THE AFGHAN SERIES, DAY 5, 6 & 7
KABUL – BAMIYAN – BAND-E-AMIR
Bamiyan, Qlukhi & The Buddhas. Today we head off 4 hours west towards the heart of the country to the ancient city of Bamiyan.
THE HARDEST MEAL TO MAKE
For most people Bamiyan is the place to visit and from my 3 days there I swear I have seen nothing like it.
WHERE IS BAMIYAN?
Bamiyan
After a few photos with the local Talibs and the usual hunt for our permits we made our way just out of Bamiyan to Dragon Valley. This is my first experience getting out into the country and seeing how some people live. I’ve seen it many times before but it never gets easy seeing the way of life here.
As we climbed out of the village of Dara e Ajdahar we drove along the ridge of the valley and had the most incredible views of a place I had considered not visiting.
Bamiyan, Qlukhi & The Buddhas
DAILY INFO….
- HOTEL – Gulghula hotel (6.5/10)
- FOOD – Qlukhi
- ATTRACTIONS –
Russian Tanks
Dragon Valley
Buddhas
Blacksmith street
Butchers Street
City of Screams
Singing Man
Band-e-Amir
Rural town
Amazing gorges
Cave School
Red City - STEPS – 14,000, 12,600, 15,700
DRAGON VALLEY
A lot of places in Afghanistan come with ancient stories and tales passed on for 100s or 1000s of years. It was said the volcanic rock that sits at the top of the valley was that of a dragon who terrorised the town beneath. After numerous attempts by the locals to kill the dragon ended in failure the son of the prophet Muhammad, Ali threw his sword into the dragons head. This created a huge split in the dragon along with two spring pools, seeping tears from the dragons eyes to this day.
Bamiyan, Qlukhi & The Buddhas
WEATHER
We were meant to continue around Bamiyan today but the weather was horrendous and turning cold so instead we did something that does not require good weather, we made the famous Bamiyan BBQ, Qlukhi!
I’m not going to lie, this process is loooong, it took 4 hours outside in the forest to prep this, would probably have said otherwise if I knew but sure a new experience and all that.
Bamiyan, Qlukhi & The Buddhas
QLUKHI
In essence it’s a mud oven made from dried mud in the same of a dome. As you constantly fill the oven with dry wood, remember it was raining, you prep the food into small foiled packages. Once all was ready and the heat was at its highest you collapse the oven onto the food and insure it is well covered and insultated to cook the food for the next 40 minutes.
In the end it was nothing short of delicious but anything less and I would have been disappointed considered the effort required. All credit goes to my driver Ackmad Shaw who is an absolute machine, never complained and pretty much done the entire thing on his own!
Bamiyan, Qlukhi & The Buddhas
RELATED READ: HAVING THE TAJ MAHAL ALL TO MYSELF
DAY 6 – THE BUDDHAS
Besides the Band-e-Amir NP, the reason for coming to Bamiyan was to see and learn about the incredible Buddhas that would have stood here for over 1400 years until the Taliban blew them up in 2001.
Built when Buddhism made its way west from India they were the largest free standing buddhas in the world, and were a significant cultural and religious symbol for the people of Afghanistan. But unfortunaltely when the leader of the Taliban considered these to be unislamic they were ordered to be taken down and the process began early 2001. Just 6 months later the U.S. would invade Afghanistan and begin their 20 years of occupation.
Even now they are an incredible site, the larger one at 55 metres is fenced off but it is still possible to climb to the top of the small buddha for unterrupted views across the valley.
FACTS ABOUT BAMIYAN BUDDHAS:
- The larger of the two statues, known as the “Great Buddha,” stood at a height of approximately 174 feet (53 meters), making it one of the tallest standing Buddha statues in the world at the time.
- The Bamiyan Buddhas were constructed in the 6th century CE, during the era of the Kushan Empire. They were part of a larger complex of Buddhist monastic caves and structures in the region.
- The Bamiyan Buddhas were made primarily of clay with wooden armatures, which were then covered with stucco for added stability and detail. The stucco was further adorned with intricate frescoes and decorative elements. The statues were created in the Gandhara style, which was influenced by both Greek and Indian artistic traditions.
