Why on earth would someone travel to Afghanistan?

Despite what is shown on virtually every media outlet, tourists are visiting Afghanistan. Let me repeat myself in case the first line is not fully understood--tourists are visiting Afghanistan and it's not to see grisly battles or dodge suicide bombers. Adventure tour companies will arrange for short one day tours to week long ventures into the various areas of Afghanistan.

What about the war? Yep, there's fighting, but it's mainly isolated in the Southern regions of Helmand, Kandahar and along the Eastern border with Pakistan--listen closer to the news reports when they announce where incidents take place and you'll notice a trend. All these places are where the Pashtun tribe is dominant. The lines of Afghanistan are drawn by outsiders in order to contain and govern the country. Afghanistan itself is tribal. That line between Afghanistan may as well be drawn with chalk or invisible ink for that matter given that the Pashtuns in Afghanistan are the same as the ones in Pakistan. But they are aware that by crossing the borders they are exempt from the governance 'laws' of the country. It's a tribal system that exists and always will.

Afghanistan is, in fact, one of the most breathtaking places a traveler can ever imagine. The hospitality of the Afghan people and readily available, potent hashish brought long haired hippies in droves back in the 70's while they wanderlust took them on a path for their Shangri La in nearby India and Nepal. For the record, the hotels from the past are still operational and waiting for the day when visitors return once again.

The Band-e-Amir Lakes are one of the hidden gems in this country. Local folklore gives a history as to why these lakes exist in the middle of the mountainous desert they are found. The lakes are inaccessible during the winter months. Band-e-Amir translates into the the Lakes of Commander--a reference to Ali, the first Imam for the Shia sect of Islam. The six lakes roughly translate in to the following:

• Band-e Gholaman (slaves)
• Band-e Qambar (Caliph Ali's slave)
• Band-e Haibat (grandiose)
• Band-e Panir (cheese)
• Band-e Pudina (wild mint)
• Band-e Zulfiqar (the sword of Ali)

The were created by the carbon dioxide rich water oozing out fo the faults and fractures in the surrounding rocks; however, the Afghans have much more romantic explanations as to why the eerie blue waters exist that include divine intervention and swords being struck in the ground.

This is not to say that there are not limitations or difficulties to traveling in Afghanistan--there most definitely are. But there also is a possibility of visiting a fascinating part of the world known to the West only as war.