Queen of Diamonds, Red City

September 21, 2009 Equinox; Eid; and Mercury retrograde(until Sept 27). This last may mean little, NancyReaganism at best, but all day Saturday I jump hoops to get a seat on a Pactec flight to Bamyian: letter from president ; back and forth to office for no reason; final word: airport Sun 6AM for standby. Set phone alarm for 5AM, driver pick up at 5:30. Open my eyes at 6 AM oh dear, driver shows at 6:30, airport at 7, instant wisk thru everything by Pactec agent- 3 passengers don’t show, I’m on. Flight companions include Afghan head of Aga Khan, C. Me: “”I imagine I’m going to Shangri La.” C:”” You are.”(As I write this I still have no return ticket and I thought I was being so brave just traveling solo woman in this country)
Beautiful blond at the foot of the stairs as I debark says “ Red City”! My student Ali Akbar (not his real name) is there to collect me. We check out Roof of Bamyian Hotel. The view is spectacular but there’s no one staying there and things look a bit sketchy. Ali suggests Silk Road at almost twice the price. As S ( also from Aga Khan, recently of Islamabad on her way to Geneva) says, you end up paying one way or the other with sleepless nights and getting sick from bad food. My friends F and P are staying here-didn’t know they were coming, nice surprise.
Ali and I have breakfast at the hotel and then walk across town to the Large Buddha. Yeah, I said WALK! Unless you count the newly acquired treadmill at the guest house this is a first since I’m back! It is the first day of Eid and everyone is on their way to the mosque. All the little girls dressed in shimmery sparkles. (I do not see women except some far away in burkas). Ali stops to hug and greet gangs of young men. This is a town of 10,00, he knows everyone. As we walk up to the Buddha, there’s a playing card in the dust: Red Queen of Diamonds. On the climb up to the head we stop to explore the caves where people lived before the T and one family still does.
Everyone refers to them as Large Buddha and Small Buddha- as if they are still there, we just cant see them
We climb to the top and circle around inside the head. The guide (to whom we had to pay for a (imaginary) ticket ( the boss has gone to Kabul and taken tickets with him)- he points with his flashlight to a nest of infant doves who can’t be a day old). It’s 12 noon and HOT. I explain Siesta to Ali.
He returns in late afternoon for óur trip to Red City-I’m beat but how can I not go (this is the only day he can spend with me-tomorrow he will go with his family to their home village). Ali is driving his Aunt’s van and he’s a master – many times I think we are stuck in the rocks of a river bed and he effortlessly gets us out. I can hardly describe the scene I am seeing as we drive except to say if there is Shangri La . . . maybe the photos will tell, maybe not . A wall of the reddest rippling rock fringed by willows, it looks like any canyon wall .
The only military presence we see are kiwi (New Zealand) humvees and Afghan police checkpoints- at the last one, the young Afghan cop jumps in the back-to be our guide. Coming down as we are climbing up are the companions from the plane, C and S. We stick strictly to the path- everywhere are the white stones of the land mine sweepers and piles of spent T cartridges..
It looks like any canyon wall until you get up close and see the ruins of the ancient city that wrap around the cliff high above where the Bamyian and Kalu Rivers meet: Shahr-e Zohak was built by the Ghorids and stands on a foundation dating to the 6th century. Zohak is the name of a legendary serpent-haired Persian king. Ghengis Khan was the only one who ever breached the towers- his grandson was killed here and his revenge was to wipe out every living thing in the valley. The towers are made of mud brick with geometric patterns . They had no doors and were accessed only by ladders that were then pulled up.
We drive home in the dusk, Alis favorite Iranian rock group on his ipod blaring through the speakers. Later I have dinner with C, S, F and P and we plan a hike into another spectacular nameless canyon.