http://jcribbans.blogspot.co.uk/

its a blog of travelling round afghanistan in a what would have been relatively new land rover 109 in 1974/5 and its just amazing – given my only real glimpse of Afghanistan is what we get fed on the news.

maybe not everyones cup of tea but i found it fascinating.

Thanks. My neighbour (female) and her friend went there too – late 70’s (??) I recall, she said it was an amazing place. It was at the time safe for two young students to travel on their own.

Afghanistan and Lebanon used to be big tourist destinations back in the 60’s – 70’s both stunning countries.

My Dad spent a year there in 1967, said it was the most beautiful country he had ever been to. On arrival at the border the guard asked if he had any hash on him. Dad said no and the guard thrust a big piece into his hand and said “welcome to Afghanistan”!

Another family friend drove a Landrover to Calcutta in 1962 via Afgan. He had just left the Army and was newly wed. They travelled with black tie and gown in the back and stayed at all the consulates on the way when not camping! In Afghan the Ambassador took them out carpet shopping in the market with no guards or protection.
He is now 80 and is currently camping in the Oman.

Funny how things change, I’m old enough to remember when the Taliban were heroically trying to fend off those nasty Soviets.

I’ve got a load of photos taken by what we assume is the UK ambassador back in the 1960’s. Such a shame that you can’t really visit much of the country any more.

Yeah, I saw that documentary too… The one with Sylvester Stallone in.

Sadly, it all went a bit wrong after the pesky Sovs were thrown out and the Taliban started dynamiting ancient statues and stoning people to death.

My dad used to do a lot of business in the middle east back in the day and said that Lebanon was a lovely place. I genuinely hope that Afghanistan sorts things out. From what I saw when I was there, it is a beautiful place with generally friendly people. Maybe one day, before I am too old, I’ll be able to return there and see more than just Hesco.

Beautiful, great find

I knew a couple of women who went there back in our backpacking days (late 80’s).
I’d have gone myself if I had the funds at the time..

I’ve just read Devla Murphy’s excellent book Ireland to India with a Bicycle and loved it. Her favourite country was also Afghanistan.

Indeed @PigFace Lebanon was known as the Cote d’Azur of the Arab world, I’m old enough to remember seeing pictures of it as a holiday destination.

When you see pics of the hills around Kabul, you just know there will be some awesome trails for MTB in there.

Shame 🙁

If the rest of us had just left it as visiting Afghanistan I dare say it would still be a lovely place to visit.

Sadly, successive superpowers have chosen to either invade, influence or run the place. If history should teach anyone anything it is that the place should have been left alone from a geopolitical point of view!

It’s a stunning country, my Aunt ended up spending a year teaching/doing Art out there back in the early 70’s after driving a scooter there from the UK, she took me out to revisit the places and people she stayed with back in 1988 for my 16th birthday – i’d love to go back to explore on the bike but that seems ever increasingly unlikely as the years pass 🙁

My dad traveled through Afghanistan in the late 60s, prior to joining the Army. Amazing experience… the lucky so-and-so.

Awesome link thanks for sharing.

Rockhopper – Member
I’ve got a load of photos taken by what we assume is the UK ambassador back in the 1960’s. Such a shame that you can’t really visit much of the country any more.

+1 it seems that way with much o the region. I’ve read many travel logs, some only from the 90’s of people cycle the silk road and now the Pakistan section seems pretty much closed and eastern China is actually harder for westerners to travel through!

I am sat in Kabul right now reading this lol lets just say im not going for a walk outside!

Having seen some of the remote parts of Afghanistan first hand I concur that parts of the place are truly beautiful and yes you’re right about it being prime for some riding. Some of the landscapes can seem like you’re on Mars and then the next moment in lush green fields with all manner of fruit around you, shame you have to watch your feet all the time..

Read Eric Newbys Short Walk in the Hindu Kush for a quality read on a similar theme.

How times change.

I grew up in a small village in NE Scotland. The local one man band haulier used to haul freight into Iraq and Iran. 1970’s.

