Typically during a team’s week in Afghanistan, we try to take one day to give the team a tour of the city and surrounding area to take in some of the sights and sounds and get some perspective on this historic city… and today was that day.
We started the day by heading out to Qargha Lake on the western edge of Kabul and, after having tea at a park at the lake, then headed on west to Paghman a town about 10 miles west where King Amanullah had his summer residence and which served as the summer capital of Afghanistan. Our host wanted us to see what life in a “typical” Afghan town (one that wasn’t destroyed by the Taliban or Civil war) is like. Paghman, like Istalif, is blessed with runoff from the Hindu Kush mountains and is lush and green unlike the stark arid landscape in Barek Aub, Kochi Abad, and much of Afghanistan. Paghman has water and where there is water there is life.
After leaving Paghman we headed back to Kabul and stopped at the Darul Aman Palace, built in the early 1920’s also by King Amanullah in an effort to modernize the capital city. The palace was destroyed in the Afghan Civil War of the 1990’s and plans have been proposed to rebuild the palace for the past 10 years, but so far nothing has been done… although today we noticed there is a new fence around the property and some heavy equipment has been moved on site.
Across the street from the Palace is the site of the new Parliament building, set to open next year. After leaving the site and heading back into central Kabul we drove past the remains of the Kabul Wall – a 12’thick, 20’ high wall built in the 5th century by the ruling Turks for protection from invaders – a pretty spectacular sight.
We then stopped for a traditional Afghan lunch of kebabs, rice, and naan at a local restaurant before heading over to a local scarf shop where we got to watch a local craftsman using a traditional weaving loom to create fine silk scarves. Needless to say most of the team picked up a few “samples” to bring home.
Then it was back to the guest house for dinner and an evening of our host regaling us with stories of history, fantasy, and a little bit of comedy.
We have a big day planned for tomorrow and are eager to get started. Thank you for your continued prayers and support!
--Bob
