Herat, Afghanistan – Rick Steves’ Journey Weblog

Sunday, July 30, 1978: Herat 

A dream woke me at 7:30 and by 8:15 I gave up attempting to fall again to sleep. Down on the restaurant I loved two fried eggs, yogurt, and a pot of black chai. After cleansing my digital camera 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 stated “extra,” and he gave me 800. “Extra,” and I acquired 50 extra afghanis, after which I requested for and acquired the final 8 afghanis. 

Subsequent, Gene and I booked a bus experience to Kabul on the extremely really useful Qaderi bus firm. The 800-kilometer experience price solely $5 or 200 afghanis. Hopefully, we are going to get our seats and there might 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 facet road full of colourful flowery horse-drawn taxis, busy craftsmen, fruit stands, and dirt. Every man who handed appeared like one thing straight out of a journey poster. Sturdy highly effective eyes behind leathery weather-beaten faces. Poetic wind-blown beards, lengthy and scraggily, and turbans like snakes wrapping protectively round their heads. Outdated girls completely lined by bag-like outfits carried kids and known as out, unusually sufficient, for footage. I shot off practically an entire roll and, hopefully, I ought to have some great photographs. 

We wandered away from the principle heart 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. Everybody was motioning us to return 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 footage, and purchase junk to deliver dwelling and inform everybody how low-cost it was. I couldn’t assist however really feel like us curious vacationers acquired outdated to those hardy, proud individuals who work so onerous and stay so merely. 

There have 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 beautiful 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’re actually dwelling properly now for a change. I cashed that $100 and it feels so good to simply spend cash while you wish to and never fear. 

Now we went again into the solar. The afternoon temperature was nonetheless cooking and each from time to time we’d soak our heads underneath a faucet. After mailing our postcards, we checked out a row of the material weavers. Onerous-working males ran these ingeniously primitive looms tirelessly. Fairly attention-grabbing to witness. Then, making a large circle, we got here to the large mosque, checked it out, and located ourselves in a neighborhood of very hard-sell retailers.  

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 great white dishevelled 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 nearly made it, however I used to be stunned when he let me stroll away empty handed, a bit unhappy too. I need these cool, dishevelled, low-profile garments and perhaps, if I can swallow my pleasure, I’ll return tomorrow and get them. 

Like working the gauntlet, we made our approach out and in of retailers again to our resort. I attempted and did not 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. 

Again 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 at all times turned me off, so to talk, as a result of it’s at all times 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 “sq.” one. That form of strain and the standard scene surrounding pot smoking strengthened my willpower to steer clear of the evil weed. However 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 scenario, I’d wish to smoke some hash in Afghanistan. Nicely, right here I’m in Herat, I really feel nice, and I like this city. We acquired about half a domino value of pure cannabis for 40 afghanis ($1). It was so easy it needed to be sliced with a knife. 

Up within the room, Gene combined it with some tobacco and piled the product right into a humorous outdated straight wooden pipe we picked up. He took a drag — instantly remarking, “Good things”. 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 moreover that, there was nothing repulsive about it. It didn’t even scent unhealthy like marijuana. The one drawback was nothing occurred. I had smoked sufficient, however virgin runs are typically unproductive. It felt good in any case — I had performed it. 

We went out for a stroll. Going from store to buy very casually. Mixing with individuals, nosing into retailers, and simply poking round. This place is small, but it surely actually doesn’t matter as a result of no road is ever the identical should you stroll via it a second or third time. 

For dinner we sat exterior of our restaurant since there was a particular wedding ceremony tonight within the massive room. We had a plate of numerous completely different greens with numerous 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. Sure colours and objects had been extra tangy. Issues 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 appeared like a giant candle respiration out and in. However I nonetheless wasn’t actually excessive. 

Downstairs the large wedding 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. Everybody was fairly formal, the lads had been in a single room, the ladies within the different, and the adorned automotive waited parked exterior. 

Now we took a nighttime stroll. Chariots with torches charged via 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 at all times, the wind howled. The night time was a fantastic expertise and we wandered. 

After a small melon, trying out the marriage as soon as extra, a chilly bathe with our sheets and making a pleasant moist mattress, we commented on what a great day in the present day was and, trying ahead to tomorrow and wrapped in moist sheets, we went to sleep.