0:00:06 > 0:00:10This is a country that's known war for 30 years.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13That may be how you know Afghanistan.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20I've been coming here for much of that time -
0:00:20 > 0:00:22and there's another country, too.
0:00:23 > 0:00:27Everyone who matters seems to have gone through here -
0:00:27 > 0:00:32emperors, explorers, conquerors... and just the curious.
0:00:32 > 0:00:39There's just something about this country and its people that captures the imagination and interest.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43I always say, no-one comes to Afghanistan once.
0:00:43 > 0:00:48I'm on a journey through a land I've grown to love -
0:00:48 > 0:00:50a place that continues to amaze.
0:00:52 > 0:00:58I wouldn't have expected the head of the Islamic shrine to be riding a buzkashi horse.
0:00:58 > 0:01:05'You'll never know who you'll meet.' Well, you're the only Japanese sushi chef in Afghanistan!
0:01:05 > 0:01:08Well, they allege that you're involved in the drugs trade,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10that you're the main power broker,
0:01:10 > 0:01:13they even allege that you support the Taliban.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17- Are you proud to be Afghan? - Oh, yeah, why not? I'm Afghani!
0:01:19 > 0:01:23'I'm going on a journey to take you beyond the headlines.'
0:01:46 > 0:01:53My journey begins in the far north of Afghanistan, in the bustling city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
0:01:56 > 0:02:02It's the day before the first day of spring, the first day of the new year - Nawrooz.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05Afghans travel from across this country to be here
0:02:05 > 0:02:11to celebrate this ancient Persian tradition.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14The Taliban banned Nawrooz as un-Islamic,
0:02:14 > 0:02:19but it's a very Afghan time, one of their most festive holidays.
0:02:19 > 0:02:20'Security is tight.'
0:02:22 > 0:02:25TRANSLATION:
0:02:27 > 0:02:29You're not worried about security?
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Look at the police, look at the police!
0:02:35 > 0:02:36Look at the check!
0:02:36 > 0:02:38They're everywhere.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54You have to admire their courage - people bringing their families here, driving for hours to reach
0:02:54 > 0:02:59Mazar-i-Sharif - they know about the threats, they see the security, but they've lived in a country
0:02:59 > 0:03:04which has been at war for some 30 years, so they get used to it and they get on with life.
0:03:04 > 0:03:09They want it to change, but they're not going to let it get in the way of a good celebration.
0:03:19 > 0:03:24And what better way to celebrate the new year than with one of the much-loved traditions of the north?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Buzkashi - that means goat-grabbing.
0:03:27 > 0:03:33It's Afghanistan's oldest sport, its national game.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35Two teams fight over the carcass of a headless goat.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40They have to grab it, gallop free of everyone else, then drop it in a chalked circle.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47'I found myself sitting next to Babrak Noorzai, a young economist.'
0:03:47 > 0:03:50Buzkashi has a wide range of fans.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Why do you think Afghans like it so much? It's quite a unique sport.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Buzkashi is the traditional game of Afghanistan.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01And mostly in this region, especially in the north,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04people like the horses, riding the horses -
0:04:04 > 0:04:07that's the reason they like it so much.
0:04:07 > 0:04:11Some Afghans say they would like Buzkashi to be an Olympic sport.
0:04:11 > 0:04:12Everything is possible!
0:04:12 > 0:04:18If it's part of the Olympics, then Afghan, they will like that very much.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23That would mean countries all over the world would have to play it - do you think they would?
0:04:24 > 0:04:29Maybe they might bring slight changes or slight...corrections!
0:04:29 > 0:04:34I think Afghans like it the way it is. It's very rough, and everyone...!
0:04:34 > 0:04:36THEY LAUGH No, the rules of the game will be the same.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38- There's no rules, is there? - Yes, there is.
0:04:40 > 0:04:47'Buzkashi used to have hundreds of riders, no teams, no written rules. It's a bit more organised now.
0:04:47 > 0:04:52'But some still call it the world's wildest game.
0:04:52 > 0:04:58'It's not a sport for women, although Western women are given the status of special guests.'
0:04:58 > 0:05:03I came to my first Buzkashi game right at this very place more than 20 years ago,
0:05:03 > 0:05:07when the communists were ruling Afghanistan - do you think it's changed at all?
0:05:07 > 0:05:14The games are not changing - it's the same game. Maybe only the regime has changed.
0:05:15 > 0:05:20'In the midst of the melee, I spotted a familiar face.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24'What was a cleric from Mazar's most famous shrine doing on the playing field?'
0:05:24 > 0:05:30I wouldn't have expected the head of the Islamic shrine to be riding a buzkashi horse.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33How many years have you been playing buzkashi?
0:05:33 > 0:05:35Maybe more than 25 years.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38What do you need to be a good buzkashi rider?
0:05:43 > 0:05:45Afarin, congratulations!
0:05:46 > 0:05:53Buzkashi used to be the game of choice for rival warlords - the rich own the horses, they host the match.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58Today's teams are sponsored by big business, but it doesn't change the spirit.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04It's almost like an Afghan election - one team said they won,
0:06:04 > 0:06:07and then the other team came in and said no, they didn't win,
0:06:07 > 0:06:10they didn't go all the way to the end of the field.
0:06:11 > 0:06:16The disputes raged. One team declared a boycott.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20I decided it was time for me to go too.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30New Year's Day dawned.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33More than 100,000 people had turned out.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Just look at all the crowds - they've been queuing up since early this morning.
