This series of photographs briefly describe some situations and episodes described more properly in "Vagabonding in the Axis of EVil", my book. In this picture: a villager from Kirmun, in the isolated region of Hazarajat, Central Afghanistan. This goat herder watches time go by. His surprised eyes detect the hitch-hiker passing by -unexpected- in front of her eternal eyes...
Islam Qale village. My first host family in Afghanistan, just 5 km afeter crossing the border. Being my first night in Afghanistan I couldn´t help sleeping with my Swiss Army knife under my pillow, just to wake up with this honourable man bringing me breakfast to bed. I hadn't been robbed, nor kidnapped, on the contrary, the flower of hospitality opened up again under the guise of new friends....
Fourty horsemen competing to hurl a beheaded goat into a goal. That's bushkashi, the Afghan national sport. Some say it's a portrait of the Afghan soul because of its brutality. I would say it mirrors the Afghan soul rather for the fact that players don't form teams but play each for themselves, showing this historical Afghan distaste for anything resembling teamwork.
Another adventure featured in the book, hitch-hiking from Bamian to Kabul with an Afghan police jeep patrolling a valley infested with Talibans. I was not alone. I had teamed up with Justin (picture) for that precious piece of travelling....
This little girl in Dowlat Yar school shows the influence of the sorrounding desert in her eyes.
The Afghan Central Road, 800 km of unpaved dirt road between Herat and Kabul, crossing som of Afghanista more isolated but wonderful regions. When stepping ion this road, I couldn't imagine myself arriving safely to its end. However, I had to cross it if I was to prove that terrorism and agressivenes were mainly media generated stereotypes.
A kuchi nomad tows its camel along the Central Road. I was actually waiting for a truck but I couldn't resist the tentaion to walk with one of the last nomads on Earth.
Every day at 6 p.m. a dust storm sweeps across Chaghcharan, the infamous capital of Ghoor province.
Every day at 6 p.m. a dust storm sweeps across Chaghcharan, the infamous capital of Ghoor province.
Kids playing with derelict Russian military vehicles. At least, the war machine is redeeming its karma and accomplishing a more human mission than the one it was designed for.
Roofless schools are shy witnesses of the war. Talibans who didn't support education as a mean of huan improvement would frequently burnd down schools. Especially if they admitted female pupils.
Face to face. Sometimes when you are in Afghanistan you don't know what century are you exactly in. While tourists frequently seek in Egypt the reminiscence of eras gone by, camel trasnport has still good health in Southern Afghanistan.
Face to face. Sometimes when you are in Afghanistan you don't know what century are you exactly in. While tourists frequently seek in Egypt the reminiscence of eras gone by, camel trasnport has still good health in Southern Afghanistan.
1 comment:
Stunningly beautiful pictures!
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