Afghanistan
A barren beauty that stole my heart
When I was a kid, I used to dream of the big wide world and all its exotic places. And this world began right in front of our home and stretched to the other side of the planet — just like a rainbow.
Maybe I did have this strong feel because I was home someplace else before I was born into my current existence. Or perhaps because of my parents’ enormous bookcase that had intrigued me since childhood. It was stuffed with unusual volumes and tales of travelers from around the world who had walked the rainbow — some of them a long time ago.
These books contained images of glorious temples, wide rivers, towering mountains, and people who looked so different from us. People with flat noses and black hair. With darker skins and of varying stature. Dressed in unusual clothes with captivating smiles. And then there was one copy that nearly blew me away: a heavy picture book with gold-rimmed pages. Afghanistan.
When we think of this distant country, often only disheartening stuff comes to mind: hostility, terror, war, and devastation. While undoubtedly some of it may well be true, it is still only just one side of the coin. Because there is the other one, too — the fascination that has so profoundly touched and stolen the hearts of many travelers. Just like mine.
