Out on a Friday II

After visiting cemetery we drive towards Bala Hissar Fort. Unfortunately there is no possibility to visit fort because it is a military place. Nearby there is a lovely shrine - it the place for the only working fountain I have seen in Kabul - it is located south from the fort. There a lots of graves on neighbouring hills. It is a lovely peaceful place with view to a shallow lake and the snowy peaks of surrounding mountains. We have been here some weeks ago: it seems that afghan families like to visit graves, to sit and have a tea or climb nearest hills.
After more than a hour of climbing on steep hills we reach the summit. Mountain Sher Darwaza is not high (2200m), but we started out from ca 1600m. It has been quite a tiresome ascent.
There are quite a few of us: my husband, his colleagues Willy and Stephen. Our driver Karim brings along his little son and daughter. They look like Teletubbies in their colourful costumes, but they are amazingly tough. Sometimes Karim and Stephen carry the children on their shoulders, but most of the time the kids just push forward bravely, without any whining.
Time to time we stop on stony platforms, built by mudjahedins. The platforms were used to fire missiles at Kabul city. There is a magnificent view from the top of the mountain: I can see the ruins of Darulaman’s king palace in south, the airport to the north and the main stadium to the east. To the west, there is mountain called Asamayi, with TV-masts on top. Usually masts tower above our heads, but today we look down at them…
One can hear city noise from the distance, mixed with voices of mullahs calling. We walk down alongside the ruins of ancient city walls.