3 DAY ROAD TRIP TO THE WEST
This was the Road trip out to the most western part of the providence, it took eight hours to get there and I stood up the whole way out and back... I think I'm getting too old for this.
This is valley shot on the way out to Sheik Ali the farthest district.
The wheat was being harvested as we drove along and it reminded me of home somehow. they stack it in the fields and later thrash it with a machine if they are rich or by cattle walking around it stomping on the chaff and releasing the kernels, they they throw it up in the air to get the two separated. It is all cut by hand with small scythes on hands and knees. Most of the fields are an acre or less each field is planted separately and staggered so it doesn't all come in at once.
Cut wheat drying in the sun waiting to be picked up and put into sheaves then stacked in large piles.
The guys with the guns are with us and are helping to get the large trucks moving so we can get around them.
One of the many valleys we drove through on the road to Sheik Ali.
It was a dusty road for the most part, actually all of it was bumpy dirt road, the fastest we could go was 80 miles an hour, but we couldn't steer at that speed so we went slower.
We stopped at an other district Headquarters and talked with the Chief of Police, when we were leaving we spotted these little beauties and wondered if they would go off... they looked like they were dug up but I don't know if they had been shot down range or not, didn't want to get to close for some reason. The Police like to kick these objects with their feet believing that Alla's will keeps them alive, I tend to trust Kevlar instead.
the small dark red round one with the cross on the top in the back is a left over Russian land mine, there are millions of them all over the country, this one is used for personnel.
Another scenic view of a small valley we drove through. The apricots and cherries were in season and the kids were selling them along the roadside.
Finally after 8 hours of driving we get there and set up a small camp by the river.
View across the river, then the kids came...
Most were boys ranging from 5 years old to 17, it was hard to tell the ages of most of them. For some reason they don't really celebrate birthdays and most don't know when they were born except to say the year, spring or summer or such. It was supp rising to find that most of these kids could speak fairly good English. For the most part they were ethnic Hazara, the left over remnants of Ghingas Khan's army. Today they are treated like second class citizens but are very friendly towards us.
There is one in every crowd... Najibulla on left looks on. Tom Robins in the brown shirt takes a break from being mobbed, its my turn now. Millions of questions from do you have a pen to give me, to take my picture take my picture.
The kids were very well behaved for the most part. The Police chief told them that when the sun went down they had to leave the area and go home, and they did as they were told. especially since we also told them that it was a bad idea to visit us after dark seeings how we didn't know who was naughty and who was nice, and they could see us setting up concertina wire around our vehicles.
I believe that this guy was around 17 years old and he spoke very good English.
He just wanted his picture taken and he had to smile for me before I would take the picture.
these two girls were some of the bravest in the bunch, they would come by and at first they didn't want their picture taken at all. but we gave them a pen and a bottle of water and they consented.
The next morning these two came by with their goats, they did not want their picture taken at all, especially the older one I think she was around 13 almost the marrying age of 14, her younger sister didn't mind. I took the pic on the sly and it turned out pretty nice. I had to shoot pictures of their goats and show them the Pict's to make them at ease.
This is valley shot on the way out to Sheik Ali the farthest district.
The wheat was being harvested as we drove along and it reminded me of home somehow. they stack it in the fields and later thrash it with a machine if they are rich or by cattle walking around it stomping on the chaff and releasing the kernels, they they throw it up in the air to get the two separated. It is all cut by hand with small scythes on hands and knees. Most of the fields are an acre or less each field is planted separately and staggered so it doesn't all come in at once.
Cut wheat drying in the sun waiting to be picked up and put into sheaves then stacked in large piles.
The guys with the guns are with us and are helping to get the large trucks moving so we can get around them.
One of the many valleys we drove through on the road to Sheik Ali.
It was a dusty road for the most part, actually all of it was bumpy dirt road, the fastest we could go was 80 miles an hour, but we couldn't steer at that speed so we went slower.
We stopped at an other district Headquarters and talked with the Chief of Police, when we were leaving we spotted these little beauties and wondered if they would go off... they looked like they were dug up but I don't know if they had been shot down range or not, didn't want to get to close for some reason. The Police like to kick these objects with their feet believing that Alla's will keeps them alive, I tend to trust Kevlar instead.
the small dark red round one with the cross on the top in the back is a left over Russian land mine, there are millions of them all over the country, this one is used for personnel.
Another scenic view of a small valley we drove through. The apricots and cherries were in season and the kids were selling them along the roadside.
Finally after 8 hours of driving we get there and set up a small camp by the river. 
View across the river, then the kids came...
Most were boys ranging from 5 years old to 17, it was hard to tell the ages of most of them. For some reason they don't really celebrate birthdays and most don't know when they were born except to say the year, spring or summer or such. It was supp rising to find that most of these kids could speak fairly good English. For the most part they were ethnic Hazara, the left over remnants of Ghingas Khan's army. Today they are treated like second class citizens but are very friendly towards us.
There is one in every crowd... Najibulla on left looks on. Tom Robins in the brown shirt takes a break from being mobbed, its my turn now. Millions of questions from do you have a pen to give me, to take my picture take my picture.
The kids were very well behaved for the most part. The Police chief told them that when the sun went down they had to leave the area and go home, and they did as they were told. especially since we also told them that it was a bad idea to visit us after dark seeings how we didn't know who was naughty and who was nice, and they could see us setting up concertina wire around our vehicles.
I believe that this guy was around 17 years old and he spoke very good English.
He just wanted his picture taken and he had to smile for me before I would take the picture.
these two girls were some of the bravest in the bunch, they would come by and at first they didn't want their picture taken at all. but we gave them a pen and a bottle of water and they consented.
The next morning these two came by with their goats, they did not want their picture taken at all, especially the older one I think she was around 13 almost the marrying age of 14, her younger sister didn't mind. I took the pic on the sly and it turned out pretty nice. I had to shoot pictures of their goats and show them the Pict's to make them at ease.
They warmed up to us latter that morning after we gave them water and pens, I don't know if they are allowed to go to school but I have a tendency to think that they do. Most schools are for boys only, but you get the school that have a class for the girls in the afternoon after their chores are done and before the need for them to be home comes. Most are taught to read, write and do math. They said that the electricity was only on from night fall to sun up most of the time. The rich ones had generators which kept lights lit all over the hillsides around our camp. By the way the sun is up at 4am and goes down at 8pm I have yet to get used to it. Most of the villagers are up and moving by 3:30am for some reason.
posted by Granpa Dann at 11:25 PM
3 Comments:
you were able to get lots of pictures loaded onto your blog this time. I bet that wasn't fun standing up for the ride. I don't think I could have done it. Love Terry
Thanks for the pictures, it is fun to see where you are. Some of those pictures reminded me of driving through Idaho on the way to the cabin. Those little kids look so precious. Hopefully someday they will have more freedoms. I love you Dad, hope you are not getting into too much trouble! Have a great day!
What cute kids!
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