Status Updates From The Places in Between

Another slightly unnerving episode with another warlord. The veil of hospitality feels thin. Babur the dog is a great addition to the adventure.

Got a bit bogged down in the (no question, fascinating) history of the Ghors but the description of the two domes and arch set against the mountains set my imagination alight.

Things turn quickly. One mullah decides you’re a spy and the whole atmosphere changes. That was quite a frightening episode.

There is not the same notion of ‘government’ in Afghanistan. Stewart writes of old men in villages who pay no tax and get nothing from the state. Hard for us soft Westerners to comprehend… The old man described in this chapter was the definition of stoic. Silent, watchful, courteous. Almost alien to us in 21st century UK.

Qasim’s a character. Learned loads about men and status in Afghan culture. There is a quiet humour in Stewart’s writing which could be seen as patronising although, as he says, he is aiming to merely portray what he sees honestly without too much narrative intervention. Some beautiful passages of description - brief but beautiful.

Sad thought - this is probably as close as I will ever get to experiencing Afghanistan. I doubt I have the physical or mental strength to do what Rory Stewart did. Incredible will power and self-belief that can only really come from a public school education I suspect. Another sad thought.