0:06:39 > 0:06:45Everyone wants to be at the shrine for this greatest of days in the Afghan calendar.
0:06:45 > 0:06:51A lot of people, a lot of security and a lot of anticipation.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Mazar-i-Sharif means "noble shrine", and this is it.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04'In this Muslim nation, the day begins at the exquisite
0:07:04 > 0:07:08'blue-tiled shrine of Hazrat Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law.'
0:07:10 > 0:07:13He's believed to be buried here in this sacred place.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Just look at the birds - they have this belief here
0:07:20 > 0:07:25that if a brown bird comes in and joins the white birds,
0:07:25 > 0:07:28then within 40 days, that bird will also be white.
0:07:28 > 0:07:36A place where the faithful believe prayers are answered, and on Nawrooz, wishes are made.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Even at that young age, they hope for good for the people, good for the country.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Nawrooz mubarak - happy new year.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17In a country where much has been lost, Afghans hold onto their traditions.
0:08:17 > 0:08:20They never fail to honour old friends.
0:08:20 > 0:08:26That means a warm welcome from Basir Babai on Afghan national TV.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30So much for keeping a low profile.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35The last time I was here it was a snow storm in Mazar-i-Sharif, so it's lovely to come when the sun
0:08:35 > 0:08:39is shining and we all hope it's the start of a shining year for Afghanistan.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Nawrooz mubarak. Nawrooz mubarak.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48Afghans across the country are watching this.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50This is the moment.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55The raising of the Janda, the Islamic banner, heralds the start of a new year.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59But it's much more than that.
0:09:01 > 0:09:07Legend has it, if this banner is raised in one smooth pull, it will be a good year.
0:09:08 > 0:09:13No wonder they put it in the hands of the strongest men.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22You can just feel the excitement here and the anticipation and relief
0:09:22 > 0:09:26when the Janda went up in one smooth motion.
0:09:30 > 0:09:36Look at the people - they're actually climbing over the fence, look at them, they want to go
0:09:36 > 0:09:39and touch the flag. That's how much it matters to them.
0:09:41 > 0:09:47In a country where good news is rare, Afghans can be forgiven for holding onto that.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50We hope that the Janda is an omen for the new year.
0:09:50 > 0:09:58Look at the crowd - it's full of doves and papers cascading, wishing everyone a happy new year.
0:09:58 > 0:09:59What an extraordinary day.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16There's such an open feeling in Mazar-i-Sharif.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21It's the wide avenues with the open shops.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23You see more women on the streets here.
0:10:23 > 0:10:28The sense that it's safe to stroll on a warm spring day.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Mazar-i-Sharif,
0:10:30 > 0:10:32it has got security.
0:10:32 > 0:10:38- It's a good city for young people like you?- For everyone.- Really? - Yeah. No fighting, no explosions.
0:10:42 > 0:10:47My father, he says, if you need carpet, a low price I will give for you, if you want.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52Really? If he's a good carpet seller, he will give me a high price!
0:10:54 > 0:10:59'I've always loved carpet shopping, even if I'm just looking.
0:10:59 > 0:11:03'You never know what will turn up.'
0:11:03 > 0:11:069/11 one...
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Twin Towers...
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Who buys this one?
0:11:14 > 0:11:19The tourists. The Afghans tell many of their stories in the carpets that they weave.
0:11:19 > 0:11:24These are the carpets that were woven during the decade-long Soviet occupation
0:11:24 > 0:11:27of their country - millions of Afghans were forced out of the country -
0:11:27 > 0:11:31and suddenly, instead of flowers and birds and faces
0:11:31 > 0:11:35and lovely intricate designs being woven into the carpets,
0:11:35 > 0:11:41you had the Kalashnikov rifles, the tanks, the grenades. You know, a country - look -
0:11:41 > 0:11:43covered with military vehicles,
0:11:43 > 0:11:48and suddenly this became the story of Afghanistan woven right into their carpets.
0:11:52 > 0:11:58It's a story still glorified by those whose own history is woven through it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01Like General Atta Mohammad Noor.
0:12:01 > 0:12:08In the '80s, he was one of the Mujahideen who waged jihad until the Soviet army was forced to retreat.
0:12:10 > 0:12:15'He's still fighting - to keep fit.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19'At 6am, this is how Governor Atta starts the day.'
0:12:37 > 0:12:39OK.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45'Maybe not the best decision.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48'Governor Atta is not a man who likes to lose.'
0:12:53 > 0:12:55You have more practice.
0:13:21 > 0:13:2422 years old, fighting.
0:13:26 > 0:13:30How many years were you in the jihad, like that, in those conditions?
0:13:46 > 0:13:48'How life has changed.'
0:13:54 > 0:13:58'Most Afghans would find a lot of this unbelievable.'
0:14:22 > 0:14:24Your poster is everywhere.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33There's more posters of you than President Karzai.
0:14:36 > 0:14:41'No wonder the president is wary of the ambitious man they call King of the North.
0:14:41 > 0:14:47'For now, Governor Atta is trying to transform this city into a modern hub -
0:14:47 > 0:14:53'there's even a theme park and an underground shopping centre.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:56I came here when it was just a hole in the ground.
0:14:56 > 0:15:01The governor says the wants to build the Dubai of Afghanistan - let's see what it looks like.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Were you really thinking of Dubai? You wanted a Dubai here?
