I felt bad about writing so much in Part I of this trip with only two 
photos. So here I will attempt to regain some balance. This is where the photos dominate.
After bypassing Kabul proper, and several large military bases we turned onto the highway that follows the Kabul River. This is the same path the doomed Brits followed in 1842. The gorge the river cut is spectacular. The traffic following the road can also be spectacular! This highway carries most of the freight bound for the cities of Jalalabad and Kabul. It runs from the Pakistan border, through the Kyber Pass and eventually to Kabul. Traffic is slowed dramatically in the afternoons when a large number of trucks are on the road. The road is new (built by the Japanese) and in great shape so why the bad traffic? Even with a number of trucks I couldn't figure out why it was at a crawl. I thought there must be an accident. As it turns out the road may be new and wonderful but the tunnels haven't been improved.
The trucks carrying freight are too tall to enter the tunnels unless they straddle the center line. Truck drivers jump out and direct traffic one way and then the next to get the trucks through the tunnels. Into this are cars trying to dart their way around the trucks and jockeying for a few yards of space. Driving in Afghanistan is not unlike driving in Indonesia. Lanes are very approximate ideas here. If traffic backs up the oncoming lane is always available for passing. Blind curve? Crest of hill? Not a problem in Afghanistan! Entertaining if you don't have to negotiate it daily.
Another striking feature of Afghan roads is the diver
sity of vehicles. There are Toyota HiLux trucks, Toyota Surf SUVs and Toyota Land Cruiser SUV’s and Toyota Corollas. Now to be fair I think I’ve seen one or two Hyundai’s as well (no more than 1 or 2 though).
Toyota should really consider using Afghanistan as a place to film ads. I am told the Corolla is the best car on the planet because it goes anywhere and runs forever. To hear people talk it sounds like a 1965 VW Bug!
Anyone can get a drivers license here. No test, just pony up some Afghani’s and you’re good to go. It shows in their driving. Seat belts are not worn. I rode in a Lexus LX and all the seat belts had been disabled. It certainly adds to the excitement! Mirrors are of unknown use. They do use turn signals though. They aren’t for signaling turns they are for indicating it is safe to pass. I think they do this in Georgia as well. I wouldn’t recommend driving here to anyone without previous experience in similar places. Given all the things to look at being a passenger is a much better gig.
You'd think by what I just wrote that I never saw anything but the road. I guess it's because the road has so much to do with what I am doing here. The scenery on the road from the Kabul river gorge to Jalalabad was eye opening for me. Where the river slows and widens, agriculture is widespread. The villages are on hills above the cultivated fields. The bright green fields stand in stark contrast to the khaki brown hills. We passed nomad tents, people selling fish from wheel barrows and baskets. Market places in small towns were selling bright oranges and pomegranates. At one point the road was lined with small stands selling what I think was sugar cane. All this commerce, but all so local. Without a good, secure, road network these items don't travel very far. It's a shame.
photos. So here I will attempt to regain some balance. This is where the photos dominate.
After bypassing Kabul proper, and several large military bases we turned onto the highway that follows the Kabul River. This is the same path the doomed Brits followed in 1842. The gorge the river cut is spectacular. The traffic following the road can also be spectacular! This highway carries most of the freight bound for the cities of Jalalabad and Kabul. It runs from the Pakistan border, through the Kyber Pass and eventually to Kabul. Traffic is slowed dramatically in the afternoons when a large number of trucks are on the road. The road is new (built by the Japanese) and in great shape so why the bad traffic? Even with a number of trucks I couldn't figure out why it was at a crawl. I thought there must be an accident. As it turns out the road may be new and wonderful but the tunnels haven't been improved.
The thing that caught my attention the most are broken down trucks. They stop wherever they are. Most make it to the side of the road but not all. I haven’t seen a tow truck or garage. So, when trucks break the drivers fix them. Now when I say the drivers fix their trucks I don’t mean replacing fuses or adding water. They do those things but they are minor. I have seen trucks with differentials apart, transmissions pulled, snapped axles. We are talking advanced gear-head type repairs, all on the side of the road, all with minimal tools. I am in awe!
Another striking feature of Afghan roads is the diver
sity of vehicles. There are Toyota HiLux trucks, Toyota Surf SUVs and Toyota Land Cruiser SUV’s and Toyota Corollas. Now to be fair I think I’ve seen one or two Hyundai’s as well (no more than 1 or 2 though).Toyota should really consider using Afghanistan as a place to film ads. I am told the Corolla is the best car on the planet because it goes anywhere and runs forever. To hear people talk it sounds like a 1965 VW Bug!
Anyone can get a drivers license here. No test, just pony up some Afghani’s and you’re good to go. It shows in their driving. Seat belts are not worn. I rode in a Lexus LX and all the seat belts had been disabled. It certainly adds to the excitement! Mirrors are of unknown use. They do use turn signals though. They aren’t for signaling turns they are for indicating it is safe to pass. I think they do this in Georgia as well. I wouldn’t recommend driving here to anyone without previous experience in similar places. Given all the things to look at being a passenger is a much better gig.
You'd think by what I just wrote that I never saw anything but the road. I guess it's because the road has so much to do with what I am doing here. The scenery on the road from the Kabul river gorge to Jalalabad was eye opening for me. Where the river slows and widens, agriculture is widespread. The villages are on hills above the cultivated fields. The bright green fields stand in stark contrast to the khaki brown hills. We passed nomad tents, people selling fish from wheel barrows and baskets. Market places in small towns were selling bright oranges and pomegranates. At one point the road was lined with small stands selling what I think was sugar cane. All this commerce, but all so local. Without a good, secure, road network these items don't travel very far. It's a shame.
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