Survey: Shibar Pass Bamiyan

I don't think there is a province Mahbouba and I have been to that we don't think is beautiful but Bamiyan is one of our favorite places. The second week of our survey took place in Bamiyan. This is a relatively well-to-do village close to the Shibar pass. Bamiyan is primarily Hazara, and shiites (minority muslim sect). This is the valley where the Taliban blew up the ancient Buddhas. Martin Ewan writes in "Afghanistan" ..."In 200 AD...Bhuddhism flourished and in its Mahayana form, spread through out Afghanistan and along the Silk Road to Central Asia and China. Most spectacularily, two huge images of Buddha were found in Bamian,carved into the cliff face at the margin of the valley. These probably date from the third and fifth centureis AD, and the number of monastic cells carved into the cliffs around them show that this was a major Bhuddhist center. Hsuan Tsang, who visited Bamiyan in the course of his journey in the seventh century found 'several dozen monasteries and several thousand monks still in the area."

At the hotel where we were staying, a team of Japanese working for UNESCO were setting development perimeters for the incredible places found in Bamiyan such as Bandi-amir lake and the valley of Bamiyan so that this area can be preserved. Very heartening although difficult for the residents, a population that caught the brunt of the war no matter who was fighting who...as Hazaras are traditionally picked on by everyone.


We traded our difficult and whiney driver, Myroweis, in Badakshan for my regular driver, a character and amputee, Wahid. He and I have worked together every since I started coming to Afghanistan and I was looking forward to one less difficulty with him managing our logistics. Unfortunately for me, he discovered in the prior week that my husband was paying his driver $100 a month more than I was paying him. This sent him into a deep depression, and he felt that life was terribly unjust. The result was that the "all terrain" vehicle that he brought for us to use from Kabul (expecting top dollar) was the oldest, smelliest, rickety "town ace" van he could find. Mahbouba and I drove from airport to hotel with noses in our knees because they set the seats so that the maximum number of people can get into the van. In a high dudgeon, I sent the vehicle and driver home and secured another vehicle and driver. Since we were expecting to travel in snow it was a safety issue as much as anything. Wahid moped around the hotel as he was so unpleasant I stopped taking him out. My final straw was when I asked him to buy and arrange for the preparation of lunch (through the hotel) he stumped ino our room and told Mahbouba, my colleague and his superior to do it. I really have loved and appreciated this man but it was the final straw in a difficult work setting and the end of his job when we got back to Kabul.

Pictures below are from a village up near the Shibar pass...we go over it from Kabul. We say a donkey giving birth on the plains...breathtakingly beautiful mountains.