. Plan on about five days, including one day trip to Band-i-Amir, one day in the car looking around, a half day in the grottoes around where the Buddhas once were, and the rest of the time just absorbing the beauty of the place. Then a day or two in Kabul seeing what you could not before and collecting yourself from the trip before heading out.

  Permalink Tuesday, August 29, 2006 12:53 AM