By rtwriders on Skatehive
Riding around the world on motorcycles is always most fun by going completely off the beaten track. On our trip through Afghanistan we found a shortcut on the map leading from Mazar-e-Sharif/Balkh straight south through the mountains towards Band-e Amir National Park. The road started off promising: the asphalt was… let’s say “medium good” but it actually rode pretty smoothly. We kept passing small villages made of mud-brick houses. Hardly anyone on the streets, just kids and men on donkeys, waving and smiling as we pass. Afghanistan keeps surprising us – with its calm, its vastness, and its warmth. As the road got narrower and we took much longer than expected, it was getting late. Our goal: a beautiful lake to camp by. After driving through the narrow alleys of a small village and far up into the mountains, we finally reached our destination. Only… the lake was gone. Completely dried up, no swimming, just grass, dust, and a lot of wind. So we drove back down a bit and found the perfe