0:15:22 > 0:15:24This is your big dream.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38'Many here support their governor.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41'But some say he's using his power to get rich,
0:15:41 > 0:15:48'that he does business like a warlord, even though he looks like a CEO.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:51You showed us your city and you want to be seen as a builder, a governor,
0:15:51 > 0:15:53but a lot of people still call you a warlord.
0:16:23 > 0:16:29- Good luck, see you again!- OK!- Have a nice day!- Thank you. You too.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32An American delegation is waiting.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37More often than not, they're turning to men they call "can-do warlords"
0:16:37 > 0:16:38to get the job done.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46Afghans want to reach for something new and better.
0:16:48 > 0:16:55But the path to a brighter future is being made by people from a darker past.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08And so to the west,
0:17:08 > 0:17:13to a city where centuries of history have left their mark.
0:17:13 > 0:17:19I've always loved coming to Herat - they call it Afghanistan's cultural capital.
0:17:19 > 0:17:25Minarets from the 15th century almost form a gateway to this ancient city.
0:17:28 > 0:17:34It lies along centuries-old trade routes at the crossroads of the Middle East and Asia.
0:17:36 > 0:17:42'At moments, I can almost feel I'm in Iran, with all the Persian influences.'
0:17:42 > 0:17:45You see it in the stonework,
0:17:45 > 0:17:49on this lane of booksellers,
0:17:49 > 0:17:52and you also see it in the style.
0:17:52 > 0:17:57The latest from Tehran - many Herati women wear Iranian chadors.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00Why are you wearing this chador and not the burka?
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Do you wear burka as well?
0:18:07 > 0:18:09No.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18'But there's so much the women can't control.
0:18:18 > 0:18:22'Some told me, in whispers, they'd prefer the kind of coat I'm wearing -
0:18:22 > 0:18:24'their husbands wouldn't let them.
0:18:24 > 0:18:29'And yet, for all that, there is some light in the darkness.'
0:18:29 > 0:18:35Look at the sparkle in Afghan women's lives - but there's no way they can wear that in public.
0:18:35 > 0:18:40This is for the private world, for their husbands, for their families.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45This is what they wear to Afghan weddings when they're just mainly with the women.
0:18:45 > 0:18:50Glitter, glamour - don't think that their lives are just drab and black.
0:18:58 > 0:19:04So much is still taboo here, and yet look at the rickshaws - is love in the air?
0:19:04 > 0:19:10Every one of them is emblazoned with words of love
0:19:10 > 0:19:12or images of hearts.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13Who could take issue with that?
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Everyone wants to be loved.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19In Herat, you can even hire someone to say sweet nothings.
0:19:19 > 0:19:24I went to meet the master flatterer, Jamal Uddin.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31How you describe what you do?
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Why do you think...
0:19:40 > 0:19:42people need a person like you
0:19:42 > 0:19:43to make them happy?
0:19:57 > 0:20:01'Then the master flatterer was absorbed in his trade.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05'With a few quick scribbles, he reveals the art of the impromptu.'
0:20:28 > 0:20:30'Was I flattered?
0:20:30 > 0:20:37'Perhaps. It was all a lovely echo of the old Persian royal courts.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42'In Herat, you often feel you are stepping back in time -
0:20:42 > 0:20:46'no more so than at the ancient Citadel.
0:20:46 > 0:20:50'Herat is home to some of the greatest jewels of Afghan history.
0:20:50 > 0:20:56'It's hoping to be given the status of a World Heritage Site, and this is the centrepiece.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59'It was in danger of crumbling into the ground,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03'but archaeologists like Daoud Sediq are working to save it.'
0:21:05 > 0:21:10Such an important part of Afghanistan's heritage -
0:21:10 > 0:21:13why is it, for you, so important to preserve the Citadel?
0:21:13 > 0:21:18The Citadel was originally erected by Alexander the Great,
0:21:18 > 0:21:23so the core of the Alexander the Great Citadel is still here
0:21:23 > 0:21:25on the foundation, on the hill -
0:21:25 > 0:21:29so that was why it was very important for everyone.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32It's been literally a battlefield -
0:21:32 > 0:21:35the Soviets when they occupied Afghanistan,
0:21:35 > 0:21:38they used it as an ammunition dump.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42When you found it to restore it, it must have been ruins.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45Exactly - in very bad condition.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49There was a lot of destruction, ruin and even ammunition.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51Land mines?
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Yes, absolutely - we collected a lot.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57But...none of them are dangerous?
0:21:57 > 0:22:03- Er, there is - the mining team came many times here and they clean up the mines.- Wow.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14'Battles raged through the centuries from these ramparts.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18'Genghis Khan laid it to waste.'
0:22:20 > 0:22:25But a modern battle rages now in the shadow of the Citadel's ancient walls.
0:22:25 > 0:22:30Developers are trying to conquer what's left of the crumbling old town.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33And in places, they're winning.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37This is mud houses, very important houses.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40- What happened here?- There is a mega destruction here,
0:22:40 > 0:22:47many houses destroyed, and they are going to build a new concrete market here.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49- A modern market?- Market.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52When you see this gaping hole, how does that make you feel?
0:22:52 > 0:22:54It's really painful for me.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58- This is very important archaeology here, and they destroy everything. - Does this happen a lot?
0:22:58 > 0:23:02Absolutely. Everywhere.
0:23:02 > 0:23:07It's almost like mud-brick house by mud-brick house, Herat could be destroyed.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11I think so. This is like a cancer.
0:23:13 > 0:23:18'It's a cancer that has spread elsewhere in the country.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20'But you really feel it here.'
