Searching for Top-Tier Emeralds (Part 2) – From White Swat to Kabul
From White Swat to Kabul, the journey by land takes about six hours, passing through countless checkpoints, through three Taliban-controlled areas, accompanied by constant police and military inspections and extortion, or perhaps by luck, you might encounter a roadside bomb, and achieve a grand success. It is simply the only land route from White Swat to Kabul, with Jalalabad, controlled by the Taliban, as a must-pass area.
From White Swat to Kabul, the cliffs are steep and impassable.
After ten days of hardship and exhaustion, finally arriving in Kabul. It was the first time entering Afghanistan along the route taken by Tang Sanzang in the pilgrimage. Although it is the 21st century, the hardship is still undeniable. Entering the Afghan border, I no longer dare to show my face. Besides the Muslim clothes, there is only one set of clothes, and a Bukha bought in the Swat Valley, which immediately made me feel breathless. Everything in front of me was divided into one grid after another, and the visual range was extremely limited, only able to see the things in front. I had to twist and turn my head stiffly to identify the direction, and walk cautiously, but the advantage is that the danger is reduced, and no one notices that I am a foreigner. Even without the Bukha, when buying things at the entrance, locals will chat with me using Bushdo, so I could only smile and pretend to be mute.
Most oppressive clothing - Bukha
The busiest street in Kabul
I looked around and got familiar with the terrain of Kabul, no longer needed to bring the hand-drawn map given by the hotel owner. The hotel is located next to a strange-named street called ‘Chicken Street’. It is said that it used to be a chicken market, and now it is the city’s busiest center. Chicken Street is very short, only about 500 meters long, with shops selling antiques, handicrafts, carpets, ethnic costumes, and jewelry. Entering any shop, you will find a variety of antiques. I had to pass the street to enter different offices every day. Most of the shops on the street are closed and deserted, except for me, and I didn’t see anyone except once encountering two white, muscular men and a muscular blonde woman coming out of a shop. Perhaps it was a local US military garrison. The local people speak different languages, some speak Pashto, some speak Urdu, and some speak Bushdo. I heard them all sounding similar.
Emerald yarn
Fruit shop, the fruit looks unattractive but tastes great
The lunch options in Kabul are diverse, perhaps because everyone is making a living outside. Roadside stalls sell thin pancakes with onions or potatoes, folded in half and baked in a pan with oil, resembling a large dumpling, very fragrant. Ten Afs for a piece, which would cost me 2 shillings and 2 pence in RMB. If I had to choose, I would definitely choose meat dumplings. Next to the dumplings is a rice stall, also vegetarian, with beans, lentils, and raisins cooked together in the rice, drizzled with sauce. A meal costs 3 shillings and 6 pence in RMB.
Small cafes on Kabul streets
