DAY 82 - HAJIGAK PASS

82) SATURDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 70KMS.
- HAJIGAK PASS

Looking through the window as soon as I woke up in the morning I found the large standing Buddha at the rock cliff in front of us which was not so far from our parking area. Unfortunately, the statue was currently under repair and it was partly covered by wooden  and steel  scaffoldings  high above the head ( 55 m.)   

Great Buddha in BAMYAN - Photo : Dan Baldini / Bing images search

 

Great Buddha in BAMIYAN - Photo : Bing images search

We were  charged very expensive for using our  cameras taking photos of the  Standing Buddha.  There was another Buddha statue (38 m. high) on the  right which is older than the larger one about  2 centuries. Both statues  were  decaying ruin, particularly faces  that were damaged  by the destruction of Muslim extremists (religious fanatic) in the 9th century.

Great Buddha in BAMIYAN - Photo : wikipedia.org / Google images search

 

Photo : Bing images search

Along the entire length of the rocky moutain belt is also packed with small caves . Some of them were  churches  or hermitages of monks in the older days of prosperous  BAMIYAN as the important destination for buddhist pilgrimage.

BAMIYAN Valley - Photo : Bing images search

Photo : Bing images search

BAMIYAN remarkably was  similar to GOREME city in TURKEY , which used to be the city of the Christians.  Inside churches, there are traces of remaining beauty  of old paitings  about the Lord Buddha’s life, which were largely destroyed  especially around the face  according to Islamic beliefs that disclosure of faces is not popular or allowed (normally for women) in public.

BAMIYAN cave painting - Photo : 4.bp.blogspot.com / Google images search

About 1.00 p.m., departure from BAMIYAN back to KABUL along the center line. Then turned right at the RED CITY, of which the landscape looks like a ghost town (allegedly destroyed by the armies of Genghis Khan), built on a dingy red rocky hill.  We passed through beautiful landscapes a bit similar to the CAPPADOCIA in TURKEY.

We drove through  BEHSUD heading  straight to the  village near HAJIGAK PASS (3,700 meters above sea level).  There was  an Afghani  with his  Mongol  look (like me) invited us for a break and afternoon tea at his home.   

Since it was  rather late in the evening  and it was still a long way to go until KABUL , we had to drive at least about 6 hours more  on bad roads in the  darkness which should be very dangerous .  So we agreed to end our day and to park for overnight at his home. He warmly welcomed us with kind hospitality (well fed again, we merited  the good deeds !!??) .


Interesting YouTube Video of The Great Buddha of BAMIYAN

GREAT BUDDHA OF BAMIYAN BEFORE AND AFTER DESTRUCTION BY THE TALIBANS 2011 

Photo : wikipedia.org / creepingsharia.wordpress.com

DAY 81 - BAMIYAN

81) FRIDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 245KMS. - BAMIYAN

We picked up Harun at the meeting point to tour around KABUL.  Originally we intended to drive to PAGHMAN, a suburb of  KABUL. But after having talked, he learnt that we wanted to visit  BAMIYAN, where the great  stone Buddhas were  carved into the cliff, the largest in the world.  So we cancelled our KABUL sight-seeing  and travelled  to BAMIYAN in the north of KABUL instead.

Rock mountains on the way to BAMIYAN

We drove via CHARIKAR and turned  left to the west along the rough gravel roads . The route was dusty and passing through the desert terrain with rocky hills and corn fields . There were animal flocks and shepherds. 

On a certain part, we passed tents of the nomads and their cattle and goats, we saw camels  standing grazing  not far away.   In a village on the way, we saw farmers  threshing wheat  with oxen walking in a circle, just like in my country in the earlier days.

 

Nomad tents - children playing in the stream - Photo : Tilo Grabowski

 
It was nearly 8.00 p.m. when we  arrived BAMIYAN  due to bad road condition, it was more suitable for  donkeys or camels, rather than cars. But we are lucky that we have never had any serious problems like engine breakdown or flat tyre with our campervan, though the path was rocking and full of sharp stones.  Moreover, there was no sign indication on the roadsides  and  at some of the intersections we did not know whether to turn left or right.  We had to ask for the good direction along the way till we approached BAMIYAN . 

On the way to BAMIYAN - Photo : Bing images search

Dusty road to BAMIYAN - Photo : Johanes Butchatz / Bing images search

Upon arrival in BAMIYAN, I was amazed by the peaceful rustic charm of the place.  On the main road or path way , there were  shops and  hotels, in front of which hanging oil lamps or torches set up in a line of light along the long straight road. Inside  restaurants, it was lit by hurricane lamps as this area was still without electricity.  The surrounding was very dark and so quiet, I felt  it was just like a dream.

BAMIYAN Valley from atop Buddha head - Photo Wendy Tanner / sacredland.org (Bing images search)

 

DAY 80 - KABUL

80) THURSDAY, 15 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - KABUL

KABUL is like some other capital cities in general, there were not many really interesting or nice places to visit, except the people and shops .  In fact,  it is not as big as I thought, like my first impression when we arrived here at night yesterday.

KABUL - Photo : allfamouswonders.com / Bing images search

In the morning we went to the bazaar, there were carpets  and blue stone “Lapis Lazuli”, which should be of more interest than anything else because AFGHANISTAN, particularly  KABUL  is the main source for Lapis Lazuli. 
 

Kabul bazaar - Photo : nasim frekat / fakrat.org (Google images search)

These blue stones are made as beautiful  jewelries  and in other forms  like brooches, pills or jewelry boxes . Stone pieces with  dark blue colors are beautiful and costly but the rare stone pieces with dark blue color and traces of gold are the most expensive.  I have been told that the source of Lapis Lazuli was usually found in the same area with gold ore.

Lapiz Lazuli precious stones - Photo : ridderborg.se / Google images search

In the evening  we went for walking around  near the bazaar. There were kebab shops and a cinema  in the area, where we got acquainted with HARUN, a high school student in KABUL.  He was  learning German lessons at the Goethe Institute and  volunteered to take us around  KABUL tomorrow.                       

 

Cinema in KABUL - Photo : nbcnews.com / Google images search