Bill's Long Way Home

Kabul Marketplace No 6. | Pre-Taliban 1970’s

Kabul Marketplace No. 5 | Early 1970’s

A stall next to the Kabul river shows the various sides of the country with the woman in the burqa, the donkey carrying its load, and the modern buildings.  The pace of life was definitely slow but most seemed comfortable and there were few beggars (compared with India and Pakistan where they were everywhere in great numbers).

Kabul Marketplace No.1 (pre Taliban) | 1970s

This image shows the old ways and the new with the people in Kabul.  Taken in a local marketplace with the largest and grandest mosque (Pul-e-Khisthi) in the background.

Khyber Pass 2 of 2 | Early 1970’s

These are some forts built by the British on the Khyber Pass road.  When the British tried to conquer the Afghans in the 19th century, they ended up retreating through this and all were lost except one person who carried the news back to India.  

Khyber Pass 1 of 2 | Pakistan, early 1970’s

This picture is from the same viewpoint as the picture from the Khyber Pass’s wikipedia page, taken in November 2005: 

“Taken at the site where the Khyber Pass starts to climb high into the mountains, Looking back towards the Pakistan side”

Kabul, Afghanistan | 1970

This is just a typical street scene in the center of the city.  At that time, it was peaceful and very friendly toward itinerant foreigners.  Generally you could photograph pretty much what you wanted with the exception of the tribal women, which was prohibited.  The city was a mixture of modern men and women in western dress and people from the hills straight out of “The King of the Khyber Rifles”.  It was exceptionally beautiful with the mosques, the bazaars and the parks everywhere.

Three of us (2 Australians and me) came to Kabul by bus from Peshawar, Pakistan over the Khyber Pass where the remnants of the old British forts could still be seen.  Across the aisle from me was an old man looking like he had fought the British and sat there in his robes and turban holding a long ancient rifle.  He smiled at us but waived away any pictures - we complied.