Afghanistan stories

I recently stumbled onto a travel blog of a Dutch woman who is walking from Amsterdam to Tibet. Yes, you read that correctly, she's walking.

I found the blog at the time that she was walking through Tadjikistan - I just read her latest posts which are of crossing the border into Afghanistan. Although the stories and pictures are fascinating I can't stop thinking that you have to be crazy to be doing a trip like this....

Travel stories seem to fascinate me at the moment, especially those going through Central Asia. I just finished Colin Thubron's Shadow of the Silk Road which I loved. I especially liked that he doesn't only describe what he sees, but he really ties together the long history of the area and talks a lot about the people he meets. Now waiting is also 'On the Road to Kandahar' - a report by a military journalist (I think) of travelling Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fascinating stuff. And good for dreaming up new destinations (although I won't be bothering my boss for tickets to Kabul any time soon I think - but Kyrgystan or there abouts would be good.... but then I need a different job).

(ps, the blog is slow as I have very irregular connectivity at the moment. Oh, and no inspiration)

Festival time

A couple of film festivals are happening, or are about to happen, so I'm seeing some good stuff:

* last week a documentary about child soldiers, political dilemma's and the very fine line between truth and fabrication at the Cinema & Justice month in Den Haag

* tickets booked for IDFA! By heart, I think I'm going to a movie on women in the Congo, on dictators in Chad, on something about Sudan and - just to be different - on elections and politics in contemporary Russia.

You'd almost think I am moving away from Asia.... Not quite so, just returned from a pretty interesting discussion night about whether to stay or go in Uruzgan, Afghanistan. Pretty good. And actually useful for work!