first day in Afghanistan

Walking from Mashad/Iran towards the border filled me often up with this beautiful feeling of Love in my heart.

Love, walking towards Afghanistan.

Love, to be in love and peace with the decision, to walk through Afghanistan.

Love, because it’s good.

I passed the border at the 5th of June 2017. Afghanian kalender: 15th/3/1396.

First I had to deal with all the army/police at the border. They told me I have to go by taxi to Herat. Then I should fly to Kabul.

I had spoken with so many people about the safety situation between the Iranian border and Herat and nearly all said, that the situation is safe. So I really want to go all the way to Herat, 120km, walking.

I was totally calm. Waiting in this situation. Several officers spoke to me. Several time they said, I can go. Several times they called me back. ……. Finally they let me go.

Sure it is unusual, that someone wants to walk all the way to Herat, in the heat, in the desert, while fasting…..

Sure I am happy to hear about the safety situation. But not from a place of worrying. From a place of caretaking and information.

So finally I got the information at the border, there is this village called Ahmad Abad and the following one, who are dangerous.  Daish. Kidnapping maybe. And the rest is safe. Yes this information I want. So I know exactly what to do. So the following day I took that advice and went by a police convoi from before that villages until a safe area behind. I felt very understood by a very competent commander in that convoi, who told me, after taking me, from here until Herat it’s safe now.

But coming back to the first day. 

All the Taxi drivers could not believe that I want to walk.

Some hundred meter behind all the border area and taxi drivers I suddenly was accompanied by a maybe 11 years old. As I understood later, he is working at the border helping with a kind of wheelbarrow to transport lagguage for the people through the costums. He was walking beside of me. First he tried to sell me the only sunglass, then he tried with a empty purse to sell. But I really did not need. I told him that I walk to Herat and I kind of understood? he is also coming…. ????

On the way, let’s call the boy Mehmet, he let me understand that he is hungry, needs water and food. I did not have both and I gave him for the beginning a peace bird. Mehmet followed all the km. I saw the next village coming closer and decided to go to the next mosque. There is always water. And maybe someone could help him with some good?

Until there it was a 6, 7km walk. Did he want to come all the way? Sometimes dogs go with a stranger. … … What if I am his choosen solution or savior? How would it be to have a boy walking with me? How was it hundreds years ago when something like this happend. You just went on together? After struggeling a while and find out about his identity? What would happen , when I have to cross the next border? This was a very unexpected situation. I played it all through.

We also had some lovely eye contact. Little bit before the village he gave me to understand „pull“ – Geld.

We arrived in the village Islam Qala. I went with him to the very first mosque. He drank some handfull of water. Then I tried to talk to some people there, what we can do. There are so many of this kids who need help, it’s just to much, Berkatulla answered. He personally has helped so many, but he can’t help anyone…. in the mean time a big crowd gathered around me. Hard to make distance. When some of the grown up young men made some space it took just 1 or 2 minutes to have again a big crowd around you.

I felt a bit unsecure walking in a area with such poor people and thought already since a bit before arriving at the mosque if I should give all my belongings away, including my money and bankcards. To reach some kind of universal security. I was really shortly before this step. Because there was still always this crowd of 20, 30 people around me, I asked Berkatulla, if there is somewhere a room, where we can talk. We found one.

Berkatulla works for a pharmaceutical company from Herat and is for a visit of doctors and a small hospital in the village. He gave me his phone no and I am welcome in his home in Herat. I could come now. I had to diguest all that, decided to continue walking. But I gave him all my papers incl my bank cards, picking it up later. 

Without a decision of my belongings and a solution for the boy Mehmet I continued walking. I have Berkatullas words in my ear and mind, that people in Afghanistan, especially uneducated people, have the idea, that all foreigners want something bad from them, so there is a kind of idea, to defence themself from foreigners……  So many nations came to Afghanistan to influence the nation as they liked to do.

Soon I realise, maybe 3km outside the village, Mehmet walks again behind me, and he brought two more boys. They want money. And they decided to throw some stones on me. First very small onces. Then they increased the sice. I started to worry a bit but continues my way. And the boys were very good in throwing. They had a good distance but still were successful to hit me here and there. I guess this is not the first time doing so. They followed me a few km. Sometimes I turned around,  what was also a bit dangerous because of flying stones in the air. I got hit by one stone on hand, what was a bit painful and just hoped that they would not hit my head. Then I turned around and ran towards them. It seemed that I introduced some respect?!

Anyway a bit later there was a armed privat control. They wanted to see my luggage. Not sure if they wanted to rob me, but turned out to be a civil privat control. The boys stayed behind and I continued walking.

One man gave me a bottle of 1 1/2 liter water earlier. It was frozen. An hour before sunset I found out, the bottle was leaking. But still some ice left. I carried after a hot day this water tresure. It would be my only water after this hot day, for the whole night. No food else.

Already I had decided to sleep outside in the desert and it was wonderful.