LET'S Travel to Afghanistan - with caution.
Daoud's Republic (1973-78) and the April 1978 Coup
Amid charges of corruption and malfeasance against the royal family and poor economic conditions created by the severe 1971-72 drought, former Prime Minister Daoud seized power in a military coup on July 17, 1973. Zahir Shah fled the country, eventually finding refuge in Italy.
Daoud abolished the monarchy, abrogated the 1964 constitution, and declared Afghanistan a republic with himself as its first President and Prime Minister. His attempts to carry out badly needed economic and social reforms met with little success, and the new constitution promulgated in February 1977 failed to quell chronic political instability.
Afghanistan in the 21st century
21st Century Complete Guide to Afghanistan - Encyclopedic Coverage, Country Profile, History, War on Terror, Taliban, al-Qaeda (Al-Qaida), Bagram Airfield, Kabul, Khost, Karzai (Four CD-ROM Set)
Amazon Price: $29.95 (as of 11/21/2008)
List Price: $29.95
Completely updated and revised for this new edition, our unique electronic book on four CD-ROMs has an amazing collection of the finest federal documents and resources about Afghanistan, providing encyclopedic coverage of all aspects of the country.
Captial of Afghanistan is Kabul
Languages: Pashtu, Afghan Persian, Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi and Pashai
Kabul: Kabul has a rich history but a pockmarked present, although it is still possible to see some of its glory. Sights that are still around include the old section of Kabul with narrow streets filled with bazaars, the Kabul Museum and the Afghan National Museum, the latter of which still has the majority of its collections intact, and Babur Gardens which take you back in time a few millennia after being recently restored.
Afghanistan
Songs from Afghanistan
Release Date: 08/24/2004
Amazon Price: $15.98 (as of 11/21/2008)
List Price: $15.98
Motherland Afghanistan
A DVD -- A moving story of compassion, unforgettable
Release Date: 03/20/2007
Amazon Price: $22.49 (as of 11/21/2008)
List Price: $24.95
Nat'l Geo: Afghanistan Revealed
Release Date: 11/13/2001
Amazon Price: (as of 11/21/2008)
List Price: $14.98
Inside Afghanistan
Release Date: 10/10/2005
Amazon Price: $39.95 (as of 11/21/2008)
List Price: $39.95
Afghanistan LIfe
* Afghanistan is still rather difficult place to live in these days. A just - released (Feb, 2005) study produced the following figures:
* -- Life expectancy in Afghanistan in 2004, was about 44 years - vs about 80 for the "first world".
* -- Only 5 countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Sierra Leone and Burundi) are considered less developed
* -- Half the population is "poor", as judged by local standards.
* -- 20% are chronically hungry.
* -- one quarter of the population has at some time sought refuge outside the country.
* -- 3.6 million out of 28 million citizens, are still refugees or "internally displaced".
* -- 1 in 5 children currently die under the age of 5, most from easily preventable diseases.
* -- 1 in 8 children die from causes related to unclean water.
* -- only 25% of the total population has access to clean water (i.e., three quarters don't!!).
* -- Adult literacy is under 29 percent.
* -- Per capita income is $190 USD (52 cents per day), and unemployment is at least 25%.
* -- Maternal mortality rates (women dying because of child birth complications) are 60 times that of Europe.
* That said, there are reasons for hope: 54 percent of children are now enrolled in school, including 4 million high school students - and non-drug related economic growth was 16 percent in 2003 and estimated to remain at 10 percent or more per year for a while. Key to further success, however, rests upon improved security, political reform, reduction of poppy production, and "bottom-up" economic development.
The Places In Between
Writing with the understated humor in the best of Magnus Mills' novels (Restraint of Beasts, All Quiet on the Orient Express), Stewart accounts his long, arduous trek on foot through the brutal landscape of Afghanistan. Thought to be a spy, he is often accompanied by mysterious "guards" hired by the new government to supervise Stewart's meanderings. The conflict between Stewart and these guards provides much of the book's humor. But then about a third into the book, Stewart is offered a dog, a huge bear-like creature who is described as wise and weary. The dog, whom Stewart names "Babur," has been abused and neglected all his life and Stewart adopts him and determines to take Babur with him back to Scotland. For me, Stewart's tender relationship with the endearing dog Babur is the heart of the book. It will make you weep. This storyline alone makes the book worth reading. Of course, this book is much more than a man meets dog story. It is a firsthand account of the grotequeries that seethe within a country in a state of violent upheaval.
The Places In Between
Reviewer: C. Hutton "book maven" (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
Mr. Stewart has written an entertaining account of his walk across Afghanistan in 2002. The country was in shambles, the Taliban had just fallen and the Twin Towers had fallen a few months ago. As a nation, Afghanistan doesn't exist -- just a collection of warlords ruling their fiefdoms and encroaching each other's territories. So Mr. Stewart enters the county from Iran without a visa as if he was climbing Mount Everest -- because it was there.
The author is a superb storyteller and once the book has started, the reader will not be able to put it down. His writing style is conversational, as if he just arrived home and is telling you of his recent adventures. Why Harvest Books did not put this book out in hardback is beyond me. The reader should be aware that his next travel book "The Prince of the Marshes," will be out in August, 2006 where Mr. Stewart decided to move on to a less dangerous country than Afghanistan -- he went to Iraq.
Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 11/21/2008)
Afghanistan News
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Fetching RSS feed... please stand byTips for booking a trip online
Tips on Booking Your Air Travel Ticket OnlineWhenever you hop online to book your airline ticket online, you notice that the prices have gone up significantly. Since the fuel prices are touching an all time high, traveling by air is becoming cheaper than traveling by road. Here are a few tips that will help you save when booking your tickets online. It is always recommended that you do an advanced booking of your tickets to get the best deals. Most airlines offer great prices on advanced booking.
Make sure you research a couple of websites to get the deal you want. If your travel schedule is flexible, try looking for different departure time or different days. Most of the times the late night flights or the early morning flights will have cheaper fares.
Check if a stopover can reduce the ticket price as sometimes the direct flight is more expensive and also tiring. Only do so if there is a significant saving.
Make sure you book other things with your flight tickets like car rental service and hotel accommodation. There are many websites which offer great deals on travel packages, thereby meriting more savings.
If you travel even twice a year make sure you join the frequent flyer program of your favorite airline. Some airlines offer great discounts on flight tickets and other extra facility like up gradation to business class or express check-in. Also check with your credit card company since often times they partner with airlines and offer discounts.
The more frequently you travel the more miles you will collect and thus over time you can get discounts on tickets or sometimes even free. Some airlines also extend these miles on leisure travel also.
Hope that you make your next ticket purchase considering these tips and save a couple of hundred dollars.
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