old tiger's Blog

Kabul-Ghazni-Kandahar..all I remember from this are rough roads..
lots of wild unspoilt scenery(probably different now due to warfare)
these heavy colourful trucks..and we stopped in a roadside place to eat..
nan(flat bread)rice..mutton..very cheap and tasty..the Afghani's were friendly folks..Kandahar was a busy place..some bazar activity..
I believe we stayed in a local hotel there...big carpetlike room..
where travellers could roll out their sleeping bags and just stay overnight..
they passed hasj around in chillum like we drink tea..
everybody smokes hasj in Afghanistan..
the whole stretch from Kabul we did not see 1 woman..
Gunilla was a beautiful chick..and these Afghani's stared a lot..
but with 2 body guards..no problem so..the next day..we first did some
little bazar shopping(food)to get on the way to Herat..I did like Herat
much better then Kandahar..we moved on to the Irani border to get to
Mashad..border crossing into Iran..quick..no hassles..thanks to the smile
and charms of Gunilla perhaps..it took 10 min.to cross into Iran..
we heard in Mashad that this border crossing..
was famous for busting folks with drugs...
we did not carry anything anyway..so..Iran again..big relief..
roads are much better there..and friendly people...will tell more later on..
www.afghan-web.com

Tiger

So..up to Kabul..via Peshawar..
Peshawar..close to the border of Afghanistan..
the local Pasthun tribals..run gun shops..
everybody carries a gun..a knife??did not feel at ease??
worser then Baluchi's..don't mess up with Pasthuns
visa Afganistan took 1 full day....the old city+bazar..
looked like any bazar in Pakistan..crowded..noisy..
one could see already some full burqua women here..
from top to toes hidden..small grilled mask for the eyes..
i can't remember where i stayed here..small hotel,I guess..
we set off by bus to Khyber pass next morning..it was december..
bloody cold as well..reached Jamrud fort..and Torkham..
border Afghanistan..these days..Afghanistan was still O.K..
no mujahedin..border passport control took a while..
I met an Afghani guy..travelling with a very funny Japanese chick..
they gave me a ride to Jalalabad..and Kabul..funny folks..
stoned on hasj..Kabul..was cold..but still..really different..
looked like the middle ages..lots of women in veil..Kabuli's in dhoti's
with strange beards,very nice bazar..stayed in cheap hotel..
Afghanistan..has been the most cheap country I ever visited..
in these days..these Afghani sheep coats were bought by hippies..
for a soft price...and then resold either in Istanbul or Europe..
I did not buy one...needed my money for the trip back home..
from Kabul one must travel to Kandahar-Herat..to reach the Irani border..
I was lucky..I met a South African fellow with his Swedish girl friend..
they offered me a lift up to Tehran for free..I think they liked company..
Gunilla was a nice chick..she had set off with her Swedish boy friend towards Istanbul..one day...they were picked up by a Turkish trucker..
offered them raki...result..Gunilla was raped..really horrible story
the fellow left back for home..Gunilla met a South African...and travelled on with him..in these days..the mentality was like that..
so..we set off in this van towards Kandahar..on a cold december morning..
I'll tell the rest later on...Tiger

So..after New Delhi..train to Amritsar again..the Punjab..
is the home province of the Sikhs..they are very good farmers,
as well as good mechanics or army folks..their dairy products
like dohee(curd)are worthwhile tasting..i stayed 1 night again..
in gurdwara Ram Niwas..and moved on by bus to Wagah border..
same ritual as ever..passport control..stamps..Lahore was hot..
stayed in Lahore in railway retiring room..made a walk in the vicinity
of railway station..as usual very busy area..Anarkali bazar should be
visited as well..got some information on trains toward Peshawar..
straight train via Islamabad..i was going to go into Afghanistan via
the famous khyber pass..but still had to make an entry visa..
for Afghanistan in the Afghani consulate Peshawar..honestly said..
I did not enjoy Pakistan as I enjoyed travelling in India..
Pakistanis are extremeley curious..10 times they will ask you.
sir,are you American??are you British??what's your job,age??
do you like Pakistan??can you sing a song??shit..I got so fed up
in the train I sung a Hindi movie song from Kishore Kumar(India)
they were clapping their hands like little kids...and to tell you..
i'm a very lousy singer..i only knew 2 lines..but that was enough
will tell you all about Peshawar and Afghanistan later on Tiger

So..one fine day..I said goodbye to Calcutta and the Hooghly river.
took a direct train to New Delhi..about 17 hours..I bet??
reached Delhi very tired..in the evening..I could not know then..
that this evening..I met my future wife in the bookstall Wheelers..
in New Delhi railway station..Ruby was a professor in Jaipur(Rajasthan)
returning from Bombay..I thought this lady was working in that bookstall..
started talking..something clicked..changed adresses..
karma??who knows..I bought myself a book to learn Hindi,no shit..difficult..
aap kaise hain??kya baat hai??strange sounds..but I liked it..
so..I promessed Ruby to visit her in Jaipur in the future..
happened 3 years later..2 or 3 trips inbetween..one to West Africa..
these days I had a crush on a Norvegian chick=Aslaug..and went there
after this trip..to work on her farm..anyway..off topic..
so..after New Delhi..train to Amritsar..bus to Wagah border..
back into Pakistan..on the way to Khyber pass and Afghanistan..
more later on...Tiger

Next stop was Calcutta..went there by train...
I recall reaching Howrah Railway Station..
I never saw such a crowd in a station..
Calcutta was dirty,hot,overcrowded..full of misery and poverty..
but..I liked it...and I could never predict then..that I came back..
6 times to this city..my future sister in law was based in this place
as an air hostess for Indian airlines..she died in a plane crash..
and I miss her writing these lines..loveley woman she was..
So..Howrah bridge is a cantilever type of bridge..it's so busy..
boem..boem..traffic..pedestrians..unbelieveable..I walked over it..
on the other end..the Calcutta I remember started..although Howrah
itself..is a nightmare of poverty..beggars..dirt..dust and heat..
I decided to walk a bit into Calcutta..Strand Road..
a policeman in white dress..standing on a traffic island..
behind him a tent like thing..with people living on it..
couldn't believe my eyes...I walked all the way to BBD Bagh..
the Maidan=big parc-like field..I even saw rats there...well..well..
the big market is a hustle and bustle of shops..
a temptation for the eyes..full of colours..smells..people..shouting..
I will never forget Calcutta for the first time..now..i LOVE this place..
my future wife hated it..I like mingling and talking with people..
now a typical Bengali..let's say middle class or rich..is quite intellectual..
they produce the best laywers,doctors of India..
and they are damned proud of it..I had some interesting talks..
about any subject..going from long hair to Western/Indian society contrasts
normally in beginning 70's the average Indian did not like hippies at all..
but..for them..all these freaks coming from the West..looking for this or that..
were an attraction..and Indians..believe me..are very friendly and
especially curious to learn about other societys then their own..
in these days the Naxalites were active in Calcutta..I met Netai..
he was a Naxalite..it's a radical political group..I'll try to find a link??
awww..I can rant on about this city..I better stop..
in Bengali language they say...achtjee..
sounds like a sneezing..but it means *I'm going*
because later on..in my second trip to India.
I will tell more about Calcutta
I'll give some links..Tiger
http://www.calcuttaweb.com/

Tiger