0:23:28 > 0:23:33But if parts of Herat are dying, others are full of life.
0:23:35 > 0:23:41Of course, in this traditional Muslim society, this isn't a place of nightclubs.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46In this cultural capital, I found another kind of night life.
0:23:54 > 0:23:57It's poetry night.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Afghans have written and recited their stories in verse
0:24:00 > 0:24:05for hundreds of years, enhanced by the grace of the Persian language.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Traditional Herati music magnifies the mood.
0:24:23 > 0:24:30The doyen of the night is 83-year-old Fedayee Herawi, a poet since the age of 12.
0:24:30 > 0:24:37You have written poems during the communist era, Mujahideen, Taliban, Karzai...
0:24:55 > 0:25:02It's a rare treat to be where Afghan women take the stage as equals and speak what's in their heart.
0:25:14 > 0:25:19Does it give you a kind of freedom, to be able to express yourself in your poetry?
0:25:39 > 0:25:45'In this moment, it did feel good, as if everything was somehow possible.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:48That the future, like these poems, was full of promise.
0:25:48 > 0:25:54Even if, when you're ten years old, you still need a bit of help.
0:26:02 > 0:26:08Across this oldest of Afghan cities, I found the oldest of human desires -
0:26:08 > 0:26:14to rise above daily cares to seek what's beautiful and sweet,
0:26:14 > 0:26:18to celebrate what it means to be Afghan.
0:26:18 > 0:26:20'But that's harder in other places.'
0:26:26 > 0:26:32And one of the hardest places is the most contested - Kandahar, in the south.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37But the road is too dangerous.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41'The only way I could get there was by air.'
0:26:46 > 0:26:49'I was heading there with anticipation and apprehension.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55'In recent years, I was told it was just too dangerous to visit...
0:26:58 > 0:27:01'..despite tens of thousands of foreign troops there.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07'But to understand Afghanistan you have to go to Kandahar -
0:27:07 > 0:27:12'heartland of the nation's biggest tribe, the Pashtuns,
0:27:12 > 0:27:15'birthplace of the Taliban.'
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Thank you very much.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24'So our moves were carefully planned.'
0:27:30 > 0:27:33When any foreigner comes to Kandahar, they say, well, who's waiting for you?
0:27:33 > 0:27:39You have to have some on waiting for you here, the city is just too dangerous.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44Who's waiting for us? Well, armoured vehicles belonging to to the man they regard as, well,
0:27:44 > 0:27:48the main power broker, the King of Kandahar now, Ahmad Wali Karzai,
0:27:48 > 0:27:50he's the half-brother of President Karzai.
0:27:59 > 0:28:03'I've known his family for years - his people are looking after us.
0:28:03 > 0:28:06'You never know what a day in Kandahar will bring.
0:28:06 > 0:28:12'When the communists were in power, I still met their Mujahideen enemies right in the centre of the city.
0:28:12 > 0:28:17'When I came to Ahmad Wali Karzai's wedding here, a gunman opened fire on the President.
0:28:17 > 0:28:24'Now the government says it's in charge, but the Taliban are still here.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28'Kandahar feels very much on edge - it is.
0:28:28 > 0:28:34'Foreigners don't usually walk the streets - it's just too dangerous.
0:28:34 > 0:28:39'But with local guards watching my back, it was worth the risk to talk to Afghans about their city.'
0:28:41 > 0:28:45When you're on the streets, do you feel safe?
0:28:55 > 0:28:59We want to save ourselves, our country, our people, by our own hand.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03If you cut our hands we cannot save the country.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06Our hands is...both sides -
0:29:06 > 0:29:08Taliban and Americans, both.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13Scared of both?
0:29:21 > 0:29:25Well, everyone we talked to says it's too dangerous on the streets of Kandahar.
0:29:25 > 0:29:31They're fearful, and we also have this rule, we shouldn't be anywhere longer than 15 or 20 minutes,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33so we're also going to leave this neighbourhood, too.
0:29:41 > 0:29:46So we took refuge in an unexpected place.
0:29:46 > 0:29:53Kandahar is home to dozens of body-building gyms - it's popular all over the country.
0:29:59 > 0:30:04This one belongs to one of the country's most famous body builders, Mohammad Gul Lalai.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11- I love what you have on your back - what does it say?- Oh, thank you!
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- Yes! Proud to be Afghan! - Proud to be Afghan!
0:30:13 > 0:30:15- Yes.- Are you proud to be Afghan?
0:30:15 > 0:30:16- Yes, why not?- Really?
0:30:16 > 0:30:22What is it, when you make yourself strong, you're making yourself strong as an Afghan?
0:30:22 > 0:30:25- Yeah, yeah, an Afghan.- Well, I'm sure Afghanistan is proud of you as well.
0:30:25 > 0:30:29- Thank you very much. - The gym is plastered with
0:30:29 > 0:30:37pictures of Mohammad in his prime - not only did he win the Mr Kandahar title, he was also Mr Afghanistan.
0:30:37 > 0:30:43Although showing off your muscles wasn't so easy when Taliban set the rules.
0:30:50 > 0:30:53- You could wear what you're wearing now?- Yeah, the upper body.
0:31:01 > 0:31:04But I wondered what they'd make of the poster boy
0:31:04 > 0:31:08for Afghan bodybuilders, the American action star turned politician.
0:31:08 > 0:31:16You go to any of the hundreds of gyms, you'll see Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime,
0:31:16 > 0:31:21which was a few decades ago, beaming down at you with of course his body exposed.
