Russian Embassy, Kabul.  The Russians maintained a significant presence in the country, building
 roads, airports and hotels.  Afghanistan's government, despite accepting foreign aid from a number
   of countries, including Russia and the U.S., sought to pursue a policy of political nonalignment,
as  they were successful in doing during both World Wars.  Russians mostly traveled in groups
about Kabul and maintained a lower profile than did many other foreign nationalities.



 Winter in Kabul.  Scavenging dogs and blackbirds.  Food was particularly hard to come by during
  the wintertime.  The largest dogs were a breed similar to mastiffs, and usually belong to Kuchis,
 the nomads who traveled north in summer and south in winter. 
Blackbirds were usually crows or ravens.



Road north toward Salang Pass and northern Afghanistan.



Salang Pass.  View of Hindu Kush (literally, "Hindu killers") mountain range.  Many mountains in
 this range exceed 20,000 feet elevation.  The highest mountain in the range exceeds 25,000 feet.



Salang tunnel, 50 miles north of Kabul.  This was completed by a joint Afghan-Soviet effort in late
 1964 (1343 written in Arabic script on both sides of the southern entrance; Muslims marked time
 from 622, the year of Muhammed).  At an approximate elevation of 12,000 feet, the tunnel is
 one of the highest tunnels in the world.  1.7 miles long, it constitutes a vital connection
 between Kabul and northern Afghanistan.



The town of Istalif lies an hour's drive northwest of Kabul, in the fertile Shomali plain.



Istalif was known for its blue pottery.



There once were a thousand merchants like Abdul, pictured here, in Istalif.



Grove in Istalif.  Graffiti has no boundaries -
geographic, cultural, or other.




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