Afghanistan is one of the most amazing countries I've ever had the privilege of getting to know.
I moved to Kabul in spring 2012, having secured a new job with
The Asia Foundation, and was promptly greeted with a terrorist attack at the Kabul Star Hotel just before my plane landed. Suddenly weird acronyms like DBIED and SVBIED started entering the daily conversation. This was a significant change from the tropical paradise of Thailand, where I'd been living previously!
Then, after a year, I moved over to the United Nations and spent the next five years with the
UN Environment Programme in Kabul. After 6 years, I finally left Afghanistan in December 2017. However, it's still a significant part of my life, and I still continue to consult with the UN on agriculture and environmental management projects in the country. Before COVID-19, I was lucky enough to travel back and forth to Afghanistan every few months, where I'd get my fill of delicious kebabs, pick up a few more war rugs, catch up with dear friends, and foster my love of street cat photography around the hideous UNOCA compound.
This might be the most challenging blog post I'll ever write. I have no idea how to effectively describe my last decade with Afghanistan in a few words and photos. Still, I'm going to try, and so here's a photo list of some of my favorite things from Afghanistan:
#1 The people (no sensitive photos here!)
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| Farmers, Kishem |
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| A girl and her cow, Wakhan Corridor |
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| Farmer harvesting wheat, Wakhan Corridor |
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| Man and his dog, Qazideh, Wakhan Corridor |
#2 The food - Nobody does kebabs like Afghans do!
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| Super Shinwary lamb kebabs, hand down the best kebabs in the world! |
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Don't be fooled, there might be many "shinwary" restaurants,
but there's only one "Super Shinwary Restaurant" in Kabul!
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| Home-cooked meal of fried chicken, chips and risotto with salad, Bamyan |
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Riverside lunch, Panjshir
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| Boiled lamb foot (pAicha) for breakfast, Faizabad, Badakhshan |
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| Shiryakh, Afghan ice cream, Qargha Lake |
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| Super Shinwary Restaurant, Kabul |
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| Joma kebab, Afghan Fried Chicken (AFC), Kabul |
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| Mango lassis, Herat Restaurant, Kabul |
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| Grilling mutton and chicken tikka kebabs, Sakhi2 Restaurant, Bamyan |
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| Boiled organic, free-range chicken, Gozan, Badakhshan |
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| Chicken kebabs, Sakhi2 Restaurant, Bamyan |
#3 The nature
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| Hiking in Bamyan with an intrepid guide! |
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| Band-e Amir in summer, Bamyan |
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| Band-e Amir in winter, Bamyan |
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Band-e Amir in spring, Bamyan
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| Snowcapped peaks, Daikundi |
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Bamyan valley, where the great Buddha once stood
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On the way to Istalif from Kabul
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Green trees and mud houses in Istalif
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Snowcapped peaks of Ishkashem, Badakhshan
 | Flowers and colors abound on the rangelands! Bamyan
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Glacial waters of the Wakhan Corridor, Badakhshan
The castles of Daikundi
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Glacial waters flowing through the Wakhan Corridor
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| Band-e Amir, Bamyan |
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| Nili, Daikundi |
#4 The war junk and arts
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"The water will flow again, but the fish have already died." Street art at the derelict Soviet Cultural Center, Kabul
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| Darulaman Palace, Kabul |
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| War rug on Chicken Street, Kabul |
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Street art at the derelict Soviet Cultural Center, Kabul
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| Street art and graffiti, Kabul |
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| Downed helicopter, Panjshir |
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| Street graffiti, Kabul Green Zone |
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War rugs, Kabul
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#5 Street scenes
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| Downtown Balkh |
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| A macabre fate for our four-legged friends, Kabul |
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| Bamyan Bazaar |
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| Navigating the endless T-walls, Kabul Green Zone |
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| Fruits and cheese, Parwan |
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| "No airbags, we die like real men," Kabul |
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| Pomegranates, Kabul |
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| Car decals, Kabul |
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| Nothing brings out a crowd like a kauk fight! Faizabad, Badakhshan |
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| Kauk fight, Faizabad, Badakhshan |
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Downtown Nili, Daikundi
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Orchard in Balkh
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Friendship bridge between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, Hairatan, Afghanistan
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| Friendship bridge between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, Hairatan, Afghanistan |
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Shops in the bazaar, Nili, Daikundi
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Central Bazaar and spice market - best cumin ever!!! Faizabad, Badakhshan
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#6 Ordinary life
Everyone loves helicopter rides! (from Bamyan to Kabul)
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| The panopticon, UNOCA Compound, Kabul |
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| Barf and Boron, the wonder dogs of Kabul! |
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| Roadtripping through the Wakhan Corridor |
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| 10 days no shower, no mirrors, no sleep, no hair gel, - yikes! Wakhan Corridor, Badakhshan |
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| Angus, our eco-solution to cutting the grass after the lawnmower died... |
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| Trusty helicopters! Bamyan |
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| Helicopter views of snowcapped peaks, Daikundi |
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| UNOCA Compound |
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| Weekend sunbathing with the pups, Kabul |
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| More helicopter views, Bamyan |
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| Traveling in style, Daikundi |
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Horseback riding along the outskirts of Kabul
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#7 The compound cats
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The unofficial 2017 Cats of UNOCA calendar!
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Two Face, UNAMA Alpha
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| Tongue Cat, UNOPS Village |
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| One Eye, UNOPS Village |
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Brother and sister, no name, UNOPS Village
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| Loud Cat, view through my window, UNOPS Village |
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| No name cat, UNAMA Alpha |
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| Loud Cat, UNOPS Village |
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| Trash Cat, UNOCA |
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| Loud Cat, UNOPS Village |
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| Tongue Cat, UNOPS Village |
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| Unknown Cat, SA Firepit |
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| Bruiser, UNOCA |
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| Little Kitten, UNOPS Village |
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| Unknown trash cat, UNOCA |
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| Unknown trash cat, Rebel Cafe |
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| Trash Cat, UNOCA |
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| Little Cat, posing, UNOPS Village |
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