and on into the centre of Aghanistan
From Bamiyan we set off on an 18-hour drive along unmade roads through the centre of the country, mostly dry and rocky terrain, passing the occasional sheep, goats or donkeys with their accompanying herders but very few other vehicles. We finally got to the small town of Chagcharan where we spent the night, before continuing the drive along similar roads the next day. Roads that were not safe to travel on until the Taliban took over and imposd their strong rule over the country. We went through numerous checkpoints, in some cases just waved through, in others they insisted on seeing our passports and temporary local ID cards, as well as the permission documents carried by our guide. But eventually we made it to one of the highlights of the trip - the Minaret of Jam. Built around 1190, probably to commemorate the victory of Mu'izz ad-Din (of the Ghorid Empire) over Prithviraj Chauhan, it is believed to be all that is left of the lost city of Turquoise Mountain, wh...