Herat, Afghanistan – Rick Steves’ Travel Blog

Sunday, July 30, 1978: Herat 

A dream woke me at 7:30 and by 8:15 I gave up making an attempt to fall again to sleep. Down on the restaurant I loved two fried eggs, yogurt, and a pot of black chai. After cleansing my digicam lenses, Gene and I got down to see Herat. 

First, we had two items of enterprise — change cash and get bus tickets. The financial institution was actually one thing. It took practically an hour to vary my $100, however simply sitting there watching the Afghani banking course of was attention-grabbing. I noticed suitcases of tattered afghanis, tribesmen coming in with 5 or 6 $100 payments (I’m afraid to think about the place they acquired them), a uniformed guard with a bayonet lengthy sufficient for 5 or 6 financial institution robbers, and a rag-tag constructing and environment. I had 3,858 afghanis coming to me. First the man gave me 3,000. I mentioned “more,” and he gave me 800. “More,” and I acquired 50 extra afghanis, after which I requested for and acquired the final 8 afghanis. 

Next, Gene and I booked a bus trip to Kabul on the extremely really helpful Qaderi bus firm. The 800-kilometer trip price solely $5 or 200 afghanis. Hopefully, we are going to get our seats and there shall be no hanky-panky.  

We had been free to ramble. I had a Fanta, placed on the zoom lens, and went into motion on a dreamy aspect avenue full of colourful flowery horse-drawn taxis, busy craftsmen, fruit stands, and dirt. Each man who handed seemed like one thing straight out of a journey poster. Strong highly effective eyes behind leathery weather-beaten faces. Poetic wind-blown beards, lengthy and scraggily, and turbans like snakes wrapping protectively round their heads. Old girls completely lined by bag-like outfits carried kids and known as out, unusually sufficient, for photos. I shot off practically a complete roll and, optimistically, I ought to have some fantastic pictures. 

We wandered away from the primary middle coming to a dusty residential space churning with exercise. The individuals are so proud and there’s nobody not very worthy to have their image taken. Everyone was motioning us to come back over, besides for many who had been too proud to acknowledge us. I didn’t actually understand how individuals accepted us unusual, short-panted, pale-skinned, weak-stomached, finnicky individuals who got here into their world to gawk, take photos, and purchase junk to deliver house and inform everybody how low-cost it was. I couldn’t assist however really feel like us curious vacationers acquired previous to those hardy, proud individuals who work so arduous and reside so merely. 

There had been numerous moments and scenes that blazed endlessly in my thoughts, an image of Afghanistan. We labored up a imply thirst and we shared a watermelon within the shade earlier than shifting on. 

A bit drained, we headed again to our pretty resort, had a plate of potatoes, a bowl of soup, and a few chai (tea) and went up for a bathe and a brief snooze. We are actually residing effectively now for a change. I cashed that $100 and it feels so good to simply spend cash once you need to and never fear. 

Now we went again into the solar. The afternoon temperature was nonetheless cooking and each every so often we’d soak our heads below a faucet. After mailing our postcards, we checked out a row of the fabric weavers. Hard-working males ran these ingeniously primitive looms tirelessly. Quite attention-grabbing to witness. Then, making a large circle, we got here to the massive mosque, checked it out, and located ourselves in a neighborhood of very hard-sell outlets.  

One pseudo-friendly man took me by the hand and walked me into his store, and earlier than I knew it, I used to be carrying the fantastic white saggy pants and shirt and turban of the native individuals and bargaining madly. I used to be decided to work him down from 500 to my ceiling of 152 afghanis. I virtually made it, however I used to be shocked when he let me stroll away empty handed, a bit unhappy too. I would like these cool, saggy, low-profile garments and possibly, if I can swallow my delight, I’ll return tomorrow and get them. 

Like operating the gauntlet, we made our approach out and in of outlets again to our resort. I attempted and didn’t get a beautiful mink pores and skin low-cost. I did supply 200 afghanis for an thrilling Afghan fox hat and ended up shopping for it and I proudly labored a man down from 600 afghanis to 40 every for 3 little properly embroidered pouches. I haven’t purchased any souvenirs to talk of in two months of journey — now I’m afraid I’ve opened the floodgates. 

Back on the resort, Gene pulled out the hunk of cannabis that he purchased and this, I made a decision, can be the time and place that’s I’d lose my “marijuana virginity.” I’ve by no means even smoked a cigarette and smoking pot has all the time turned me off, so to talk, as a result of it’s all the time an object of social strain and I might by no means really feel comfy doing it as a result of everybody at a celebration was doing it and I used to be the one “square” one. That sort of strain and the standard scene surrounding pot smoking bolstered my willpower to avoid the evil weed. But this was completely different. 

In Afghanistan, cannabis is an integral a part of the tradition. It’s as harmless as wine with dinner is in America. If ever I used to be to expertise this excessive, it wouldn’t be in a darkish dorm room on the UW with a bunch of individuals I didn’t respect. I might by no means be ok with that.  

Gene and I talked about marijuana and hash for about three hours on the bus after we left Istanbul. I made a decision that, if I felt good about the entire state of affairs, I’d wish to smoke some hash in Afghanistan. Well, right here I’m in Herat, I really feel nice, and I really like this city. We acquired about half a domino value of pure cannabis for 40 afghanis ($1). It was so clean it needed to be sliced with a knife. 

Up within the room, Gene blended it with some tobacco and piled the product right into a humorous previous straight wooden pipe we picked up. He took a drag — instantly remarking, “Good stuff”. I sucked in not figuring out what to anticipate and hoping to not get a mouth filled with ashes. I don’t like smoke, however apart from that, there was nothing repulsive about it. It didn’t even scent dangerous like marijuana. The solely drawback was nothing occurred. I had smoked sufficient, however virgin runs are usually unproductive. It felt good anyhow — I had accomplished it. 

We went out for a stroll. Going from store to buy very casually. Mixing with individuals, nosing into outlets, and simply poking round. This place is small, however it actually doesn’t matter as a result of no avenue is ever the identical in the event you stroll by way of it a second or third time. 

For dinner we sat outdoors of our restaurant since there was a particular marriage ceremony tonight within the large room. We had a plate of a lot of completely different greens with a lot of meat washed down by tea for $1.50 every. 

Upstairs we smoked a bit extra and took a chilly bathe. This time I sensed a little bit of a change. Certain colours and objects had been extra tangy. Things had a vibrant edge that I didn’t notice was an choice. I used to be very relaxed and the sunshine fixture on our ceiling seemed like a giant candle respiratory out and in. But I nonetheless wasn’t actually excessive. 

Downstairs the massive marriage ceremony had begun, and the bride’s father proudly shook my hand welcoming Gene and me and we sat subsequent to the little Afghan band listening to the thrilling music and watching the ladies dance. Everyone was fairly formal, the boys had been in a single room, the ladies within the different, and the adorned automobile waited parked outdoors. 

Now we took a nighttime stroll. Chariots with torches charged by way of the darkness, males carried lanterns, shopkeepers and the work boys squatted round soup and bread, many Afghans had been excessive or getting there, it was cool, and, like all the time, the wind howled. The night time was a fantastic expertise and we wandered. 

After a small melon, testing the marriage as soon as extra, a chilly bathe with our sheets and making a pleasant moist mattress, we commented on what a very good day at this time was and, wanting ahead to tomorrow and wrapped in moist sheets, we went to sleep.