Through the Afghan frontier without any problems, Gave a lift to a couple travelling to Herat. Had a meal in a café approx 1/3 for rice and meat etc. Went to the couples room to smoke hash, he bought a large piece freely in a shop and also a water pipe to smoke it. Bev was really gone I think I experienced an awareness of my own surroundings all the colours seemed to be brilliant with lots of contrast and noise seemed to be coming from all around. The hotel was full of junkies 25 Afganis a night, and they just stayed in there smoking hash and doing drugs, on the walls marks from needle spurts. Afghani people seem really nice and a proud race.

Saw vulture dead on road. The difference between here and Iran is amazing its much more civilised and natural, really beautiful country.

Drove 250 miles today from a few miles outside Herat to Kandahar. The road was through completely barren deserts with the brown tents of nomads scattered about. The heat making mirages on the horizon looked like huge lakes, then gradually the roads are tree lined and there’s green grass. A few whirl winds tried to get going in the desert but fizzled out. We stopped at a river and had a great swim and wash, first swim since we left home. We don’t seem to be on very good terms with Lee and Pat today don’t know why. Think it might be better if we went our own way. My mozzie bites are beginning to ease off now, hope I don’t get any more.

Banda Kagahar (Lake Kagahar Dam)

Left the hotel in Kandahar the grounds were really nice, Roses and plenty of green grass. 318 miles to Kabul through more barren desert land, few nomads and camels, diesel stations about 60 miles apart. Few miles from Kabul a great thunderstorm, tried to photograph the lightening. Green hills all the way into Kabul. Lost Lee and Pat somewhere on the way. Drove round looking for somewhere to camp and ended up at Lake or Dam somewhere in the hills LD beginning to wobble on front wheels again. Heard they hope to get the Apollo up again today. The black market rate for Indian rupees to the pound is 32r twice as much as the official rate. Tomorrow will have a look round Kabul.

Slept late this morning. Beautiful day sun blazing, the lake looks good with the snow on the Hindu Kush  behind. Went shopping in Kabul for fruit and bread, got my shoes mended in the bazaar, looks really oriental in there, vegies very cheap. Changed £25 into rupees and £10 into US Dollars got 730 rupees, official rate is 17 r for 1, and $23.50 doubles for £10 though we got 32?

The river in the town is used for everything crapping in others cleaning their teeth and washing in it, while some are washing their vegies in it! all along the banks piles of shit.

Couldn’t find LD for over an hour, Stayed in at night and smoked hash cant feel anything from it I don’t think!!

Dam just outside Kabul (Banda Kaghar)

Sunshine all day again, just lazing about, wrote home. We were invited down to a spawning ground for trout at the bottom of the Dam by the man who runs it, it was very interesting too, the wages for him in Afghanistan (and he’s a qualified vet) are $22 a month and the workers get about 600 afghan a month about £5, they are very nice people.  Have been teaching some kids English. Spent last night chatting to an English couple in there camper, telling us their experiences and they have had quite a few! They reckon we could make a lot of money in Asia. At the side of the Dam where we’re camping there are 8 wild dogs, one is ‘King’ scar faced half his ear missing,  they guard us (we have been feeding them) if anyone comes near, only Afghanis, they go mad barking and chase them away. Syl thought someone was trying to get into the tent one morning and it was the “King” dog who was lying next to her between the tent and flysheet.

The wild dogs who watched over us at Lake Kaghar, Kabul. They wouldn’t let the local people near us. The boss, sitting, had lots of battle scars

Bev buying oranges in Kabul Afghanistan

Total Road Tolls 230 Afghanis

A day in Kabul again bought a can for water after much arguing and bartering 120 Afghanis .

Wrote home again. Collected some water from the trout farm it was beautiful ice cold spring water. Felt sorry for the bloke running the place hes a really nice intelligent person but cant get a better job. And it’s a hopeless job hes got, he wants somebody to help him get to England, I wish I could but its impossible. Night time went over to chat to the English couple again but had been smoking hash so none of us were talking much sense. I don’t know what they thought of us but it was difficult to keep the conversation going and the slightest thing and we burst out laughing, its an education.