Reminiscing The Valley Of Resistance – Afghanistan Part 3
I’ve already told you about my pre-Taliban takeover entry into Afghanistan and my encounters with this troubled land’s beauty and blown-up Buddha statues. Now it’s fittingly time to drive directly into what was and always had been — up until very recently — the valley of resistance. There we’ll visit a couple assassination destinations before…
Breathtaking Beauty And Blown-Up Buddha Statues – Afghanistan Part 2
You’ve already heard about my just-in-time arrival in Afghanistan. And I know you’re presuming I got out in time as well. But before we get to my Afghan exit, we still have a lot of ground to cover in this crucial and complex country — home to everyone from Pashtuns to Uzbeks to Tajiks to…
Trekking The Stans Part 2: Islamic Architecture And A Dying Sea in Uzbekistan
We left off on my Central Asian adventure on the border between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Following treks across an Afghan border region and one of the world’s highest mountain passes, we were headed for the historic city of Samarkand. Ahead on this journey through Uzbekistan lies a tour of classic Islamic architecture, a cemetery date…
Trekking The Stans Part 1: The Mountain Corridor Straddling Tajikistan And Afghanistan
When many people think about The Stans, what comes to mind is what’s in the news. Afghanistan: perpetual war; conflict in Kurdistan, an unrecognized country. But this Silk Road-occupying region is also rich with history and beautiful sights to see. And it’s debatable whether the more Middle Eastern neighbors — Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kurdistan etc. —…