Colorado, U.S.A.
Rocky Mountain High
Colorado is famous for its splendid mountains, to which John Denver’s anthem is dedicated. Dirk Rohrbach seeks their unique thrills, biking over some of the highest passes in the Rocky Mountains.
Since 1978, Afghanistan has been at war. Nevertheless, Josh Cahill wants to visit the capital, Kabul, something he’s been dreaming of since he was a child. An adventure with an uncertain ending… With photos by Jim Huylebroek.
The sun is shining into my room, it’s a cosy morning. American Black Hawk helicopters fly over the building and yes, I’m a little nervous. Today, I will explore the city.
Kabul. Since my childhood, I’ve dreamed of seeing this place. Something has always fascinated me about this country in Central Asia. In fact, has fascinated me so much that I can blend out all the terrifying news that is reported from Afghanistan’s capital. I enjoy being one of very few tourists in a city, an experience I made while hitchhiking in Iran, in Iraq or during the Arab Spring. In times of globalization, such places are very rare – I obtain it through an increased risk. But to me, it’s worth it.
Now, I am actually here and can’t wait to get out into the streets of Kabul. Grab my camera and go. Am I afraid? No, I feel more like Neil Armstrong, before he became the first person to set foot on the moon. And although I am not on some distant planet, the world here is still completely different: a postwar capital. Kabul is among the most rapidly growing places in the world, with a generation of people who have never experienced true peace. I want to meet them.
Overwhelming scenes. Young bootblacks sit at every corner, the traffic is dense and the crossings chaotic. Everything is grey, as if covered by a thick layer of dust. A few women in black burkas cross to the opposite side of the street when they see me.
Some freeze, stopping their daily business; they can’t grasp that a young blond man is ambling past them.
Others call »Welcome to Afghanistan!« A group of teenagers eyes me suspiciously.
* * *
In order to better understand this country, I want to plunge into its history. My first stop is the ruin of the Darul Aman Palace.
In former times, the king lived here, but for over thirty years, this impressive building has more and more deteriorated. Some say the palace is cursed. In any case, many people lost their lives here.
Alone the drive to the palace is spectacular. A long boulevard takes you directly there, and only upon arriving does the smog slowly lift its curtain and set the view of the seemingly mysterious ruin free. A big arc of suspense, entertainment à la Afghanistan. To me a special moment, to the locals everyday life.
The palace is fenced in with barb wire, soldiers are standing on its roof. A very old man squats between a few plants and bushes. He’s trying to tell me that he used to be the gardener of Amanullah Khan, but it’s hard to believe: the king ruled Afghanistan from 1926 until 1929. That would make the man at least a hundred years old, and that in a country where the average life expectancy is below sixty. But who knows? I pretend to believe his story. A little bribe gets me into the building. There are bullet holes everywhere. The palace, which was built in the German tradition, nearly only consists of rubble, debris and graffiti. Really not your typical sightseeing, far from a guided tour through a museum.
These are powerful impressions, this place is still part of the past, but much more a symbol of the present.
Vis à vis, the future is being built: the new sparkling parliament will soon be hosting the government. This is called progress and one can tell how much the people care not to stagnate.
The next morning, I stroll through the big market, time-travelling into the past. Cows, goats, chickens, heaps of spices, western and traditional clothes, and oodles of vegetables. Life pulsates. People bargain, clamor, laugh and rant. No comparison to a placid Sunday market back home in Germany. No, this is about survival: every day, people fight to make a living for themselves and their families.
Next to Kabul River, it’s a different picture. A dried-out riverbed, full of trash. Men, young and old, who have long given up, come here to smoke heroin. Not everyone copes with the harsh living conditions. The years of war have caused deep wounds everywhere, the terror that continues to flare up slows down the healing process.
A little food on the roadside, a green tea. I try to grasp and absorb the city’s soul. So much ambivalence: the people here are often very kind and grateful, the struggle a daily reality, the future uncertain. Sometimes Kabul and the surrounding Hindu Kush are full of beauty, then again, destruction and infinite suffering.
I finish my tea and walk back. My host has already prepared a water pipe and dinner. His friends also join us, only men of course. The cordial, wonderful Afghan hospitality!
* * *
Today I will travel to the North of the country.
Mazar-i-Sharif.
