Countryside around Kabul

This morning I drove to the outskirts of Kabul (in the opposite direction of Darulaman Road, fortunately, as it was the site of a major suicide attack today). The countryside around the city is actually much nicer than the downtown area, as it's still largely pastoral.

I should probably caveat this first picture by saying that I was actually trying to photograph the building behind these two ladies, but I didn't see them as we drove by, so it was a complete shock that they turned up in the picture!




Many people were living in tents, even as new construction was crowding them in.



Driving through the narrow streets of the village, I was so sure that the mud brick buildings had been there for over a hundred years. My local colleague estimated approximately 30 years. I guess the wear and tear in Afghanistan is a little severe.

The next few pictures were taken around town when I was stuck in traffic this past week. They're just a few typical scenes.