Beautiful Bam-i -iamir

  Bamyan, Himachal Pradesh, Afghanistan
Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Band - e Amir

After being awaken by the morning Azan (Muslim call to prayer) from the local Mosque I could not get back to sleep on the cold hard floor but it didn't really matter as it was half four and we were setting off at first light to Band - e Amir which was soon.
Band - e Amir is the name of a group of lakes hidden in the Koh - e Baba at 2900meters (or 9500 feet), to put that into perspective, that's nearly 3 times higher than the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. These however are no normal lakes, they are (for me at least) Afghanistan's most outstanding natural sight. They are a series of 6 linked lakes, their deep blue jewel colour like something from another planet is accentuated by the contrast of dull dusty mountains that surround them for hundreds of miles.

Band - e Amir

It's the lakes high mineral content that gives them their surreal colour and in the case of Band - e Haibat (the suitably named Dam of Awe) these minerals have been deposited along its shore to produce a 12meter high wall streaked with sulphur.
Its not surprising that the locals prefer the mythic (as appose to the geological) explanation for these lakes : -
The Miracles of Ali - An infidel King called Babar ruled the Hindu Kush with terrible fury. He was particularly fr

Band - e Amir

ustrated by his inability to control the raging river near his capital.  Ali the prophet Mohammed's son-in-law was traveling through the region, and, disguised as a slave, was bought to the king. Babar laughed at the captive and challenged him to perform a series of miracles. This Ali did - he hurled down rocks at the river to form Band - e Haibat and sliced the top of a mountain with his sword to create Band - e Zulfiqar. His groom dammed Band - e Kamar and inspired by Ali, the king's own slaves made Band - e Ghulaman. Band - e Panir and Band - e Pudina were made with the help of nomad women, a piece of cheese and a sprig of mint. To top of the days work, Ali killed the dragon that had been terrorizing the region. Babar was so amazed with these feats that he converted to Islam on the spot.  The lakes are reputed to contain great healing powers and pilgrim's apparently still try to visit and take the waters.

me in rock pool

As I said we set off at first light around half five and endured some more bumpy, dusty paths marked by small spray painted rocks to show mines have been cleared across this parched landscape. The only think breaking the monotonous views of the desert being a nomad herding his animals (from what looked like to me from one arid place to another). This drive was not as long as yesterdays but still a fair distance although the anticipation of seeing Band - e  Amir kept me enthused the whole way. After hours of driving with no warning we caught a flash of the largest lake's striking blue and soon after started descending off the plateau towards it. Not wanting to brag but I have seen some astonishing natural sights in a number of continents over the world but nothing prepares you (even after seeing the pictures, which don't seem real) for this extraordinary view. For me is only made better by it remoteness and the fact that you have to drive days through the desert in this worn torn country rather than getting ushered on the tourist shuttle bus with someone trying to sell you a flashy light of some sort.

Band - e Amir

I will now quote you from the Lonely Planet : "Its deep blue waters and white dams fringed with vegetation are a rude shock against the cream and pink mountains - a sight to draw breath from even the most jaded travelers."
 It was now late afternoon but because one of the guys whom I was with had to fly to Iran in a couple of days our time here was limited so we decided to head straight out and explore to make the most of the day light. It was probably good that I hand limited time here as it was one of those places that I could of found my self (as hippies did in the 60's) spending a couple of weeks wondering around still being awed. Especially as the heroin was so cheap................only joking mum! : ) Although interestingly 95% of the heroin on the streets of UK does indeed come from Afghanistan.
Although this did not really feel like Afghanistan or at least what I expected it to 'feel' like (it actually felt more like another planet) you still had to constantly remind yourself it was. The road tracks had come to an end so after lunch (of stale nann and omlette) we set out of foot. I was frequently tempted by taking a detour off the well trodden path to climb some rocks for a better view or to take a picture but had to contain myself and stick to the path as there could still be unexploded land mines anywhere.

its going to be cold!

 We wanted to try and circumnavigate all the lakes but soon concluded that with the amount of water we had and time left before the sun set this was not going to be possible. Rather than backtracking we decided to take a thin precipitous path along the cliff edge which then switched back on itself down the cliff face and down to one of the natural dams. From above the dam just looked like a thin piece of land separating the two lakes but once down there it had its own kind of micro climate with all sort of plants Id never seen. There were reeds, rock pools, mini waterfalls and was rich with all sorts of sea weed type plants which were bright green. After making our way through this and walking in the sun for a couple of hours there was only one thing left to do....Jump in the lake! From where I was there was only one obvious route in, this however was

ahhhhhh

a quite high jump into water of an unknown depth. The water was clear and I could not see the bottom and I reasoned that by the smoothness of the rocks that had been eroded over thousands of years that the pool at the bottom would be deep enough to accommodate my leap but this was no place, days from anywhere, to break a leg. I wasn't even sure if I did jump in how I was  going to get back out but Id decided on one thing and that's that I was going in. I procrastinated for a while longer then decided that the jump in would be less risky than the down climb on the rocks, so I took a big run up to ensure clearing the overhanging rocks and jumped!
I knew from previous experience that any water at 2900meters was going to be cold but maybe the heat of the sun here had p

me at Band - e Amir Lakes

ut me in a false sense of security as after the initial impact of hitting the water had passed I thought, 'wow, that refreshing and Im glad I didn't hit the bottom but S*#t that cold, get out!'
Treading water (that was not very buoyant at all) I was now scanning the perimeters for the quickest or any point of exit. As I had correctly pointed out the rocked were very smooth form erosion and covered in a kind of algae which together was making it very hard to grip and pull myself out the ice cold water.

it was a big jump!

I can imagine from outside the lake standing in the sun, it was a very funny site to watch me trying to struggle out of the water. After finally making it out and climbing back up I lied on the warm rocks like a cold blooded reptile warming itself in the afternoon sun.

skinning

We kept on walking and after bathing in a little rock pool and swimming in some of the warm shallows which were surrounded by golden sands, we headed back to the small village. Here as the intense heat of the sun had now gone, some locals played volley ball as the light began to fade. On my way back I also saw a goat being pulled into a little shack and intrigued followed it. This appeared to be the local butchers,

volley ball match

a hole in the ground and a man with a big knife. Rather than stand there like a stupid westerner I decided to help, they seemed grateful yet amused. As we skinned it memories of  'Dinner' (the goat from the K2 trek) came flooding back.

kebab for dinner!!

For dinner we had goat kebab, then played cards and drunk 'Chai saps' ,  green tea until it was to cold and then snuggled up under as many old blankets we could find as the temperature dropped below zero in our geryurt.