After staying in Kabul for one week, I start my road trip to the capital of the province Balkh on a sunny morning. I’m very excited to discover what’s hidden behind the mountains that surround the city. Maybe you are trying to imagine what such a journey might look like: a bullet proof vest, a helmet, a Kalashnikov, as part of a NATO convoy. Nope, not quite! Rather: a white 90s Toyota Corolla, ten CDs with the best of Indian pop music, green tea and a little bread. My biggest fear? That I might be able to speak fluent Hindi after enjoying the CD collection…
Tanim is our driver. During the rule of the Taliban he fled to Pakistan, but after several years of asylum there, he decided to return in order to start his own business. He sells surveillance cameras in his little shop in Kabul. Tanim has a big heart – and many ideas for the new Afghanistan. He wants to show me some of his country, which is why he suggested driving to Mazar.
While I wait on the street for him to pick me up, a frowning security guy glares at me, his AK47 ready to fire. These guys always look like they will shoot you any minute. And since this has already really happened here a few times, a bad feeling comes over me. Normally, people here react when I encounter them in a friendly way, when I wave or smile. But this guy here, he just doesn’t want to be my friend.
Alright, I think, I guess that’s the disadvantage of traveling to Afghanistan, you can never feel safe.
No surprising realization, I admit.
Finally, our friend comes and off we are. As soon as we leave the city behind, the scenery becomes monotonous. Kabul already seemed grey, but this here – really lacks any color. We pass a few checkpoints without any major issues. Time and again, there’s a Russian tank wreck on the road, which is slowly turning into a dirt road, followed long by nothing. Afghanistan seems empty.
Tanim explains that the Salang Pass connects northern Afghanistan with Kabul, »and it’s one of the most famous passes in the world!« In fact, it’s an adventure: at nearly 4.000 meters, the Hindu Kush is crossed, and I have never experienced such an impressive drive. We go higher and higher. The rise seems to have no end. At times, jagged cliffs tower into the sky on both sides, then the slope steeply drops down right next to the road. At 3.400 meters, we enter the Salang Tunnel, which was the highest tunnel of the world until 1973. By the way, the mobile reception is excellent – so much for developed countries!
Now that we are slowly approaching the valley, the grey vanishes and finally the country shows what it has to offer: red rock, deep blue rivers. I try to imagine what it looks like in spring when the bushes and trees dip-paint the landscape into a vibrant green…
We have crossed half of Afghanistan, when we enter Mazar-i-Sharif after an eight-hour drive. Mazar, as the fourth biggest city of the country is referred to, was the first city that was freed of the rule of the Taliban by international troops in 2001. And since this day, it also remained one of the most peaceful places of Afghanistan. Tanim has found an accommodation, a kind of hotel, where we park our car. I enjoy strolling through the streets, many young people approach me – in astonishingly good English! – to ask me where I’m from, what brings me to Afghanistan, how I’ve been. I feel very welcomed.
But that’s not the only reason why the trip to Mazar was worth it: the city is known (and only known for!) its Blue Mosque – one of the most beautiful ones in the country. Splendidly gleams its blue marble dome, especially in the morning. And so I stand in front of the Mosque on this Friday, the believers gather for prayer and the rising sun dips the dome into a soft light. Marvelous. The grave of Mohammed’s cousin is said to be here – but whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter, this place is fantastic.
Back in our lodging, we are told that we can’t stay.
More or less conclusively, the owner explains to us that foreigners are not allowed here. It’s a shock. But after a cup of tea and with a heavy heart, we decide to return to Kabul. And that, even though at night the highway is still said to be controlled by Taliban, time and again. But what choice do we have? When we set out to climb the pass, the descending sun bathes the city in a golden light. The risk of getting stopped by fake policemen or Taliban is now unequally higher than by day. I keep texting our position to my sister, just in case.
And in fact, I see a Taliban on his way to »work«, at least that’s what Tanim assumes. With a turban and his face partly covered, he approaches the road from the mountains. I catch my breath. This isn’t TV, this is reality! What if he stops us? But I guess it’s still too busy. He seems to be waiting for his friends and doesn’t pay us any attention. Luckily, the traffic stays steady and that’s a relief to me.
After the Salang Pass (which is also a breathtaking enterprise at night) we head back to the capital. Too short of road trip, but nevertheless it was worth the journey! If you happen to be in the area sometime, I recommend this trip.
