Always a Little Further: Across Afghanistan and the Pamir Mountains

Everyone has heard of Afghanistan: endless wars, religious extremism, heroin trafficking, the Taliban, Osama bin Laden. Afghanistan is simply too unsafe for most people to even consider visiting, right? But thousands of tourists do make the effort each year and discover the riches that Afghanistan has to offer: the beauty of Bamyan Valley with its hospitable Hazara people and the site of famous Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban; Panjshir Valley, the stronghold of the charismatic military leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud, and its beautiful scenery; spectacular turquoise lakes like Band-e Amir. Trade and cultural diffusion along the ancient Silk Route from China to the Mediterranean left its mark on cities such as Balkh and Herat, whose monuments can still be marvelled at today.One tentacle of the Silk Route passed through the ancient city of Balkh after crossing the Pamir Mountains. The Pamir Highway (M41) is the modern version of that ancient route which extends from Osh in Kyrgyzstan to the border of Afghanistan. The Pamir Highway passes through the town of Sary Tash in Kyrgyzstan which is now linked to Kashgar in China to expand trade as part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The Pamir Highway is one of the world's premier road journeys and offers some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet: breathtaking mountain vistas like the Hindu Kush, high altitude lakes like Karakul, fertile valleys like the Tajik Wakhan. Bulunkul once recorded the coldest temperature in Central Asia at -63 degrees C. One can see the ruins of ancient forts, Buddhist stupas, prehistoric petroglyphs and if you are lucky, the endangered Marco Polo sheep.