29. Jabal Saraj

Another road trip...this time to Jabal Saraj, a quaint little mountainous town in Parwan province right outside the borders of Kabul. Just the drive there through the Shamali plains is enough to take any one's breath away. At one time, the fields of this area were covered with lush orchards and vineyards. But after years of war -- the Russians used it as their path to Kabul and the Taliban torched it during battles with the Northern Alliance -- the area looks devastated. Over the last couple of years the rubble and torched fields have been rehabilitated enough that the entire area has come to life. Shops, schools, mosques, and newly built mud homes line the streets. Where there were once mine fields, now flourish fields covered with grape vines. It was so nice to see all the development that has taken place in just a matter of a couple of years. People were busy walking around, enjoying the joys of living a simple life with genuinely happy faces. 

Jabal Saraj is a historic city that was named by King Habibullah in the beginning of the 20th century as this city was one of his favourite sightseeing areas. The ruins of the palace and the other ancient sites can still be seen. During the civil war the people of Jabal Saraj fought hard against the Taliban. Now, the city is beginning to come back to life. Children were out playing in the fields and men and women were out walking on the streets. We were surrounded by majestic mountains all around us and their peaks were covered with snow. I can never seem to get used to all the mountains in this country. Just like its history, the geology of this country has suffered centuries of collisions and turmoil, creating this breathtaking landscape of mountains and valleys. 

As we approached our destination, we stopped at a local restaurant to get some lunch. We had some of the best tasting Qabali pallow I have ever had. We sat on the floor and shared our meal in the traditional way that I have so surprisingly gotten accustomed to. There was a time, when I couldn't even sit cross legged on the floor or even consider eating with my hands, but now, it comes so naturally to me. And to be honest, food actually tastes better this way. After our meal, we headed straight into the mountain to find a location to shoot. We ended up at the base of one of the tallest series of mountains in the area. It looked like it had a path our car could follow but just to be safe, we picked up a local "tour guide" to accompany us. I almost lost my lunch on the way up as the road was so small, it seemed like at any minute our van was going to fall off the ledge and down into the canyon...but with God watching over us, we finally arrived at a plateau where we were greeted by the most beautiful natural reservoir I have ever seen. The water was so clear, and the colors of the mineral rich mountains surrounding it just enhanced its beauty. 

We snapped some pictures and decided to hike our way up to the top. Now for those of you who know me well, you know that I would rather drink poison than hike. But hey, I wasn't going to pass up the bragging rights to claiming I made it to the top of a mountain in Jabal Saraj, Afghanistan. But halfway up the mountain, as I stopped to catch my breath, I thought to myself, maybe I made a mistake. As I panted away breathlessly, I mentioned to Siddiq, our lead actor, who was so graciously helping me up the path to the top of the hill, that I can't imagine how so many people, young and old, trekked through these mountains in the middle of the night as they were fleeing out of the country during the years of war. But I guess saving your life is enough motivation to get you through it. Siddiq took this opportunity to lighten the mood by joking about how the ground is riddled with land mines so I should be careful where I step. My heart nearly stopped. I stopped to catch my breath one more time as Siddiq laughed away. But all of a sudden our "Tour Guide", stopped and looked back at us and said, "This isn't a laughing matter, I lost my right leg to a mine and now walk around with a prosthetic limb". That shut both of us up pretty quickly. The courage and stamina of the Afghan people never ceases to amaze me. Here is this guy hiking up a mountain that would put Mission Peaks and Mt. Tamalpais to shame, with a prosthetic limb, over terrain that was rained on with mines and cluster bombs, just so we could feel protected. I don't know if there is a any other place in the world, where people like him exist. 

After a grueling 1640 foot hike, we finally made it to the top. To say, I felt exhilarating is an understatement. The sense of accomplishment that you feel as you take your last step onto the top of the mountain is unrivaled. As I looked around, all I saw were more mountains. There was nothing but peaks and valleys around us, the sun above us, and a silence that I have never heard before. Our Director, called out to us, and his voice immediately echoed for a good 10 seconds around us. It was the most amazing moment I have experience in a long time. 

The production crew got to work right away setting up. Siddiq got into his warrior costume, and I filled in as a the set make up artist to draw a dark line around his eyes. He was standing on the edge of a cliff that led about 1500 ft down into a valley. Yes, I was just a bit nervous that I would push him off the ledge as I applied my unsharpened Walmart brand eyeliner to his eyes, but he was a good sport about it and I managed to get the job done without pushing him off. As the sun began to set, I took a seat on a hug rock and tried to enjoy the serenity of the setting. All of a sudden we were surrounded by the echoes of the AZAN (call to prayer). It reverberated all around us. I have no idea where the sound was coming from because there was no mosque in sight. It gave me chills. The shoot was completed, and we packed up and began our trek back down. I am so happy that I ended up bringing my ugly hiking boots despite protests from my family and friends who thought they weren't very fashionable. But as everyone was slipping and sliding down the hill around me, I had a nice sturdy leisurely walk down with my extra-grip boots. The ride back to Kabul seemed longer than when we drove out this morning. But that's the case with every drive back to Kabul. After the excitement of experiencing the magic of the rest of this country, returning to Kabul just isn't as appealing.