Farewell

So today I wrap up my 2 and a half week journey to Afghanistan and head back to Canada this afternoon. I can't say that I've gotten a full taste of Afghanistan, but I hope that I've at least gotten one step closer. On my last day, I decided to wander the city and be amongst the people of Afghanistan (at least those of Kabul). It is hear that poverty is most rampant, and where international aid seldom ever reaches. Despite the poverty and cold weather, people are out in the markets and streets creating opportunity for themselves. The Kabul river cuts the middle of the city, and it a shocking sight. It is so horribly filled with garbage that garbage rather water constitutes the majority of the river. And yet the river is still used for everyday activities such as cleaning (I won't go as far as to saying for drinking). A most interesting sight I saw was a person's house at the side of the river, amongst all the pollution.

The further into the market one gets, the more removed one becomes from the upper echelons of Afghan society. Here people sell even pieces of toilet rolls to make money. Kabul's main mosque is near the market and though it is a decent structure, its surroundings are in a terrible state of disrepair - I can't tell whether it is natural or from the many wars, though I would venture to guess it is a mixture of both. Life may be a day to day ordeal, but it is one where people get by.

The people Afghanistan, as my guesthouse worker told me, are like a person's fingers - all different in sizes and expectations. Historically, Afghan people have been known for their hospitality, and though there are those who cause trouble, one can't simply brush aside the good nature of the former. It's clear that I've been very fortunate in my trip in meeting generally good and hospitable people, including those people in the village on my way to the North (who constitute some of Afghanistan's poorest people). I pray for this country, and hope that its people's aspirations can rebuild the nations after so many generations of war, and I am cautiously hopeful. A paradise can be reborn.