0:31:21 > 0:31:23You want to be like Arnold?
0:31:38 > 0:31:42He looks like Afghan? Arnold Schwarzenegger looks like an Afghan?
0:31:42 > 0:31:44Did he come to visit Afghanistan, Arnold?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47No, no. He has not come to visit.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Maybe now that he's not governor, he can come.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Yes, yes. Very good.
0:31:53 > 0:31:57But even here, I couldn't stay for long.
0:31:57 > 0:32:03On the streets outside, unpredictable Kandahar had struck again -
0:32:03 > 0:32:08I found myself in the midst of a military operation.
0:32:08 > 0:32:16US soldiers nervously scanned the streets, traffic was blocked, tension mounted.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Sorry, why is all the traffic blocked, what happened today?
0:32:18 > 0:32:21Er, we've got a vehicle down over there, a wheel came off it,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25so we're trying to stop the traffic from coming through so we can get the...
0:32:25 > 0:32:29- Trying to fix the wheel on your vehicle?- We're trying to get it hooked up so we can tow it out.
0:32:29 > 0:32:32- Is this a security...? - Yeah.- You're worried about it.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36Yeah, we don't want a bunch of traffic going through when we're trying to hook up and get out.
0:32:36 > 0:32:40All this, over a broken wheel?!
0:32:40 > 0:32:45When something like this happens you see people get nervous, the Afghans are nervous, the foreign forces
0:32:45 > 0:32:48are nervous, this is the kind of town
0:32:48 > 0:32:51where assassinations happen, suicide bombers, I mean, you've got
0:32:51 > 0:32:53this kind of a target here for too long,
0:32:53 > 0:32:57you're creating a real risk for yourself and for the Afghans here.
0:33:05 > 0:33:08Not everyone is complaining about the US presence here.
0:33:08 > 0:33:13Some Afghans, with connections and contracts, are getting rich.
0:33:13 > 0:33:1920 minutes outside the city, in the secure perimeter of the US military airbase, a mini town is springing up
0:33:19 > 0:33:25to cater for the influx of foreign contractors and troops.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27Billions are being spent to fight the Taliban
0:33:27 > 0:33:34and win the war for Afghan hearts and minds - it's a good life in this bubble.
0:33:34 > 0:33:36What are the most popular ones?
0:33:36 > 0:33:40Er, American movie, er, Indian movie, everything.
0:33:40 > 0:33:47- What do you like? - Er, like, Van Damme, Arnold...
0:33:47 > 0:33:49Arnold Schwarzenegger?
0:33:49 > 0:33:54Yeah. Now I like Arnold, Van Damme, best movie too much, I see always.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56USA movies, very good.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12- You guys are shopping? - Yeah, we live just down here.
0:34:12 > 0:34:14Oh, look at that accent!
0:34:14 > 0:34:16- English!- Yeah.- Where are you from?
0:34:16 > 0:34:19- Lincolnshire.- Lincolnshire! And you?
0:34:19 > 0:34:21- Florida, United States.- Florida!
0:34:21 > 0:34:24And you're going shopping here?
0:34:24 > 0:34:27This is like Beverly Hills, huh?
0:34:28 > 0:34:32I don't want to go home, I'm going to stay here for years, I want to work here for as long as I can.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34You want to stay here as long as you can?
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Yeah, I've learned more here than I did at school in the UK, than I did working in the UK.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41I've met all these great people from all round the world -
0:34:41 > 0:34:45- much better to be here than in England.- It's a dream come true?
0:34:45 > 0:34:49Yeah, it is actually - for me, it is, I love it here.
0:34:50 > 0:34:55Life is good if you're a contractor making money behind the barriers.
0:34:55 > 0:34:58For now, it's a boom town.
0:35:04 > 0:35:12We left the safety of the American bubble to go into another one - of the man keeping an eye on us here.
0:35:19 > 0:35:24Just look at the security as we enter the compound of Ahmad Wali Karzai.
0:35:24 > 0:35:31Concrete barriers, HESCO barriers, armed men - this is a man with a lot of enemies.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Look at how full it is, packed with people.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44It's like this every day - they come from all over the province and beyond.
0:35:46 > 0:35:48There he is now, he's either on the phone a lot
0:35:48 > 0:35:51or talking to people a lot, that's essentially what he does.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- Hello, Ahmad Wali. Nice to see you. - How are you?
0:35:54 > 0:35:56- How've you been? - I'm fine, thank you very much.
0:35:56 > 0:36:03'He's Kandahar's most powerful man - with the tribal and political connections to get any job done.
0:36:03 > 0:36:08'And in the room with him there were ex-Taliban, and who knows, possibly future Taliban.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11'And the people caught in the middle.
0:36:11 > 0:36:17They were working as a day labourer, which is, the coalition, the Americans, are paying them
0:36:17 > 0:36:21a salary, so they were going to the work in the morning,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24and the Taliban stopped them to make example of them.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38It's been two weeks this happened, two weeks ago.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41Two weeks ago, their ears were cut off.
0:36:44 > 0:36:48Shocking, but sadly, all too part of life here.
0:36:51 > 0:36:56Ahmad Wali invited me to lunch for a chance to catch up.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02You must have threats against you - it's the most heavily-secured place in Kandahar.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06This is for, erm, for the big attacks,
0:37:06 > 0:37:08like, suicide attacks.
