FLOUR MILL, SUPER NOODLES AND THE AFGHAN RING ROAD12 min read

THE AFGHAN SERIES, DAY 17 & 18

Kandahar – Helmand – Herat

Traveling through Afghanistan brings a mix of culture, history, and adventure. On Days 17 and 18 of my Afghan series, I explored Helmand and Herat, experiencing local life, visiting historic sites, and navigating the famous Afghan Ring Road. From roadside flour mills to playing volleyball on the highway, every moment was memorable. If you’re planning a trip along the Afghan Ring Road, this journey offers a glimpse into the heart of southern Afghanistan.

Day 17: Traveling Into Helmand

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 its vastness, fertile soils, and proximity to their founding city of Kandahar.

Flour mill, super noodles and the Afghan Ring road

FLOUR MILL VISIT

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. My guide called to stop here and he really seems to know my interests, without a 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, a Taliban checkpoint stood across the road, but they were more than happy for me to film and even wanted to 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 FRIDAY RITUALS

It’s 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 of 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

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 the few remaining structures in the area after Genghis Khan destroyed it. 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

CAMP BASTIAN / SHORABAK

There have been some areas I was excited to visit, but the Taliban has 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 the ANA (Afghan National Army) took over it in 2014, they renamed it Camp Shorabak. However, when the Americans fled in 2021, they effectively handed a fully operable army base to the Taliban, who have controlled it 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 downtime playing volleyball, one of Afghanistan’s national sports.

ARRIVAL IN HERAT

Finally after another long day we arrived into Herat and checked into a decent hotel (the bed got my approval) called Tejarat. But as my appetite was making a come back we ate at Chahar Fasl, which might have to be my favourite restaurant in Afghanistan!

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.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
159/229

NEXT UP

Citadels, Camels and rolling about in Herat, my last day in Afghanistan then a night at Sleep & fly Dubai!! Click to read.

This post was part of The Afghan Series, for the entire series click here or for episode 1, click here.

To see a different side of my trip head to my social channels; YouTube, Instagram & TikTok. Links at top of the page.