Afghanistan's pockets of peace open to travelers

By Sei Chong

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters Life!) - Tell people working in Afghanistan that you're there just to look around, and the response is likely to be the same -- raised eyebrows followed by an incredulous: "You're here on holiday?".

Reports of suicide bombings in Kabul and attacks elsewhere are enough to keep even longtime expatriates from exploring the capital, let alone the country.

But there's a side to Afghanistan rarely seen in news reports: the bustling street life in Kabul and the serenity of the northern country, scenes that demonstrate how fear does not dictate the lives of the vast majority of Afghans.

Travel in Afghanistan is not risk-free. Backpacking is not recommended, and forget about the south, the stronghold of the militant Taliban movement. But daily updates on the security situation and a good guide can allow for safe travel in other parts.

Kabul is well worth a few days, a city of 4 million that is busy remaking itself, covered in clouds of dust kicked up by an endless stream of cars, armored vehicles and people.

But to see up close what peace looks like in Afghanistan and to better meet the locals, head north, starting in Balkh, once called by Arabs "the mother of cities", 14 miles west of Mazar-i-Sharif.

It has a rich history: Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan both conquered this region, which was also the birthplace of Zoroaster. Now eroded walls enclosed vast fields that once held a majestic city.

Balkh is home to Afghanistan's first mosque, the Masjid-i-No Gumbad, or Nine Towers. Most of the domes are gone, but restoration work has begun on what remains. The mosque, dating back to the ninth century, was once a dazzling white, as newly exposed parts of pillars show.