This past Friday, I went on a hike up a hill, on the top of which is the 'Kabul Wall'. It was the most super day - clear blue sky, sun shining (but not with the strength of high summer) and not so much dust as usual. It was simply wonderful to be out walking and enjoying the view - especially considering the restrictions we live under here ... pure joy!It is currently Ramadan and so while walking through the houses at the beginning and end of the hike we didn't eat or drink - which was not so easy while climbing up a steady incline (and given the fact that I haven't been to the gym in a month). The other thing that we had to consider, was that the hill is not yet 100% cleared of mines, so as we reached the wall we had to be careful not to stray too far ...
Being out and walking above the city on such a beautiful day makes it one of the best days I have experienced here in Afghanistan.
The views of Kabul from the top were quite amazing. We were lucky to get such a clear view - the level of dust in the city is normally high. And you can see how green the area of Shar-e-naw (literally, new town) is - a fact that is not so obvious at street level. It is not so clear in these pictures, but there is a lot of construction going on around the city.
On the way down we came out by the Babur Gardens which is currently undergoing restoration. Babur was a Mughal Emprorer (1526-30) and made Kabul his capital in 1504. The Gardens also contains his tomb upon which it is inscribed "If there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, it is this".
I like Kabul and enjoy living here, but I would say that the city in 1504 was quite different to that of 2007, as now it is by no means a paradise on earth....