Suspect it might be a tad riskier today. That said my Dad was working in Iran about 3 years back and felt safer and the people welcoming.

Have a read of Dervla Murphy’s Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle

This is a fascinating story of a woman’s bicycle ride from Ireland to India. It glosses over the European journey (despite beginning in the dead of winter) and focuses on her time in Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite many dire warnings about travelling in Muslim countries in the 60s, she went on and embraced their culture and hospitality.

From a cycling point of view, I can’t believe she did this on a single-speed cycle. My legs hurt just thinking about it

Ever since I was a kid if anyone ever asked me what places in the world I would most like to visit I’ve always said the Hindu Kush, but I really don’t think I’d be brave enough now

My aunt lived and worked in Iran in the 70`s. She hitch hiked back to the UK with another female friend. She loved the country and the people.

I have traveled to a few parts of the middle east through work.

Visited Damascus in Syria a few years ago Amman in Jordan some other fantastic places set in totally different cultures and settings.
Really good to travel.
Always found the people friendly and welcoming. Things may be a bit different now…

Was in Aquaba-Amman in Jordan back in ’97 and found the Jordanian people extremely friendly and very pro-British, doubt we are that popular now.

yunki – Member
Have a read of Dervla Murphy’s Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle

cheers, i just purchased that. 🙂

Here’s a ride report from Afghanistan the other year.Well worth a read.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504942&highlight=sambor

Bustaspoke – Member
Here’s a ride report from Afghanistan the other year.Well worth a read.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=504942&highlight=sambor

Nice.

Rory Stewart’s book ‘The Places Inbetween’ is also a good read.

^ x100% fantastic book and my copy is extremely dog eared and worn looking, I was invited through a mutual friend to a book reading by Rory when he published and got talking to him over drinks n’ food afterwards, his love and empathetic knowledge for the country and its people was very evident as he was visibly distressed when talking about what has happened post invasion. I’ve met him a few times since and I always have a dig with regard to him being a conservative politician, “if you were independent I’d vote for you”.

I always think that RS should be foriegn secretary some such with his wealth of experience, someone who actually knows what he’s talking about – I heard him in an interview the otherday where
he said he scuppered his chances by voting against the government on House of Lords reform.

I’ve been skiing in Afghanistan twice in the last few years – it’s truly a beautiful place. I spent the start of the year with two Afghan skiers training in St Moritz (the plan is to get them racing and maybe to the next winter Olympics).

I took them fat biking when the slopes were closed due to Avalanche risk. They loved it and I’m sure they’d love to guide anyone who wants to go mtbing in Bamyan!

Also it’s worth checking out Shannon Galpin and her project to get girls in Kabul and Bamyan cycling.

I’ve uploaded some pics to my Dropbox.

Hope this works!

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/p4ya079xld37v5g/AAB2CiML1tGqc4eysTI5gDa1a?dl=0

Fabulous …thank you…great to see the Buddhas of Bamiyan prior to their destruction !

Worked over there in 2005 training local medical first responders in Kabul, manning a remote medical post in the truly stunning area of Nuristan and in between times blatting around in old soviet mil 8 helicopters… a truly beautiful place !

‘Hitched a ride’ up the infamous Khyber Pass and into Pakistan to assist with the earthquake.

Magical but traumatic times that I look back upon fondly.

Wow, amazing photos Rockhopper.

I can also recommend Nick Danzigers books, as a good read.

http://www.nickdanziger.com/nick-danziger/books-prints/danzigers-travels

http://www.nickdanziger.com/nick-danziger/books-prints/danzigers-adventures

Great site. My cousin travelled through in the mid 70’s and loved it. He’s now living on the Thai Cambodian border for the last 10 years. Spent 6 months in North India in 1996 and met a few people who had come over from Afghanistan who said the villages were more than happy to meet them and were all very interested in the world at large. I regret I bottled it and never went because I probably never will now.
Nick Danzigers book is good also Simon During On the Road Again revisiting the hippy trail 30 years on though dated now. Very sad that large parts of this region are off limits for probably my life time and the short and violent lifetimes of the local populations.