What it’s like to visit Afghanistan, a country controlled by the Taliban – 01/10/2024 – Robson Jesus

After five days waiting for my visa to be issued to Afghanistan, I was able to leave Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, heading to a region outside my comfort zone.

A little anxious, I disembarked in Kabul. Because I didn’t know what I might find, I felt a tense and frightening atmosphere. I know the history of war through my reading, but I have already learned that a lot of things change when we are actually there. Well, as soon as I arrived at the airport I was greeted by Safi, the guide who accompanied me during the period I stayed in the country.

Our first stop was at a restaurant in the center of the capital. We ordered a dish called kabuli palaw, consisting of rice cooked with raisins, carrots, walnuts and lamb. While I was eating, I casually looked at the next table and saw four heavily armed young men. They appeared to be between 18 and 21 years old and had authoritative body language. Safi informed me that they were Taliban soldiers, and that I could rest assured that we were safe!

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, no country has recognized it as an official government. It is considered by at least seven countries to be a terrorist organization.

As soon as we left the restaurant, I was surprised to see convoys of armored vehicles and soldiers with machine guns. However, it was comical when I passed by an amusement park and saw soldiers with turbans playing on bumper cars.

In the first two days I was able to visit the national park, libraries, museums and visit some more restaurants. It was possible to analyze daily life closely and confirm the influence of Islam on people’s routine. However, on my third day in the country, there was a drone attack. A few kilometers from the hotel where I was staying, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed on his balcony.

I woke up to my guide knocking on my room door and saying that we needed to pack our bags to leave the city. Until then I didn’t know what was happening. We anticipated going to the city of Bamiyan, considered one of the safest places in Afghanistan and approximately 240 km from the capital.

It is known for its red sand hills and giant rock sculptures. Some houses are carved into the mountains and, because they are built in clay, they practically blend into the landscape. The city gained visibility when the Taliban blew up two statues of Buddha in 2001, which were considered the largest on the planet.

It was in that place that I began to really see the beauty of the country. Band-e Amir Lake is located around the Bamiyan Valley and together they form a place untouched by human activity. The energy of the environment made me emotional, it was gratifying to be there. Furthermore, I took advantage of those moments to talk to the residents and the Taliban soldiers. They were in uniform, had identification and were more open to communication.

In total, there were four nights of tours and learning in which the stereotype that Afghanistan is an extremely dangerous country with no tourist attractions was overturned. I saw villages, underground city, minaret, citadels and so on. I just didn’t adapt to the regional cuisine and I can say that I ate kebab at every meal until I discovered I was eating dog meat.

I had commented to Safi that the barbecue was a little hard and salty, and it was at this point that he informed me of this detail. Furthermore, Afghanistan gave me many reflections and made me more aware of the distortions of reality.

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