- In 2001, the Taliban regime, which considered the statues to be idolatrous, intentionally destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas using explosives. This act of cultural destruction was widely condemned by the international community.
BLACKSMITH & BUTCHERS STREET
After a quick bite we made our way through the Bazaars and markets of Bamiyan. The small section of the Blacksmith street where local traders manufacture everything from small knives to scythes and even giving me a go in the process. Its amazing to see the effort at which these guys work every single day.
In countries where resources are low the efficiency must be high and nowhere can you see it more than walking into the many butcher shops and see every part of an animal for sale. Whether it be the oesophagus or the ball sack, people here eat the lot! The butchers were incredibly friendly, beyond my expectations and always keen to sit down and have a chai with me.
CITY OF SCREAMS
Perched within the valley floor of Bamiyan is the ancient town of Shahre Gholghula, also known as “City of Screams.” It was here that the grandson of Genghis Khan was killed during their rampage of the west and Genghis vowed not to leave until everyone was killed and the entire city was flattened.
DAY 7 – BANDE AMIR
The other reason we have made the journey west was to visit Bande Amir NP, one of the most incredible landscapes I have ever seen. You could have thought you were in the middle of the Swiss Alps during summer, it was like nothing I had ever seen. I had sure annoyed my driver by wanting to stop every 2 minutes for a photo but even he wasn’t sick of it and he lives just a few miles from Bamiyan.
WHERE IS BANDE AMIR NP?
Bande Amir NP
First things first, it was time to get into the swimming shorts and go for a dip and the water is as cold as it is blue but even thermal shock couldn’t distract me from its beauty.
RURAL TOWN
After a quick go on the pedalow we continued our drive around the NP for a few photos with the drone. It’s the only place quiet enough and far enough from the Talibs that make it safe enough to use.
Eventually we stopped at a rural town in the middle of nowhere, where our guide had a cousin and as is the way with everything in Afghanistan, we were invited into his house for some more Chai in 35* heat! The photos will show you this town was completely unique, like something out of a movie set.
CAVE SCHOOL
My guide, Mohammad Jan is not only one of the best guides I have had the pleasure of travelling with but is also a genuinely nice human. During my trip he regularly tips and helps those less fortunate than him and always goes the extra mile.
He has also been busy starting up and running a local school in Bamiyan. He arranges the funding from several different sources, one major funder being a previous guest and I had the pleasure to meet and talk to some 50 or so students.
THE PASSION OF THESE KIDS REALLY HUMBLED ME
Back home, kids can think of nothing worse than having to go to school but here there is nowhere else they would rather be. Some were even confident enough to stand and have a conversation with me, difficult considering they are still beginning to learn English.
RED CITY
Our final stop in Bamiyan was at the famous Red City, another fort to guard the eastern access of Bamiyan. Unfortauntely as is the way with a lot of this area, it was destroyed in 1221 by the one and only Ghengis Khan.
However at the top you can see why it was built here, it has the best 360 views of Bamiyan. It’s a deceiving walk to the top but worth every minute, just be sure to arrive before sunrise so you have plenty of time to enjoy the views.
During the soviet war it was also used by the Mujahideen to guard the town and help fight against the soviets, an anti aircraft gun still sits at the top of the mountain.
SUMMED UP….
- MVP – The driver making Qlukhi
- HIGHLIGHT – The landscape
- LOWLIGHT – First days weather
TODAY’S YOUTUBE VIDEOS
If you want to see today from a different perspective, and catch a few different stories from the front row, then check out today’s YouTube videos below.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Bamiyan has blown my mind, its beauty, its history and the people. Its incredible how welcoming and friendly they are considering what they local Hazaras have gone through.
NEXT UP
Time for a 12 hour road trip to explore the northern city of Mazar-I-Sharif but not before a Taliban commander conducted a very precise body search!! Click to read.
SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
159/229
This post was part of The Afghan Series, for the entire series click here or for episode 1, click here.
To watch the video of my trip, head to my highlights on my Instagram.
