If anyone asks thee which is the pleasantest of cities, Thou mayest answer him aright that it is Herāt. For the world is like the sea, and the province of Khurāsān like a pearl-oyster therein, The city of Herāt being as the pearl in the middle of the oyster
Rumi 1207–1273 AD
Indeed, Herat was, until the Taliban took over, the most cultured and enlightened city in Afghanistan and had a long tradition of culture – as well as bloody upbringing as elsewhere in the region! In the Herat Army Mutiny of 1979 ( not long after we were there!) anywhere between 3000 and 24,000 were killed in a brutal suppression by the Communists. It suffered heavily during the Soviet invasion, with about 3000 dead and buildings destroyed – just beginning when we were in Afghanistan .
The Taliban’s strict enforcement of laws confining women at home and closing girls’ schools alienated Heratis who are traditionally more liberal and educated, like the Kabulis, than other urban populations in the country. Two days of anti-Taliban protests occurred in December 1996 which were violently dispersed and led to the imposition of a curfew. And look at where we are today in Afghanistan: women are invisible – can’t be educated, can’t work, forced marriages…thanks to its abandonment by its western allies, primally the USA under Biden. As these pages will show it was an extraordinary country and I feel privileged to have travelled so remotely there.
Wednesday 28th April
Herat was a wonderful surprise – we were greeted by four leaning minarets, all originally tiled but now in some state of decay, but extremely elegant.
Wonderful horse carriages with masses of red pom-poms and jingle bells – no skyscrapers, highest two stories (apart from minarets). Lodged in the Jami Hotel [this I remember well, really basic, dark and dirty, but we were so excited to be in Afghanistan we didn’t mind! It cost 50p for the room] and had a lukewarm shower [woodfired] and a nourishing cheap meal before night-time exploring – lots of silver, leather, carpet and clothes and tea shops – not to mention piles of delicious-looking sticky sweetmeats of every variety – so far Afghanistan seems like it’s going to be fun.
Thursday 29th April
Herat was beautifully sunny when we woke and, feeling energetic, we rushed off to the bank before breakfast – typically the bank didn’t change rials, so we did a black market deal, lost on it, however. After breakfast of tea and eggs we set off for the tourist office, and then to the police station, a marvellous decrepit building with roof gardens full of poppies. We were taken in hand by young officer who helped us [we needed to get a special permit to go the ‘northern route’ through Afghanistan via Mazar-e-Sharif, as opposed to the more common route via Kandahar] buy the headed notepaper (from the canteen man) and then we were directed from office to office, before it was finally completed by free tea and sweets from the canteen man, who knew two words of English – ‘good’ and ‘bad’, most things were ‘good’ in Afghanistan! We met Linda and the Australian girls on our return and found they wanted to go to Mazar-e-Sharif, so later on we fix that up for Sunday.
Delicious yoghurt for lunch in the dairy, and lovely cakes too. In the afternoon we walked out of the back by the Citadel but, unfortunately, end up in the public shit house behind the mosque – a stinky open space – very nasty.
From there we explored local Herat, away from all the tourist bazaars and I met a beautiful little girl, still innocent and uncorrupted by European ways and ‘baksheesh’! The woman here wear amazing veils with embroidered built-in skull caps, which give off into tiny little pleats at the back, about 50, and then the front gives way to an embroidered grille so that they can see out.
We met Linda and Aussies in a teahouse where we rested before bazaar-hunting again. I found a delightful old man in the shop full of dust and old things (J had gone to look at carpets, so I was alone) who almost cried with joy when he discovered I was English – something to do with a sister of his who lived in England, or had a connection with it. Even serenaded me on a local lyre, so I felt I had to buy a very nice old ring – got 100 Afghanis off for being English!
We spent hours in carpet shops and found one nice carpet but rather expensive, despite bargaining. In the evening we went to a rip-off place, advertising Afghani food and music – what we had was good, but very scant, so we came back and had hot milk and soup here – the former sweet and very good. Poor Jonathan has been very bitten by bedbugs and is covered in nasty red marks but, luckily, like mosquitoes they don’t seem to like me.
Friday 30th April
Once again it was sunny and hot. We walk down to the Tahiri hotel for breakfast, as J had a craving for porridge which he had seen advertised there. We returned to the hotel and I went downstairs into the courtyard out of the back where there was a clay bowl and tap, dnd washed clothes while the chickens chicked and scrabbled behind me and builders worked on the roof above.
After we walk to the minarets through dirt streets full of local tea shops and lovely lambs with their mothers, udders tied up. It was hot and dry and dusty at the minarets, so we sat down and the usual crowd gathered – eager young men (to show off their English) – one chap pointed to things I had, like my watch and said ‘watch – W -A-T-C-H’ – really amusing.
We even saw a camel train enter Herat, laden with brushwood and come out empty. There were several nomad tents put up around us and one of the little girls I talked to was a nomad – she gave me a tile from the minaret.
Back in Herat, we met Linda, Aussies and the English couple who are to join us on our trip and we all had yoghurt lunches at the dairy.
After long rest we went round the back again, just browsing around chatting to people. Everyone is charming and it is a joy to be outside. We had a high tea at the hotel and then went out to eat delicious shish kebab – a lot of meat very cheap and good as my stomach is a bit upset.
Saturday 1st May
Still bitten when we rose this morning, despite all sorts of precautions – not quite so bad however. We went down to the bank where everything was pretty chaotic (the clerk could only type with two fingers) and then to the post office where PCs to England were 22 Afghanis – I’m sure I was cheated.
On the way back to the hotel we looked at carpet shops – but nothing much. Met Linda and co at lunch and then we had a long rest – it gets very hot at lunchtime. Later we went for a wander, and I went to the Friends shop as promised (met the owner in the Afghan dairy yesterday) – lovely amethyst and turquoise ring and shirts but all very expensive – however Jonathan did most of the bargaining and I got the ring, very lovely. From there we saw a man weaving silk/cotton on a huge loom – very intricate patterns and different colours on each side.
Quite by chance we found a goldsmith who had exquisite turquoise rings, but in gold and cheap. A friend of his appeared and after a bit of haggling it was agreed that he could make me a similar ring in silver then and there. It was wonderful watching him make my ring, helped by two dear little boys the smaller of whom was very pretty and had a little turquoise earring in one ear.
Then surprise of surprise, J bought me my ring and cheered me up – feeling slightly awful as my stomach, though not violent, is far from being well. [This ring I gave to Louise and it is now lost]
We had supper in a typical place and outside were three darling little puppies, little balls of fur and tummy, that an Afghan was trying to sell. They did look far too young to be away from their mother.
Vicky's Big Adventure 