THE AFGHAN SERIES, DAY 17 & 18
Kandahar – Helmand – Herat
Flour mill, super noodles and the Afghan Ring road. It was some relief getting up this morning without the desire to run to the toilet.
I HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO TRAVEL ILL FREE
It hasn’t been the best few days but I was super glad I pushed myself out of bed to see those sites. I might have missed the Korengal but as it’s a dream to drive over the Kyber Pass it’s something I can easily do when coming over from Pakistan.
WHERE IS HELMAND?
Helmand
So today it was time to move on again and head further west into the heartland of the Taliban, Helmand province. Helmand has long been the hiding place for the Taliban and Al Qaeda for many reasons but most notably it’s vastness, fertile soils and proximately to their founding city of Kandahar.
Flour mill, super noodles and the Afghan Ring road
DAILY INFO….
- HOTEL –
Helmand Star ($40, 6/10)
Tejarat ($50, 7.5/10) - RESTOS –
Chahar Fasl - FOOD –
Super Noodles - ATTRACTIONS –
Flour mill
Bakery
Helmand gate / Qala-e-Bost
World’s first oven
Drive to Heart
Camp Bastian / Shorabak
Volley Ball on the ring road - STEPS – 2,600, 7,200
FLOUR MILL
After just a few hours into the trip we stopped off at a roadside mill. This wouldn’t be the huge factory mill we are familiar with in the west but a tiny machine operated by just one man. This was my guides call to stop here and he really seems to know what my interests are, without doubt the best guide for tailoring my trip as it progresses.
Not only was it interesting to see it in operation but the people around were again a different level of friendliness. Of course there had to be a Taliban checkpoint across the road but they were more than happy I film and even wanted to come over and join us. I’ve ate almost every Afghans food so it seemed like a good time to return the favour and bring out yesterdays watermelon we bought but after turning my head for 2 seconds it was all gone – if you don’t eat fast in Afghanistan you don’t eat!
Flour mill, super noodles and the Afghan Ring road
HELMAND
Its Friday today and with every Friday in the Muslim world comes the important Friday prayer. So before lunch almost every business and office will close to allow everyone to attend their preferred mosque.
Unfortunately this also means the tourism office is closed and any chance of getting the required permits is all but zero. So here I am currently sitting in my cell like room (beds another shocker) absolutely bored out of my nut. If anything it has given me an idea what it must be like to be in prison. Might have been a good time to be sick!
Flour mill, super noodles and the Afghan Ring road
FACTS ABOUT HELMAND:
- Helmand Province, located in southern Afghanistan, holds significant strategic importance due to its geographical location. It shares a border with Pakistan and Iran, making it a vital crossroads for regional trade and transit.
- The province was a part of ancient civilizations, including the Achaemenid Empire, the Maurya Empire, and the Kushan Empire. It has also witnessed the influence of various conquerors, such as Alexander the Great and the Arab invaders. Helmand’s history is evident in its archaeological sites, including the famous ruins of the city of Shahr-e Sukhteh, which dates back to the Bronze Age.
- The province is home to the Helmand River, one of the longest rivers in Afghanistan, which cuts through the desert region and supports the fertile lands in the area. The river plays a crucial role in irrigation, allowing for agricultural productivity.
DAY 18, QALA-E-BOST
Qala-e-bost is a 3000 year old city built along the silk road. Its main feature however is the 11th century arch which is one of few remaining structures in the area after it was destroyed by Genghis Khan. Genghis destroyed much of the towns he came across in Afghanistan during the early 12 hundreds especially those that he faced resistance from.
Flour mill, super noodles and the Afghan Ring road
RELATED READ: GETTING CHASED BY POLICE IN AUSTIN
CAMP BASTIAN / SHORABAK
There have been a number of areas I was excited to visit but the Taliban have a lot of these locked down. Camp Bastian was the largest British army base since WW2 and was the eyes and ears of all operations on this side of the Hindu Kush. After passing it onto the ANA (Afghan National Army) in 2014 it was renamed Camp Shorabak. However in 2021 when the Americans fled, they effectively handed a fully operatable army base to the Taliban who have controlled ever since.
RING ROAD TO HERAT
The US war here cost an estimated $2.3 trillion, a number so vast it will mean very little to most but to put it into perspective, $2.3T is $300million every day for 20 years, an insane amount of money, considering what was achieved.
The ring road was one of the Americans biggest investments at $3billion and was never finished. Its almost a symbol of the war, so much money spent and so little to show for it.
We were able to stop for a few minutes and enjoy some well-deserved down time playing volley ball, one of Afghanistan’s national sports.
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
As the trip draws to a close, I have started to really enjoy my interactions with locals. Not every country is like this so it takes a while to figure things out but the people of Afghanistan couldn’t be more welcoming.
NEXT UP
Citadels, Camels and rolling about in Herat, my last day in Afghanistan then a night at Sleep & fly Dubai!! 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.