0:37:08 > 0:37:13As you know, there was two major suicide attacks on me, on my office.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16- Are there still threats against you now?- Every day.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18- It's Taliban or...- Of course.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21Criminals, drug traffickers...?
0:37:21 > 0:37:24- Taliban, Taliban. - It's all Taliban?- Mm-hmm.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Ahmad Wali has also been the target of many accusations -
0:37:27 > 0:37:31some call him the problem in Kandahar, not the solution.
0:37:31 > 0:37:34I'm a little off the media.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38Why, because you came under so many accusations you have to respond to all the time?
0:37:38 > 0:37:43Because when I was down here last year with President Karzai and General McChrystal,
0:37:43 > 0:37:45the top commander at the time, you remember,
0:37:45 > 0:37:48there was all the talk about they were going to put pressure on you.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51Yea, this is, erm,
0:37:51 > 0:37:53it's over.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56Why, because you proved...?
0:37:56 > 0:38:00No, I'm the same, I've done nothing different.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03Mmm. What do you think it was?
0:38:03 > 0:38:07It was mostly unproven allegations which was making things bad.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10Well, they allege that you're involved in the drugs trade,
0:38:10 > 0:38:14they allege that you're the main power broker, they even allege that you support the Taliban.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17Yeah.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22- But you know what they say - there's no smoke without fire. - Well, that's in the past.
0:38:28 > 0:38:35There's an old Afghan proverb that says whoever controls Kandahar controls Afghanistan.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39No-one ever seems to win for long.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45Today, it's safe enough for traditional wrestling - but only just.
0:38:47 > 0:38:50Moments like this are little victories.
0:38:50 > 0:38:56That's how life is measured here, with no real certainty about who, in the end, will come out on top.
0:39:03 > 0:39:08Until now, this trip has taken me to Afghanistan's great cities.
0:39:08 > 0:39:13But leaving Kandahar, I headed to the centre,
0:39:13 > 0:39:16to a village called Paicotal.
0:39:23 > 0:39:3180% of Afghans live in rural areas like this, eking out a meagre existence.
0:39:36 > 0:39:41The further you get from the city centre, the hubs, this is what it's like.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43You feel like you're going back in time.
0:39:43 > 0:39:51There are no roads, the houses are mud brick, people pretty well live like they've always lived.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54There's no electricity, there's no running water.
0:39:56 > 0:40:02After several hours of driving, the car could go no further on this road.
0:40:02 > 0:40:09If I wanted to travel as most Afghans do, I would need some donkeys - and, of course, a guide.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13We were soon on our way, despite a hesitant start.
0:40:15 > 0:40:16Are we going the right way?
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Afghans have a really good sense of direction, though.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38Timing, they're not so good.
0:40:38 > 0:40:43When we left they said it was about 40 minutes riding on donkeys.
0:40:43 > 0:40:4740 minutes later they said, "Well, another hour."
0:40:47 > 0:40:53And then an hour later it was, another hour and a half.
0:40:57 > 0:41:02Finally, after five hours I made it to the village.
0:41:02 > 0:41:08But weariness was swept away by the warmth of a traditional welcome.
0:41:08 > 0:41:14Afghans say it doesn't matter how big your house is, it's how big your heart is.
0:41:25 > 0:41:31Paicoatal, nestling in the foothills of the Koh-i-Baba mountains, is home to around 70 families.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33They don't have much.
0:41:33 > 0:41:37The nearest school and clinic are hours away on foot.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41Young men have to leave to find paid labour.
0:41:41 > 0:41:47This is what life under the poverty line looks like.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50Anwar Hussain is the malik, or head man.
0:42:29 > 0:42:33They say even the bread isn't good here - they would love
0:42:33 > 0:42:37to have bread made of wheat - instead it's made of barley.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45Life expectancy in Afghanistan is around 45 years.
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Around half the children are malnourished.
0:42:52 > 0:42:56It's hard to fathom how they endure such gruelling lives.
0:43:04 > 0:43:09It's easier to talk when we gather, as women, on our own.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14What do you think about the world outside Afghanistan, what is it like?
0:43:51 > 0:43:57For all the distance between their life and mine, there was still a space for girls to share a giggle.
0:43:57 > 0:44:02What do you do for entertainment, for fun?
0:44:26 > 0:44:33At moments like this, you feel a shared humanity, no matter how different our lives.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36But I'm leaving this village - they will stay,
0:44:36 > 0:44:42in lives that are, for the most part, determined from the day of birth.
0:44:47 > 0:44:53Paicotal will never make the news, but our next stop has - Bamiyan.
0:44:58 > 0:45:02For nearly 2,000 years, pilgrims and poets flocked here
0:45:02 > 0:45:06to marvel at two stone Buddhas hewn from the mountainside.
0:45:06 > 0:45:10They were carved when Bamiyan was an important centre for Buddhism,
0:45:10 > 0:45:14hundreds of years before the birth of Islam.
0:45:14 > 0:45:20Then in 2001, the Taliban condemned them as idols, an affront to Islam.
0:45:25 > 0:45:30Afghans lost one of their most precious relics - so did the world.
0:45:35 > 0:45:41But now the people of Bamiyan want the world to come back to visit.
0:45:41 > 0:45:46It's absolutely fantastic they actually have a tourism office here in Bamiyan.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49I think it's the only one in Afghanistan.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53You can see we're going through all these back alleys to try and find
0:45:53 > 0:45:57the tourist office - and the roads aren't so good, either!
0:45:57 > 0:46:00This road is terrible!