My last days in Kabul are long and intense. The things I experience here show me, once again, how good I have it at home. But also, that it’s worth traveling to places where I can witness how history is being written. And leave again.
An incredible privilege.
* * *
Colorado is famous for its splendid mountains, to which John Denver’s anthem is dedicated. Dirk Rohrbach seeks their unique thrills, biking over some of the highest passes in the Rocky Mountains.
My childhood dream came true.
We’re travelling to the South Pacific.
Ruanda Mister Guhonda und die letzten GorillasElfenbeinküste Die GeisterstadtUganda The Long Road to WaterKongo Crossing CongoSouth Africa: Kruger NP The Big FiveSomalia Welcome to Somalia
USA: Florida 100 miles on the tracks of the CalusaUSA Arm, aber frei – als Hobo durch AmerikaBrasilien Rio de JaneiroArgentinien Aconcagua, 6962 MeterPeru Zwischen Himmel und ErdeUSA: Utah WestworldKuba Drüben, in der anderen WeltKaribik TraumschiffMexiko Comeback mit Backpack in MexikoUSA: Alaska Big RiverNicaragua The Magic of the Corn IslandsUSA: Alaska Alone in the WildernessUSA: Colorado Rocky Mountain High
Antarctic Happy Antarctica
Iran Hochzeit im IranChina Urlaub im ÜberwachungsstaatKatar Fata Morgana Allgäu Orient RallyeMongolei Gekritzel im Sand gegen die große EinsamkeitSyrien Willkommen in SyrienUsbekistan Ein Meer aus SandIndonesien Meine Tage als BuleJordanien JungeBurma Nachtzug nach BaganKirgisistan Die Flügel des MenschenBurma Goldene ZeitenRussland Couchsurfing in RussiaThailand Der Pfad der ErleuchtungAfghanistan KabulChina K2Pakistan Hitchhiking Through Pakistan On the Road of LifePhilippinen Me, Love and Other CatastrophesIran Kids of TehranBangladesh Life and Death in the Empire of the TigerIran Couchsurfing in IranBurma Road to MandalayVietnam Lost in Vietnam
Spanien Ungezähmte BergeFrankreich Yoga und SurfenGermany Ein Esel zum PferdestehlenAustria Der Geschmack des WaldesGermany Vier Räder, Küche, BadFinnland Sehnsucht nach SchneeGermany Mehr Pott geht nichtAustria Mach mal langsamFinnland Hoch in den NordenRumänien In RuinenGermany Grenzgänge durch BrandenburgGermany Towards WinterGermany Das blaue ParadiesSchweiz Zur grünen StundeNorwegen The Rest is Silence Germany ZauberlandSpanien Mrs. Müller Drops OutNorwegen Ultimate FreedomSpanien Into the Heart of the PyreneesFinnland Wandering CosmosGermany The Bundesliga village Germany Under The DomePoland Warszawa rzucająca na kolana On the Road of LifeGermany Munich: Oh well, I live here. So?Germany Jena: Next Stop ParadiseGermany Bochum: Steel HeartbeatsTürkei Arrival in Istanbul Italy Dear Dolomites, I'm BackTürkei Floodlights in the ForestCroatia Ambuscade at the BorderGermany The Bavarian OlympicsAustria Across (Goat) CountryLatvia Somewhere up thereGermany The Big GoalGermany My Loveletter to LangeoogGermany The End of a Journey
Auf der Rückseite des GlobusNew Zealand Speed Dating with New Zealand
Welt Six Pairs of Shoes
Germany Ein Esel zum PferdestehlenGermany Vier Räder, Küche, Bad Freiheit auf vier RädernChina Urlaub im ÜberwachungsstaatUSA Arm, aber frei – als Hobo durch AmerikaKuba Drüben, in der anderen Welt Auf der Rückseite des GlobusFinnland Hoch in den NordenSyrien Willkommen in SyrienUsbekistan Ein Meer aus SandElfenbeinküste Die GeisterstadtBurma Goldene ZeitenRussland Couchsurfing in RussiaGermany Das blaue ParadiesSchweiz Zur grünen StundeNicaragua The Magic of the Corn IslandsKongo Crossing CongoNorwegen Ultimate FreedomSpanien Into the Heart of the Pyrenees On the Road of LifePhilippinen Me, Love and Other CatastrophesTürkei Arrival in Istanbul Türkei Floodlights in the ForestCroatia Ambuscade at the BorderAustria Across (Goat) CountryGermany The Big GoalNew Zealand Speed Dating with New ZealandAntarctic Happy AntarcticaBurma Road to MandalayVietnam Lost in Vietnam
Spanien Ungezähmte BergeGrönland Gefangen im EisIran Hochzeit im IranUSA: Florida 100 miles on the tracks of the CalusaBrasilien Rio de JaneiroArgentinien Aconcagua, 6962 MeterPeru Zwischen Himmel und ErdeUSA: Utah Westworld Allgäu Orient RallyeFinnland Sehnsucht nach SchneeRuanda Mister Guhonda und die letzten GorillasMongolei Gekritzel im Sand gegen die große EinsamkeitRumänien In RuinenJordanien JungeUSA: Alaska Big RiverUganda The Long Road to WaterAfghanistan KabulNorwegen The Rest is Silence Germany Under The DomeChina K2USA: Alaska Alone in the WildernessPakistan Hitchhiking Through PakistanIran Kids of TehranUSA: Colorado Rocky Mountain HighBangladesh Life and Death in the Empire of the TigerIran Couchsurfing in IranSomalia Welcome to Somalia
Frankreich Yoga und SurfenAustria Der Geschmack des WaldesKatar Fata MorganaKaribik TraumschiffGermany Mehr Pott geht nichtAustria Mach mal langsamIndonesien Meine Tage als BuleGermany Grenzgänge durch BrandenburgBurma Nachtzug nach BaganKirgisistan Die Flügel des MenschenMexiko Comeback mit Backpack in MexikoGermany Towards WinterThailand Der Pfad der ErleuchtungWelt Six Pairs of ShoesGermany ZauberlandSpanien Mrs. Müller Drops OutFinnland Wandering CosmosGermany The Bundesliga village Poland Warszawa rzucająca na kolanaGermany Munich: Oh well, I live here. So?Germany Jena: Next Stop ParadiseGermany Bochum: Steel HeartbeatsItaly Dear Dolomites, I'm BackGermany The Bavarian OlympicsLatvia Somewhere up thereSouth Africa: Kruger NP The Big FiveGermany My Loveletter to LangeoogGermany The End of a Journey
Readers Mail
Tell us what you think
Alexandra Sefrin on 20. November 2016
Ein wunderbarer Bericht!
Das Gefühl, durch eine Stadt zu wandern, wohin kein normaler Mensch reisen würde, kann ich ein bisschen nachvollziehen. Ägypten während des Golgkriegs zu besuchen, ist aber lange nicht so spektakulär, wie Kabul und Masar im Augenblick. Was wir aber immer wieder vergessen, ist, dass dort ja täglich Menschen leben und ein ganz normales Leben führen (müssen). Manche kommen mit dieser Realität nicht zurecht und nehmen die gefährliche Reise nach Deutschland auf sich. Mit einigen dieser Menschen habe ich in letzter Zeit gesprochen, ihre Geschichten waren sehr bewegend. Dagegen klingen unsere so vermeintlich abenteuerlichen Reisen, wie ein Spaziergang an einem Kindergeburtstag.
Dev Jain on 20. Juni 2020
Great Content Bro,
Thanks For This.You are trying to do some best of peoples. I will share the contents with my friends. Once again thank you so much.
TechnoEN
Tshewang Penjor on 9. Juli 2020
Hi,
Nice blogging and stunning pictures. Keep going !!!
Cheers
Tshewang
https://bhutanculturaltravel.com/
ruke on 25. Juli 2020
It is a beautifully curated article, thanks for sharing; May god bless all the souls. Also, do an episode on Jammu and Kashmir India, Baba Sidh goria nath Shrine in Swankha is the most popular shrine in J&K if you ever come must visit there.
Thanks
thuonghailongvan on 31. Juli 2020
If you want to travel by yourself, you have to have money first :))
Iolanta Zakharova on 22. Juli 2021
This really an adventures travel experience!
Enjoyed reading your experience throughout!
Have you been to Dubai ?? If not please visit & it will offer you so many experience & Content for blog along with that they have Best 5 Star hotels in Dubai for Staycation.