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In the morning we visited a mosque in Mazar. The man on the left was
trying to tell me something, the guys on the right were mad at him. I'm not
sure if he wanted me to contribute money to the shrine or if he wanted me to
take his picture. |
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We were followed by street kids, beggars hanging out around the mosque.
Here Michael is letting the kids see his camera. I had one really
endearing little girl follow me. She kept stroking her face as if she had a
beard (the sign for sadness), holding out her hand and asking for money. As
we were leaving I finally relented and gave her some - what I actually
consider a huge mistake. She ran off ecstatic, gave the money to someone,
and was back two minutes later stroking her chin again. |
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Starting through the mountains, we stopped for some pictures. Here Chip,
Michael, and Sir Ben try to capture the view. |
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The Russians apparently tried to build a power infrastructure before
they were run out of the country. Many of the high tension wires have been
cut and made into huge swings, like this one. You can just see a man at the
bottom right of the tower, preparing to sit on a loop in the wire and swing. |
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Red rocks mean potential land mines. These rocks along the side of the
road warn of a minefield beyond. |
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Washing rhubarb in the river. |
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What to do with those old tank treads you have lying around the house?
Instant speed bumps. |
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A town on the road to Kabul. |
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Donovan surveying another creative use for old Soviet tanks, instant
foundation. |
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Chip and Sir Ben. |
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Steve horsing around. |
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OK, this really pissed me off. How long since you've seen a pull tab?
Pepsi really can't afford to make cans with the non-littering type
opener? |
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Generator belt disintegrated, car broken, but enough expertise on hand
to get us running enough to get home. |
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This guy was cooking fish that had just been pulled out of the river,
next to where the car was broken. |
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Lots of snow still present in the pass. |
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Jim Losi takes a picture of Donovan and Steve. |
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This tunnel takes you through the top of the pass. Lucienne had a
harrowing tale of being caught in the tunnel during a snow storm one year. |
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Stock up before heading into the tunnel. |
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Back down from the pass. |
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Back at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. The haze supposedly has two
root causes. First, and ironically, the available gasoline is leaded with a
low octane (50?), causing a great deal of pollution. Second, there is no
sewage treatment system, leading to an amount of "fecal dust" in the air. |