0:46:05 > 0:46:08Once I found the office, there was another surprise.
0:46:08 > 0:46:14I'd met Gul Hussein two years ago when he was studying to be a tour guide in Bamiyan.
0:46:14 > 0:46:16And there was more to come.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20Oh, ski boots!
0:46:20 > 0:46:23Look at all the ski boots!
0:46:23 > 0:46:27- A lot of people go skiing here?! - Yeah.- Who goes skiing? Afghans?
0:46:27 > 0:46:29- Afghans and internationals.- Really?
0:46:29 > 0:46:35Extraordinary. This is, after all, a country of mountains - but how do you get here
0:46:35 > 0:46:39when there are no commercial flights and the main road from Kabul isn't safe?
0:46:39 > 0:46:44But that wasn't stopping Gul Hussein's dream.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46If we talk about all of Afghanistan, it's difficult.
0:46:46 > 0:46:52But when we come to talk about Bamiyan, in Bamiyan it's no problem,
0:46:52 > 0:46:55Bamiyan is peace province.
0:46:55 > 0:46:59- So how many tourists have you had this winter?- This winter for skiing
0:46:59 > 0:47:06I had two, er, real tourists - one was from Australia, one was from UK.
0:47:06 > 0:47:08- Two REAL tourists.- Yeah.
0:47:08 > 0:47:13The last time I saw you, you talked about your dream, which was...
0:47:13 > 0:47:15Which was tour company!
0:47:15 > 0:47:17To make a tour company!
0:47:17 > 0:47:23Yeah. So, my hope that one day my company should be famous for all Afghanistan, not for only Bamiyan.
0:47:26 > 0:47:32To help improve those statistics, I decided to be the third and last tourist of the season.
0:47:32 > 0:47:37With the snows all but gone, we had to walk to one of the furthest peaks.
0:47:37 > 0:47:44Fortunately, the Afghan ski lift was working - that's the donkey.
0:47:44 > 0:47:51Ghaffar, my driver, gave it a go, reminding me of Afghans' fearlessness and enthusiasm.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56Way to go, Ghaffar!
0:48:02 > 0:48:09These Afghan boys tagged along with us, taking to the slopes with whatever they can find at home.
0:48:11 > 0:48:15The littlest is sliding down the slopes in his mother's shoes.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20Look at that - a bit of wood,
0:48:20 > 0:48:22a rubber boot,
0:48:22 > 0:48:24a bit of metal.
0:48:24 > 0:48:29Tell me, Asif, why you like skiing so much.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38What does it feel like when you're out there skiing?
0:48:59 > 0:49:01May this county give him
0:49:01 > 0:49:08the peace and prosperity just enough to make him a ski champion some day.
0:49:20 > 0:49:27If tourism is to work, they'll need a few good hotels - there are some, but none quite like the Silk Road.
0:49:27 > 0:49:31It's not just the location, it's the owners.
0:49:31 > 0:49:34- Moursal?- Hi, how are you?
0:49:34 > 0:49:35SHE LAUGHS
0:49:35 > 0:49:37Salam aleikum!
0:49:37 > 0:49:39Aleikum Salam.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47I've known Moursal for years - she first came here as a journalist.
0:49:47 > 0:49:49It's still so amazing to see you here.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51- Is it?- Yes.- Why?
0:49:51 > 0:49:56- Well, you're the only Japanese sushi chef in Afghanistan. - I train some of the more
0:49:56 > 0:50:00Afghan women - two lady, I trained.
0:50:00 > 0:50:01So I'm working with them.
0:50:01 > 0:50:07And I'm very happy to be teaching for the Afghans, to helping them to more develop.
0:50:07 > 0:50:11Moursal, I have to say that every time I see you, you seem a little bit more Afghan.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16- Is it?- Yes!- I hope, I want to keep it for, like, fooling ladies.
0:50:18 > 0:50:21- I'm still Japanese.- Really?- Yeah.
0:50:21 > 0:50:24But a little Afghan of course, yeah.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27I love here, I love Afghanistan, I'm living here, yeah.
0:50:29 > 0:50:33Moursal fell in love with this country on her first visit in the '80s.
0:50:33 > 0:50:39She came back to report after the attacks of September 11th and found more than a story.
0:50:39 > 0:50:43But then you also fell in love with an Afghan...
0:50:43 > 0:50:45- Yes, it is.- Sabour.
0:50:45 > 0:50:52Yes, you know, if 9/11 is not happening, so nothing is happening, you know?
0:50:52 > 0:50:55I change my life for 9/11.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58- Are you Muslim now?- I am Muslim.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00Oh, you had to convert to get married?
0:51:00 > 0:51:06Yes, it is. But it's not very good Muslim, little bit lazy Muslim.
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Husband hated me some time,
0:51:09 > 0:51:12you know? Yeah, but I try my best, yeah.
0:51:12 > 0:51:17As long as God knows you're trying, Moursal, and that your husband knows you're trying.
0:51:23 > 0:51:28Moursal invited me to stay for dinner - how could I refuse?
0:51:38 > 0:51:40Well, it's delicious.
0:51:40 > 0:51:46But what's also delicious is to see a Panjshiri eating Japanese food.
0:52:01 > 0:52:04- Yeah! - What did your family say, Sabour?
0:52:04 > 0:52:08Because in Afghanistan, you don't marry
0:52:08 > 0:52:12a person, you marry the family, you marry into the culture...
0:52:29 > 0:52:33I couldn't help but smile - a Japanese married to an Afghan
0:52:33 > 0:52:38from Panjshir eating sushi in Bamiyan with a Canadian.
0:52:38 > 0:52:40A lovely way to end the evening.
0:52:48 > 0:52:52It was the last day of my trip before heading back to Kabul.
0:52:52 > 0:52:56But I couldn't leave Bamiyan without making one last stop.
0:53:10 > 0:53:15No matter how many times you see these empty niches, they still take your breath away.
0:53:15 > 0:53:19And every time I come to Bamiyan, no matter where I am in this valley,
0:53:19 > 0:53:23you feel the presence of these Buddhas.
0:53:29 > 0:53:34Abbas, a student I'd met years ago, is now a tour guide here.
0:53:34 > 0:53:41I'll show you some interesting things. This is Buddha feet, you can see here.
0:53:41 > 0:53:47But what a pity destroyed by the Taliban army in 2001.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49But you know, you look,
0:53:49 > 0:53:54and to think, it was the world's largest standing Buddha.
0:53:54 > 0:54:02So it was so important to the world's heritage, to Afghanistan's heritage.
0:54:02 > 0:54:06Yeah. Around here it was the Buddhism temples.
0:54:06 > 0:54:11For Buddhists at that time it was so holy place.
0:54:13 > 0:54:20'But in the Taliban's extreme creed, all this was sacrilege and had to be destroyed.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24'Surprisingly, the evidence is still here.'
0:54:24 > 0:54:30I will show to you some fragment of the dynamite.
0:54:30 > 0:54:34They fired, they used bullets, they used artillery pieces...
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Artillery pieces, yes.
0:54:37 > 0:54:40- Like a fuse.- Oh, a fuse.
0:54:40 > 0:54:42- It took a long time to destroy them. - One month.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44One month?
0:54:44 > 0:54:45Yeah, one month.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47Those were very dark days.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50Yes, so dark days.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52Terrible.
0:54:56 > 0:55:01'The best way to get a real feel for these colossal Buddhas
0:55:01 > 0:55:03'is to climb the rough stairway hewn out of bare rock.'
0:55:03 > 0:55:05I've stopped counting.
0:55:05 > 0:55:07We've done a lot, more to come.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15'It was well worth it.'
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Buddha statue...
0:55:19 > 0:55:22'From here, the valley seemed so serene,
0:55:22 > 0:55:27'so peaceful. But even here, in this most hopeful of places,
0:55:27 > 0:55:30'I still found fear about what lies ahead.'
0:55:30 > 0:55:36At night you go home and you worry that the war will come again, the Taliban will come back?
0:55:36 > 0:55:40- Yeah, maybe.- But you will stay here with your Buddhas, you're not going to leave Afghanistan?
0:55:40 > 0:55:43Maybe, yes, maybe, no.
0:55:43 > 0:55:51Maybe when Taliban comes to Bamiyan, capture me and kill me -
0:55:51 > 0:55:57because they thinking we are connecting with foreigners, but this is my select.
0:55:57 > 0:56:04Because new generation, they are thinking, we should improve our country.
0:56:07 > 0:56:12Bamiyan is a place where Afghans can find space to dream -
0:56:12 > 0:56:15but dreams quickly run into limits here.
0:56:15 > 0:56:20Bamiyan can only realise its promise if the rest of Afghanistan does, too.
0:56:26 > 0:56:33Kabul - journey's end, a city bursting with life, bursting at its seams.
0:56:33 > 0:56:39I arrived in the capital with a feeling of happiness, to have made a wonderful journey.
0:56:39 > 0:56:46But it was a feeling soon tinged with sadness, as bad news came through.
0:56:46 > 0:56:49'Reports from Mazar-i-Sharif say that some of those killed were beheaded...'
0:56:49 > 0:56:53'At least nine people have been killed in the southern city of Kandahar...'
0:56:53 > 0:56:56'..attacked a NATO base in the western city of Herat...'
0:56:56 > 0:56:59Violence had been only a short distance behind on my trip.
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Not long after I left Mazar-i-Sharif, the UN compound
0:57:03 > 0:57:08was stormed by a mob, Kandahar saw multiple suicide bombings,
0:57:08 > 0:57:11even peaceful Herat came under attack.
0:57:12 > 0:57:17I wanted to spend my last hours in Afghanistan at one
0:57:17 > 0:57:21of my favourite places, the old Royal Palace on the edge of the city.
0:57:21 > 0:57:27I remember it in its prime, a magnificent building overlooking Kabul.
0:57:27 > 0:57:33But like so much here, years of conflict have taken a terrible toll.
0:57:33 > 0:57:38An Afghan friend once told me this palace seemed to be weeping tears
0:57:38 > 0:57:41for the country and its people.
0:57:41 > 0:57:47There is something about Afghanistan and I've seen it again on this journey - it's Afghans
0:57:47 > 0:57:53with their sense of pride and honour, great sense of humour, sense of self...
0:57:53 > 0:57:57There's this Afghan-ness about this place.
0:57:57 > 0:58:01And on this journey I've seen so much that is good
0:58:01 > 0:58:04and bright and strong,
0:58:04 > 0:58:07but there's also this
0:58:07 > 0:58:09long shadow of the war.
0:58:17 > 0:58:23And there are moments when you hold your breath, knowing that all that's so bright
0:58:23 > 0:58:26could just become dark again.
0:58:46 > 0:58:49Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:49 > 0:58:52E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk